Ghost towns

.Well, if you are in AZ, you are in luck. Here's a listing from the past. Enjoy,
Frank...- five star.png
Arizona 700 map.jpg
Arizona Tradingpost List 700.jpg
 

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TerryC said:
Frankn, PLEASE tell me, and others, where this info comes from so that I may see listings for Maricopa (?) County and other sites in AZ. Tnx. TTC
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I found what you see misfiled in my old archives and thought maybe it might help someone. Source unknown, sorry. Judging from the paper, I would guess it is from an old treasure magazine from way back when I use to just remove the page and file it. Newer material is copied or printed out.
Frank...-five star.png
 

Frankn said:
I found what you see misfiled in my old archives and thought maybe it might help someone. Source unknown, sorry. Judging from the paper, I would guess it is from an old treasure magazine from way back when I use to just remove the page and file it. Newer material is copied or printed out.
Frank...-View attachment 1046365
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Tnx for the reply, Frank. I can see great potential in that kind of info for those looking to find old sites no longer evident. Tnx agn. TTC
 

HERE'S ANOTHER.
Idaho area miss. fort.jpg

Idaho forts and missions
Idaho Forts,mission,gold 700 TYP.jpg
 

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I would REALLY like to learn the exact location of the trading post at Adobe Walls, TX. It is not on current maps. It was already abandoned in "Kit Carson days". He came within a whisker's length of losing his life over there, to a Comanche raiding party that skipped over the soldiers he was leading to kill some people in a wagon train instead. The Comanches weren't afraid of the soldiers, the reason they were skipped was because a medicine man said "Nope", not the soldiers. It is up in the pan handle somewhere. Maybe one of our "Texacan" MD'rs can help. TTC
 

That info goes back to the days when I use to compose a post in my word processor, then convert it to a JPEG image then post it. That way it can't be altered. Gotten old and lazy recently I guess. lol
Maybe it will point the direction for those ambitious young bucks! Frank...-View attachment 1047161

I was looking over my books and located a good one that someone in AZ might like to check on in the library.
It is called Arizona Ghost Townes and Mining Camps by:Philip Varney. They are all shown on individual maps in the book.Looks like a lot of research went into it. Hay, it even gives the GPS locations (7thprinting)!The publisher is Arizona Highways.

Always wanted to look for the wagons loaded with gold and church treasurers like the life size gold statue of Mary that were buried prior to a raid in the Willcox playa. It is right off I10 now. Went right by it on another hunt. Should have checked it out. Old dreams never die. Frank...-five star.png
 

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TerryC said:
I would REALLY like to learn the exact location of the trading post at Adobe Walls, TX. It is not on current maps. It was already abandoned in "Kit Carson days". He came within a whisker's length of losing his life over there, to a Comanche raiding party that skipped over the soldiers he was leading to kill some people in a wagon train instead. The Comanches weren't afraid of the soldiers, the reason they were skipped was because a medicine man said "Nope", not the soldiers. It is up in the pan handle somewhere. Maybe one of our "Texacan" MD'rs can help. TTC
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Is there a cache involved in this? I have some Texas books like Penfield's A Guide To Treasure In Texas. It is indexed by counties. What county are you interested in? Frank...-
 

Frankn said:
Is there a cache involved in this? I have some Texas books like Penfield's A Guide To Treasure In Texas. It is indexed by counties. What county are you interested in? Frank...-
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I don't know the county involved. It is mentioned in the book "Empire of the summer moon". (I just perused a "find" in the book and found that it was probably on the Canadian River... maybe near Amarillo. That's all I got. TTC
 

No cache... just a long-forgotten site. TTC
 

Possibly Oldham or Potter counties. TTC
 

I Googled up "Texas panhandle ghost towns" and Wikepedia gave a good accounting, starting with... Adobe Walls ia a ghost town in Hutchinson County, 17 miles (27 km) northeast of Stinnett, in the U.S. stateof Texas. It was established in 1843 as a trading post for buffalo hunters and local Indian trade in the vicinity of the Canadian River. It later became a ranching community. Historically, Adobe Walls is the site of two decisive battles between native Americans and Anglo forces. In the November of 1864 First Battle of Adobe Walls, native Americans successfully repelled attacking troops led by Kit Carson. Ten years later, on June 27, 1874, known as the Second Battle of Adobe Walls, civilians at the Adobe Walls trading post successfully repelled an attack by native Americans. The second battle led to a military campaign which resulted in the relocation of native Americans to Indian Territory in Oklahoma.On May 22, 1978, the Adobe Walls site was added to the National Register of Historic Places in Texas, and in 1979 recognized as a Texas state archeological landmark.[SUP][2]... Yea Google! TTC[/SUP]
 

Look what came today...
Adobe.JPG TTC
 

Frankn said:
Hay this reminds me of a hunt in Danville IA. A friend there showed me an area where they had dumped soil remover from a shall we say a "secret military society of WWI times". It was interesting. I found some Iron soldiers, about 3" tall that there children probably use to play with, along with some other items.
A 4" scrape around here in(MD) would clear time losses back to the 40's. Frank...-View attachment 1040505
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I just re-read your post. I hunted the town of Lansing, IA. The area goes back to French fur traders. ( ie Marquette/Joliet) I found several wheats along a strip of sidewalk a block from the Mississippi river. Nothing from "the old days". In town is a tavern/restaurant that has a tunnel going to the river from prohibition days that was used to get liquor to the tavern. TTC
 

"Ghost town" in my neck of the woods is simply a community that once had a post office.
They are all over the place. The one I am searching isn't even on the list of ghost towns in Michigan.
The farm field I have been searching had several houses, what looks to be a boarding house based on some finds, and black smith.
I found it by researching old maps of the area. The coins I have found date from the 1860's to early 1900's. No silver yet, but nothing more recent than IH pennies.
I'm going to focus on the possible cache this year. While highly unlikely, it can't be ignored.
 

Ism said:
"Ghost town" in my neck of the woods is simply a community that once had a post office.
They are all over the place. The one I am searching isn't even on the list of ghost towns in Michigan.
The farm field I have been searching had several houses, what looks to be a boarding house based on some finds, and black smith.
I found it by researching old maps of the area. The coins I have found date from the 1860's to early 1900's. No silver yet, but nothing more recent than IH pennies.
I'm going to focus on the possible cache this year. While highly unlikely, it can't be ignored.
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What part of MI? Very old communities along waterways... even near Detroit, should have items dating back more than 200 years. If you start finding iron items, consider SIFTING the soil for clay pipes, buttons, or beads. TTC
 

Thanks Terry, I have found porcelain button and valuable antique marble on the surface of the field.
That would be a lot of sifting, but might be fun to do in areas with finds like you mentioned.
I am in SE MI, about 20 miles from Detroit (as the crow flies). A lot of the area along the river has been filled to prevent flooding.
A lot of the good locations are off limits to detecting, namely areas pertinent to the war of 1812.
Others are private property and require permission. I have searched some with very little success.
I have located a farm property that was identified in historical newspaper as being relative to the war.
I will attempt to gain access after crops are removed. I just hope the owners are home when I drive out to ask permission.
 

I think that ghost towns present there own set of challenges. First, I think every detectorist has naturally thought about hunting a ghost town right after hunting their own yard. So any that are widely known have probably been hit hard in your area. Secondly, these sites are usually very overgrown and hard to swing a coil in, even a sniper. Third, the world is all about preserving everything. Most historical societies work hard at making ghost towns off limits to detectorists. They would rather let the history rot in the ground than let you recover it. If they had their way, they would make it illegal for you to even walk on the ground for fear of you disturbing a weed. IMHO, I think my time would be better spent researching sites that are off the beaten path that may have slipped by other detectorists. Old home sites, trading posts, getting permission to hunt old properties in my town. I have yet to see a post here of a lot of ghost town success.
 

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