Built in 1870, the subfloor looks to be t&g 1x3-4. the top layer you walk on is this narrow thin stuff. about 2 inches wide and about 1/4 inch thick. it resembles lath in its dimensions. it seems to be just glued down somehow. anyone see this before?

This type of flooring is usually square-edged and starts out at five sixteenths inch thick. It has nails through the top that are set about an eighth inch deep and the nail heads are covered with colored putty. If you look across the rows of boards there will be rows of nails about 7 inches apart. Early floors were scraped before there were electric sanders. As the flooring gets thinner from sanding, there will be rows of nails that will need re-setting and the nail holes puttied. I think that this type of floor originated in Sweden

Sounds interesting. Do you have a picture you can post?

I think it would be a great idea.