You wouldn't expect to find delicious tomatoes while digging around an old outhouse.
And that isn't exactly what was found when the Sterling-Rock Falls Historical Society had a privy dig at the Lincoln-Manahan Home a few years ago. Let's just say the seed was planted, however.
Among the few unique artefacts found were 150-year-old heirloom tomato seeds. It took a little while for them to bear fruit.
The privy, or outhouse, was on the property of the Lincoln-Manahan Home, which the historical society purchased in 2007. The society spent about 4 years renovating the home, at 607 E. Third St. in Sterling.
During that time, a group of three men from the Chicago suburbs who specialize in antiques and archaeological digs related to privy searches were brought in. A privy also was commonly used as a dumping ground for garbage, historical society curator Terry Buckaloo said.