New Hunting spot.

[3searchin]

After work I went to check out a place we got permission to hunt this property the end of last year. Last year we checked it out and it was over grown with All kinds of thick brush. I decided to go check it out early this year and since I didn't have my boys I could fight my way through some of the painful briers and get closer to the foundation of an old house. I wanted to check out how safe it was before I took the boys there.

Everything was still very thick and the briers where still very sharp let me tell you.......but I was able to get in close to the to the foundation. Once in there and not sure how I was going to get back out (carrying the MD and digging tool also). I made some discoveries, First the one wall is still there and leaning towards the back of the house supported only by the main eye beam (very unsafe for kiddies), second (another safety hazard) the sides of the house and the roof have fallen and covered cellar entrances. So I really didn't feel safe being there. Wood, nails and metal from the roof laying everywhere.

I did do a little detecting down a path created by deer and was able to find a few items. (1) 1952 wheat, (1) Large insulator, what looks to be a clock piece, a brass or bronze something, and a very badly worn wrench.

So after all that I have a question for everyone. On a site like this where the house has been falling down since the 70's so I really don't know how old it is and the site is over grown. The owner of the property doesn't know how old the house is. Would you take the time to clean the area to metal detect. I know the owner wouldn't mind if I cleared the brush and piled up the old house pieces, but do I really want to go through all that for possibly nothing.

I'm really thinking about cleaning it but it'll be a lot of work and take time away from Md'ing elsewhere.

 

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[BuckleBoy]

It all depends on what types of finds you consider to be worth your time and effort. If you find 6 more wheats is it worth it? If you find a silver coin or two is it worth? How about some Indian Head Pennies? I'm thinkin' that since you did very little detectin there and came away with a wheat penny as your only coin, the area could very well be worth your time. And if you are having this personal internal struggle about taking the time to clear the site, you can trust that other detectorists have passed it over. And to find a wheat penny that quickly means it probably has not been hunted before. But personally I think I'd also wait until there was a long dry spell in the summer and I didn't wanna leave dead spots in peoples' yards and the fields were all full of corn and soybeans and I was lookin for somethin to do. Then I'd weed whack or brush hog the heck out of it and go to town!

Cheers,

Buckleboy

 

[fd3615]

look at a sanborn map for the area..

 

[ringfinder]

I think I would check out an old County Atlas from the 1800's or earlier if your area was there in the 1700's. Check and see what was located where you want to hunt. If an old house sat at this location, I would definitely ask for permission to hunt this site, even if I had to clear some of the brush out first. Just take out some and see if it's worth the effort.

HH, Ringfinder

 

[3searchin]

I have two map 1 from 1956 and 1899

It's there in 56 but not in 1899 now granted there quite a large gap in time there, but I think even in 56 it would be a good place to look.

The only problem I have is three sides of the house fell out onto the surrounding ground and one is held up by an i-beam leaning against the opposite foundation wall........lots to clean up to even get close to the house and be able to detect.

it's surrounded by fields already I guess No one wanted to clean it up. It's on the side of a hill an the only thing not made into fields is about 40ft on two side of this house and about 70 yard on the other two and thick as Heck with briers. (I have many wounds from tonights exploits.........short sleeves and jeans).

I'm seriously considering it, but I just have the nagging in the back of my head that says what if that was the one and only coin in there and the wrench was the best relic.......lol. I have a little time before the briers start growing again to decide haha

 

[garbage digger]

I'd just clean a small portion and see what that yields me. If I was to find anymore "keepers" than I would keep clearing and keep gathering those keepers.

 

[BuckleBoy]

Excellent idea, garbage digger! Clean up the most promising area first, like the front yard, and see what's there before attacking the rest. Duh! I wish I had thought of that one LOL.

Buckleboy

 

[3searchin]

The boys and I went back over the the house last night and cleared a small spot around the trail I had been on earlier in the week. we found four more wheat's a (2) 1944's, a 1942 and a 1939.

OK by this time I decided I'm going cleaning a lot more up around to house. We went home and I hopped on the net. Well I did a lot more research on the site and had a very BIG surprise.I managed to find a map from 1875 which actually had most of the names of the home owners for every house in the area in 1875. So I'm looking at the map and figuring out where the house should be.....and low and behold there's the house. That's when the surprise came. I'm looking at the map and then I see the owner of the property's name and then it hit me the owner has the same last name as I do....except in 1875. Now it only had shown the first initial and my last name.........so now intrigued and a little weirded out

I start researching the name. Turns out he was in the 210th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry Regiment in 1863. What makes strange is our name is not common in my area and to find out we where here in 1875 is neat and the fact that I've been attracted to the house for so long is strange. Maybe My long lost uncle or cousin is trying to tell me something...............lol

So Now I'm really going to clean the site and maybe dig up some Family Relics

 

[civilman1]

I agree...No sense in landscaping the joint.Take a part where you think would be the most productive and give it a test shot.Take it as far down in a given area and see what you come up with,my daughter's house is the same way....Talk about trash,but I know the goodie's are there....Good luck!!

 

[BuckleBoy]

Make a copy of that farmhouse map and stick it in your back pocket! Eat with it! Sleep with it! Don't leave home without it! Those types of maps are INVALUABLE for finding old house sites that are long gone. And they usually are loaded with SO much info that it'd take two lifetimes to metal detect every site on them! They usually listed old schoolhouses and churches as well. You'll find that the church sites have usually been hit before (because even if the building is gone, a cemetary remains). The schoolhouse and farmhouses which are long gone are usually virgin sites! It still takes a bit of detective work, but once you are really familiar with the map, you can use it to navigate without resorting to a modern map of the county, even though the roads have changed in some cases. Get into the cartographer's head. It will pay off many times over!! Keep updating this post on what you find at the site in question, but start finding those other old ones too.

Cheers to a great discovery!

Buckleboy