Derek752
Bronze Member
About a year-year and a half ago I found a very early 18th century patent map of a large area covering several miles north to south of the valley mentioned.
The one nice thing about this map is that it pin-points where early homes where just after the French & Indian war and it shows them to the exact areas where they sat.
When I first found this hand drawn map naturally I was a little more then excited. I investigated the first home shown to the northern most area of the map and after the 2 mile hike through water and underbrush I found it on the knoll drawn on the old map. It is spot on to the exact location of the home.
I have been able to verify the first home to a second map under a different name on the 2nd map for the home site and it is shown on the exact same knoll on both maps but different time periods and different names.
That being said I went on to the next area of land south of the first home site and to the east slightly ( No hiking this time only google earth and map matching). Google earth helped out here a great deal. The area further south of home site #1 is on a spot of land pictured on the old map that matches up perfectly with satellite photos. The rest was a cake walk.
Hop in the car and off on the land owner ship quest. 3 people later and I'm talking to one of the family that owns the land. A friendly decent sort he tells me he will discuss it with his family. This was late fall of 2016 and I could only hope on permission being granted at a later date.
2 weeks later I get a call from the guy and he says I am welcome to meet him there the following morning if I want. Unfortunately it's 2 weeks later and I'm now in South Texas working. I tell him I can be there in April. Fine with him.
Time jump to April 2017. A phone call and I meet him the next morning at the big farm now currently on the site. We talk for about an hour or so about what I do, what he does, and why I'm so interested in his land.
Of course he has no idea anything ever existed there but I'm more then welcome to do as I please only rule is to let him know when I will be there so no one living nearby freaks out.
First photos are of the farm there now and surrounding buildings.
Three photos of the small early 1800's out buildings and one photo taken from across the far far end of the field.
We discovered this beautiful old sleigh in the bigger barn. A man named James Goold who lived in Albany, NY at the turn of the century was a wagon / sleigh maker. Good chance this is one of his sleighs. Link to James Goold James Goold Co., Albany Coach Manufactory, Jas. Goold, Albany Cutter, Celerity, Albany Sleigh, DeWitt Clinton Train, William D. Goold, Butterfield Overland Mail, Albany, New York - CoachBuilt.com
Oh and I forgot to mention. The patent map listed 3 homes on the property during the French & Indian war. We found 4 !!! (Not to mention the 1840 home there now)
First home site I discovered was (what I believe) the site of a Rev war era and after colonial home. Finds were later period
The finds....
Very first good relic I dug was this crotal bell...
Then these buckle pieces
And the 3 best finds from day#1
A cut KG II , A war of 1812 Eagle button and a beautiful 1875 IH.
Next day I invited my friend Rich and we started a search of the 255 acres for the homes that were once there.
Over the next 3 days we located all 3. Simply a matter of finding the evidence.
All 4 home sites are virgin. If not anyone who searched them in the past left a lot behind.
Rich found these 2 exquisite Spanish reale buttons. He made some other great finds and he'll have to post them when he can.
We only had 4 days to hunt and have only scratched the surface.
My finds included .....
2 Jews harps, ramrod guide, buckle pieces, possible lead pendants, and a piece of fancy whatisit ?
The usual assortment of buttons.
5.5 KG coppers. 4.5 are KGII's and the top middle is a KGI
First whole buckle.
And my two favorite finds...
A complete shoe buckle 1660-1720 stud chape variety
Loved it the moment I saw it in the dirt. And complete is added happiness.
If you are interested I suggest a look at the link to the buckle. A lot of interesting information on it. www.gentlemenoffortune.com
And the final piece....
I had a whisper on the Deus and found this small round object at what had to be 8-9 inches deep...
I believe it is from either a signet ring or wax seal. And is what looks like a bird (or dragon or maybe even Archaeopteryx) within a crest or shield.
I have all names associated with the homes that were on the site and one name is very prominent for the area. I did a quick search and came up with similar family crests associated with that name.
I gave the land owner the eagle button. crotal bell, and several other finds. Told him he is welcome to any finds he wants.
We will have to wait until fall to get back to the fields since planting is going to happen in the following weeks. Last are a front and back of the IH.
Thanks for looking ....HH
The one nice thing about this map is that it pin-points where early homes where just after the French & Indian war and it shows them to the exact areas where they sat.
When I first found this hand drawn map naturally I was a little more then excited. I investigated the first home shown to the northern most area of the map and after the 2 mile hike through water and underbrush I found it on the knoll drawn on the old map. It is spot on to the exact location of the home.
I have been able to verify the first home to a second map under a different name on the 2nd map for the home site and it is shown on the exact same knoll on both maps but different time periods and different names.
That being said I went on to the next area of land south of the first home site and to the east slightly ( No hiking this time only google earth and map matching). Google earth helped out here a great deal. The area further south of home site #1 is on a spot of land pictured on the old map that matches up perfectly with satellite photos. The rest was a cake walk.
Hop in the car and off on the land owner ship quest. 3 people later and I'm talking to one of the family that owns the land. A friendly decent sort he tells me he will discuss it with his family. This was late fall of 2016 and I could only hope on permission being granted at a later date.
2 weeks later I get a call from the guy and he says I am welcome to meet him there the following morning if I want. Unfortunately it's 2 weeks later and I'm now in South Texas working. I tell him I can be there in April. Fine with him.
Time jump to April 2017. A phone call and I meet him the next morning at the big farm now currently on the site. We talk for about an hour or so about what I do, what he does, and why I'm so interested in his land.
Of course he has no idea anything ever existed there but I'm more then welcome to do as I please only rule is to let him know when I will be there so no one living nearby freaks out.
First photos are of the farm there now and surrounding buildings.
Three photos of the small early 1800's out buildings and one photo taken from across the far far end of the field.
We discovered this beautiful old sleigh in the bigger barn. A man named James Goold who lived in Albany, NY at the turn of the century was a wagon / sleigh maker. Good chance this is one of his sleighs. Link to James Goold James Goold Co., Albany Coach Manufactory, Jas. Goold, Albany Cutter, Celerity, Albany Sleigh, DeWitt Clinton Train, William D. Goold, Butterfield Overland Mail, Albany, New York - CoachBuilt.com
Oh and I forgot to mention. The patent map listed 3 homes on the property during the French & Indian war. We found 4 !!! (Not to mention the 1840 home there now)
First home site I discovered was (what I believe) the site of a Rev war era and after colonial home. Finds were later period
The finds....
Very first good relic I dug was this crotal bell...
Then these buckle pieces
And the 3 best finds from day#1
A cut KG II , A war of 1812 Eagle button and a beautiful 1875 IH.
Next day I invited my friend Rich and we started a search of the 255 acres for the homes that were once there.
Over the next 3 days we located all 3. Simply a matter of finding the evidence.
All 4 home sites are virgin. If not anyone who searched them in the past left a lot behind.
Rich found these 2 exquisite Spanish reale buttons. He made some other great finds and he'll have to post them when he can.
We only had 4 days to hunt and have only scratched the surface.
My finds included .....
2 Jews harps, ramrod guide, buckle pieces, possible lead pendants, and a piece of fancy whatisit ?
The usual assortment of buttons.
5.5 KG coppers. 4.5 are KGII's and the top middle is a KGI
First whole buckle.
And my two favorite finds...
A complete shoe buckle 1660-1720 stud chape varietyLoved it the moment I saw it in the dirt. And complete is added happiness.
If you are interested I suggest a look at the link to the buckle. A lot of interesting information on it. www.gentlemenoffortune.com
And the final piece....
I had a whisper on the Deus and found this small round object at what had to be 8-9 inches deep...
I believe it is from either a signet ring or wax seal. And is what looks like a bird (or dragon or maybe even Archaeopteryx) within a crest or shield.
I have all names associated with the homes that were on the site and one name is very prominent for the area. I did a quick search and came up with similar family crests associated with that name.
I gave the land owner the eagle button. crotal bell, and several other finds. Told him he is welcome to any finds he wants.
We will have to wait until fall to get back to the fields since planting is going to happen in the following weeks. Last are a front and back of the IH.
Thanks for looking ....HH
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I'm sure you've just scratched the surface
