Can you dig an area where an old town use to be?

[lawman0210]

I found an old town about 95 miles from me. The town is completely gone. It has been gone for 10 years or more. Is the land now ok to detect?

 

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[coinshooter]

If you let me know where it is, I'll test it out for you and let you know.

 

[Stormtrooper154]

Depends if land is privately owned or State/City owned. Being 95 miles away, good luck!

 

[TreasureTales]

All land is owned by someone or some governmental body. It is best to do some research FIRST. You can contact the county records department for names/addresses of owners. Then you should contact them for permission. If state or county owned, you should check with the county sheriff or city police for any ordinances or laws that prohibit or permit access and detecting. For federal government, you would have to contact the appropriate office that oversees the land in question. Many here on TNEt will say if it's government land you have the right to detect it, end of story. That would be great if such simplistic reasoning were true, but it isn't true. I wish it were and I agree with many of their arguments for their position on the matter, but the truth is any of us can get into deep doodoo if we detect on lands that prohibit it. Such sites would include areas of historic significance, including many ghost towns and sites of former towns. When in doubt, check it out.

There is a law that says private property must be posted approximately every 1/4 mile if access is limited or totally denied. To access such lands is considered trespassing. Trespassing is never a good idea, and should never be condoned. However, if the land is unmarked and not fenced, it MIGHT be permissible to access it. Under such circumstances, I recommend being extremely respectful of the land and landowner and following the Code of Conduct for Metal Detectorists to the letter. Truth be told, I'd like to find the abandoned/vacant site of an old town myself, but most places like that here in CA are few and far between.

 

[bruizr]

all you have to do is call the court house in the county it's located in and they can tell you who owns it because they collect the taxes (call the assessor's office). if taxes haven't been kept up on it then it may be county property. i did this where i live and was told metal detecting was o.k. anywhere on county property,even around the court house lawn! things may be different in your county though so you may want to put this with your pull tab collection-lol.

 

[jeff of pa]

is it 95 Miles my Direction ?

(NORTH)

Just Kidding.

Well Sort of.

actually everyone answered your question already.
as long as it's not a National Historical site,
and permission can be obtained. go for it.

 

[diggummup]

Is the town completely gone or just the people? Hint,hint. I think you should hook up with jeff of pa and hunt it together.He could offer you many tips, besides a whole town has a lot of area to cover,better with a couple people.

 

[lawman0210]

The last house was torn down over 10 years ago.
By looking at it one could say he just thought it was a vacant field,

Ken

 

[Farmercal]

Ken,

If it looks like a vacant field the owner probably won't care if you detect the site. I would approach the owner and emphasize the importance you put on leaving a property just as you found it whenever you detect. You might be surprised.

 

[lawman0210]

Will it be easy to find the owners from local offices in my home town? Or will I need to go there and research. An ariel view shows where the houses use to be (kinda rectangled) but nothing is there. There seems to be a guy who has a website dedictaed to the town. Seems kinda of erie. I think there is even a shrine at the place. I thought about contacting him but figured he might say no and give everyone the word to be on the look out. I think i could get away with saying that I just stopped to check the field and didn't know the history. No trespassing signs are up.


Ken