Old Prohibition moonshiner estate....

[Orange Crush]

I got permission to metal detect around an old prohibition era moonshine estate when the snow melts. The home actually has a lot of hidden compartments (stairs that pull out, hidden wall spaces etc.) which the owner has gone through. The home was built in the 1800s and was seized by law enforcement during prohibition wherein the current owner's parents bought the home. Has anyone else ever hunted around a prohibition era home and found anything? Usually moonshiners weren't too trusting of people and had money being exchanged in some fashion. Any tips on what to look for would help. Thanks for any replies.

 

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[ivan salis]

if the shiner was locked up and died in jail money might still be hid in the home * -- you never know worth checking into -- if the house was siezed by the fed the owners were most likely jailed--- if the house has hidden compartments for booze hiding -- most likely it had hidden money stash spots in it as well --the big question is did the former shiner owner ever return to get any of his stashed cash or not?

If the shiner lived and the money was not too much he might have wrote it off --not wanting to get caught with it and get a second tem for income tax evasion -- not worth the risk he figgers

however if it was a lot of cash he might have ran the risk -- you need to find out if the shiner ever returned to the house / lived in the area afterward --there might be buried coin stashes on the property -- mason jars were often used to bottle shine in as well as bury coins in.

 

[oldcoon]

I trapped foxes on a farm that had been owned by a bootlegger. The brew was not made on the farm, but was more of a distribution point. The old bootlegger's daughter showed me the summer house that had hidden compartments and sliding panels used for storage. I did not metal detect the property, but I doubt there would have been any bootlegger money hidden about as there were obviously were partners and they all had families to feed in the middle of a depression. I would think the money got divided and spent as fast as it came in. There would have been some interesting relics though.

 

[RON (PA)]

That is a great opportunity. I would love to hear what you have found.

 

[Brian(upstateNY-Central Fla.)]

Worth a good look see

 

[Frankn]

I would have to disagree on the money responce. Dutch Schultz made a lot of money. He buried over $7M in the 30's. A lot of money was made on booze. I would really look the place over good. Look for depressions in the ground, out from the house, trees, large stones, outbuildings. Remember if it was buried, he needed a starting point to find it again. Also check near any fencing. Think like the Cacher. Frank

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[Orange Crush]

Thanks for all of the responses. The owners said that the sons and daughters would stop by every once in a while to see how the place was holding up, but they never looked around too much, just talked. Who knows what is out there. I was also told that there is an old Sodbuster's homestead on the same land. It's nice to have too many places to go detecting with all of the private property out there. I'll get some photos and hopefully some video up when I get out there. Right now I am getting cabin fever waiting for all of this snow to melt. "Think like the Cacher", I like that!