Farmers Landfills in Schodack NY 12033

This past summer I have excavated 4 landfill type areas in the Town of Schodack N.Y.. Following are a summation of my findings and various thoughts I have on them. Schodack NY was a small industrial and farming community located in the southern region of Rennselear County bordered by the Hudson River to the Columbia County to the south the foothills of the Berkshires to the east. There is still some farming and small time manufacturing. What it has become since the 1960's is much more of a suburb of the Albany & Troy areas. What it was in previous days was a fairly sleepy semi isolated small town.
It was not an uncommon part of farming or rural living in past days before large waste disposal companies and Town landfills for people to create their own. Using their own property in a secluded section to dispose of no longer useful items. Getting permission to search such areas of property now is of course not easy. Who wants a dump discovered on their land. Anger or strange looks are not uncommon. I managed by hook and crook to gain some entrance to areas. I shall not reveal exact locations.

1. Funk Road Area
2. Graw Road Area
3. Green Avenue Area
4. South Schodack Area near Columbia County Border

First of all old tires , Atlas , Firestone , Montgomery Ward etc. Large old tractor tires were not uncommon. They always are at the top of a landfill or dump. The lack of tread shows that they were used as long as was possible. A favorite find was old junked cars. I came upon an old Nash from circa 1956. severely rusted body and frame in the Green ave site. In another was 3 old Ramblers used as parts cars. At the Rambler site was also an old IH truck circa 1958. The odometer read 267,000 on the IH truck. IH stands for international harvester. Buried on the Rambler site found by metal detector was an old tractor engine. I am told by property owner that engine was from a Furguson tractor circa 1953. My digging revealed many fascinating items , atleast to me. Many old Montgomery Ward items such as 1 gallon oil cans , tools , kitchen items . washing machines etc. This is not surprising. In Menands , NY there was a large 3 or 4 story bld that was all a Montgomery Ward Department store. This was a mega store for the time and served a large geographic area. This brand name usually meant that I had dug to the early fifties or sixties. Now glass items were usually broken , one metal and glass item I discovered puzzled me. After searching and asking I believe was an old sediment bowl used in cars and tractors before the wide use of gas filtration devices, It tended to allow sediment in gasoline to settle in bottom of bowl before it reached the carberator. It would be cleaned out often. I believe it also allowed for air to mix with the fuel as well. I found 3 toys one remnant was a toy blimp which I believe I can date to atleast the 1940's. In the Graw road area I found several old gears most likely from old farm equipment. Remnants of an old hay combine lay nearby so the gears may have come from that type of equipment.
My major conclusion is simple. This was a frugal life lead by these people. Items were used for as long as they could be or were broken beyond repair. Occasionally , items became obsolete such as an old wringer washing machine circa 1930's. I have reason to believe it was used well into the 1950's. Tire tread was at the minimum in many tires found. People fixed what was broken when possible , hence , the use of parts cars for instance. Use old cars to keep one car going. This was not a disposable community for the most part. Through good times and bad one was careful of money spent and what one had.