new to TN ... cache expert advice needed

[booshey]

First, I am very new to this website... so please forgive me if I am not posting in the correct areaicon_scratch:

Less than 2 weeks ago, my wife and I signed paperwork on a home...built in 1942. The man who built the home was born in 1916. He and his wife (and the 3 kids they raised) were the only ones who lived here until he died about 3 years ago.

Pros:

He did not believe in banks, to the point he would drive across town to pay a bill in cash. As already mentioned, he built the home himself. He had a corner store on his property he built himself in '55. His daughter told me the family knew he had money hidden on the property but couldn't find it.

Cons:

All of the furnishings were removed from the house. 75% of the two detached workshops were also cleaned out, including his late 50's chevy and most of the parts to go with it.

The majority of the treasure research/hunting I have done prior to this has had nothing to do with homestead caches, and I am overwhelmed. In 5 hours of metal detecting, I have already uncovered a 1950's coke bottle, two silver nickles ('43 and '5?), 20 clad coins, a sterling silver ring, a marble from the same time frame, a partial gun handle, etc.

All this has been fun but please....HELP!!! I have plenty of detecting buddies I can get over here, but I need some cache expertise! This is the time for us to look and find before we start filling the house with furniture, updating wiring (yes it still has knob and tube he put in himself), taking care of what is no doubt lead base paint issues, etc. Hard to mess up a house that needs re-done!

Any advice / help greatly appreciated...

 

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[Jeffro]

Pull the faceplates off electrical outlets. If there's wiring, put em back. If there's not, there may be something else in that hidey-hole. Check the dirt floor areas of any outbuildings. Check the floorboards for anything loose, especially near walls where it could easily be covered by furniture. Definitely check the attic! The space under stairwells. Was there a garden? Check there. Basement? The possibilities are endless. I believe Dick Stout and H Glenn Carson both have pretty good books on cache hunting. try looking for them on Amazon.

 

[booshey]

Thanks for the ideas! I know the possibilities truly are endless... hence my dilemma. Right now I have found a skeleton keyhole that does not work... gonna check that out. All hardwood floorboards and all trim through the house seem to be solid... with no small suspicious sections. All the windows are old pulley system windows, half of which do not open. The attic has barely been looked at yet so that is a great idea. I also have not been under the one story house in the crawl space. The entire back yard (150 ft. by 150 foot) was a giant garden at one time that even had a mini greenhouse clearly visible from the master bedroom. I have detected around the existing greenhouse foundation but nothing more than a few false signals and clad in the first few inches. So much ground to cover and so little time. Maybe I need to have a 50/50 day and open up the South Alabama property to a handful of seachers... paperwork and my personal friend escorts an obvious for each searcher interested...

 

[cw0909]

Pros:
He did not believe in banks, to the point he would drive across town to pay a bill in cash. As already mentioned, he built the home himself. He had a corner store on his property he built himself in '55. His daughter told me the family knew he had money hidden on the property but couldn't find it.

if you own this too, and its attached to the home, look around the connecting wall, and in the
storage area of the store, look for a floor safe in the garage

 

[: Michael-Robert.]

Easy, look everywhere! Inside, outside, in pipes, fence, mason jars buried around property, stairs, walls, search everything. Near trees, fence posts, barns, wells, and don't forget a place where it can retrieve easily also.

 

[chlsbrns]

Many people bury in a spot that can be seen from the kitchen sink window.

 

[Limitool]

As advised... check the attic 101%. Look for any attic floorboards that appear loose or use screws or nails not completely driven down. And even then if there aren't any look for a board spaced just enough to allow for a crowbar to be used. Look for splintered or depressions in the lever board if bar used. I just searched a home like this last summer. It was 3 stories with the same windows, wiring and old garden area. I found many things (old tools, 3 complete yearly sets of Look and Life magazines all 50's) among some old receipts also. Found a "secret" storage area under the 2nd story set of steps going to 3rd story. But no money found inside.

The house you have (like the one I checked) probably doesn't have gutters... right? The first house corner I checked outside I got a faint hit on my MD. It's easily seen from the back door. The soil was VERY SOFT (Michigan sandy soil). About 8" - 10" down I found an old ceramic mason jar lid. I pulled it out and rechecked w/MD and still had a very faint signal. I dug down a little farther and started to bring up old broken glass. This was directly under the edge of the overhead roof where rain water hit directly on it allowing anything to easily settle. It started to really rain hard right then and I filled in hole and had to leave to go home to TN. I'll return next month and dig again. If you have the same scenario meaning .... no gutters, soft soil and faint hits on the MD... DIG DEEP! Any jar that heavy will sink deep quickly and would break apart due to the frost line freezing and breaking the glass.

Really use your imagine guy... if a man can reach in, crawl in or access a small area... go on in! Outlet covers with a nail inside might have had a string hung on it holding a container within the wall(s). Best of luck buddy and keep us posted good or bad.... later, Brad

 

[BVI Hunter]

you better get looking - QUICK!

The Outside of This Old Florida House Looks Like a Run-Down Shack ? but Hidden Inside the Walls Was a Secret Treasure | TheBlaze.com

 

[booshey]

Thanks for the input! So many places to look, so little time. I am learning as I go...

 

[Rob in KS]

You don't have to be in THAT big of a hurry. Forget the grounds and outbuildings for now, they will be hunts for years to come. Concentrate on the house before you start remodeling. It sounds like you'll be doing some extensive remodeling so you'll be tearing into walls and poking around every nook and cranny. Since the guy had a store, it will probably be coins. Silver coins.

You've actually done pretty well already with 5 hrs hunting. Some of the treasure may have already left with the car and garage stuff. But nothing you can do about that. There are some great tips on some older threads. This winter, you can crawl under the house without the spiders and snakes. LOL.

Are you going to be doing the work or contractors? Something to think about.

Of course we want you to keep us posted and pictures are always welcome.

 

[Frankn]

ARE YOU SURE OF THE AGE? KNOB AND TUBING WAS LONG GONE IN '43. The cursed aluminum romex was going in in '43 because of the war.

Here's my guess. You are looking in the wrong place. He probably spent most of his time in the store and his money came into the store so he probably hid it in the store, not the house. Just my guess. Frank...-

 

[Rob in KS]

ARE YOU SURE OF THE AGE? KNOB AND TUBING WAS LONG GONE IN '43. The cursed aluminum romex was going in in '43 because of the war.

Here's my guess. You are looking in the wrong place. He probably spent most of his time in the store and his money came into the store so he probably hid it in the store, not the house. Just my guess. Frank...-View attachment 1037661

I was wondering about the knob and tube too. My house was built in 49 and has the cursed aluminum romex.

Sometimes those dates get screwed up.. The county appraiser people came by once. While we were talking, they said the house was built in 1922. I set them straight. They were thinking of an older house that used to be on the property. It was moved to town in 49 when this house was built. I wouldn't have known that if I hadn't talked to an oldtimer.

 

[cw0909]

booshey, back then some people bought blueprint/plans for homes,or the kit home
all materials ship to, id look into to those, if the home is a blueprint/kit home, the
blueprint might give you an idea of where you could put a hide hole b4 or after
a link to sears homes,they sold blueprints, after the ww2 and keep in mind the
water table for your area, HH

Homes Index
kit homes
Kit houses in North America - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[dieselram94]

Yes, keep us posted! Check the window sills as well!

 

[booshey]

i know everyone on this site has probably found more than I, but in the next day I will attempt to at least post a pic/pics of my findings thus far. thx for the support... i feel like i found a new family. lol

 

[Limitool]

i know everyone on this site has probably found more than I, but in the next day I will attempt to at least post a pic/pics of my findings thus far. thx for the support... i feel like i found a new family. lol

Don't bet on that first comment buddy....

This home probably has the old plaster walls... is this right? If it does and you decide to tear them out or drywall over them you'll really be able to check out window sills and the outlet areas before dry walling. Best of luck and have fun....

 

[Frankn]

Did someone mention PLASTER? Yep, I have done plaster work too.
Plaster as a decorative finish to the inside of walls goes way back to the beginning of construction.
It was first applied to masonry walls directly. Next it was applied to wood lathe cross strips. This had horse hair mixed in as a binder. This allowed space behind it for gas light pipes and later electrical wiring. Next came the detector killer, Metal wire lathe backing. A brown coat was applied and then the white finish coat. Enter SHEET ROCK, the final chapter. Hay, I have worked at all of the building trades. I even built my own home, footers to roof. With 77 years behind me I have had plenty of time to acquire skills.
Here is plaster on a concrete base used in art. Frank...-

Plaster fresco

 

[Old Silver]

Thanks for the ideas! I know the possibilities truly are endless... hence my dilemma.

booshey, get use to that dilemma, if you're interested in this type of treasure search. Welcome to cache hunting.

BTW, I'm a contractor, and a cache hunter, so if you need any help...

 

[Mr.T]

Check all the Plumbing Traps- bathroom and kitchen. And outside drains!
Blacklight on the interior walls and floors will show if they were disturbed- same as up chimenies .
Underneath the lip of, or in the water tank in the attic.
Loose architraves around doors.
Hollow bedframes .
Curtain linings!
I heard of one place where the lead weights in the sash widows were silver. Curtain rails (hollow). False wardrobe bases.
Pockets of old clothes.
Stuffed up back of radiators.
Taped under drawers, kitchen included
Backs of pictures and mirrors- make sure not relined.
Whats under each fire grate- tap them.
Make sure and recycle all the copper you pull out of there.
Best of all- have fun!

 

[ARC]

Stop and think hard about a "what if" scenario.... What if I was him. Look at the spots that seem most "worn".... rooms that have alot of wear or feel of time spent.... was he a smoker?... which room has the most yellowing... etc.. start in those.
As far as the outside... it would be in an area that cannot be seen by anyone from any direction... start with unusual trees or very large trees make sure to really work the roots at angles and pressed in any crevices. slowly multiple small swings.
btw garages and sheds seem to be the hiding choice of many old timers....large attics as well.