Texas Ghost towns

[mattyshore]

So I have posted that I will be in Garland TX at the end of September. I will also be in the Austin area for a couple of days for a quick stop to my company headquarters. I am looking for old ghost towns. I have just started doing some quick research since I can fit my detector in my carry on. Has anyone tried or been able to detect any ghost towns in Texas. I know just west of Denton and Ft. Worth I have read about some places, but how do you go about gaining permission for these grounds? Who would you talk to to make sure you are not tresspassing or anything? I just want to do things proper because no one wants to ruin it for the next guy and this hobby seems to getting squeezed enough by laws and rules. I will keep doing research and emailing local clubs to see if they can at least guide me in a good direction, but any help or knowledge would be greatly appreciated.

 

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[Diggin-N-Dumps]

I know the place you are talking about west of Fort Worth...thou I think the land is now owned by private parties...i cant remember the (Current) towns name thou. Sorry

 

[Mackaydon]

There are many online sources for Texas Ghost Towns. Here's just one list and location map of between 40 and 50 GTs.
https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=...d=104434267467859639684.00000112efec64d184bfb
IMO, your toughest challenge will be to find the person in charge who can give you permission, if possible. Have you considered what you're going to say to that person? Are you going to offer a % of your finds? Do you have a form permit of permission to search and 'take away' -a form ready for the owner or responsible party to sign? What pitch have you developed to offset his impression that all you really want is the right to take 'his' assets and leave the land a mess of holes?
My daddy would tell me: 'Proper planning prevents poor performance'. So go prepared; and good luck.
Don....

 

[mattyshore]

The area I am going to check is owned by the Army Corp of Engineers. I have looked up the laws and they allow metal detecting in certain spots without a permit and one of those places is lakes and waterways owned by the Army Corp of Engineers. I have emailed them and got a response today that I have permission just to fill in my holes and leave as little a trace as I can. When asking permission I just am honest and explain who I am and what I do, I remain polite even if denied because I don't want to leave a negative impression for our hobby. I am an Eagle Scout so leaving no trace behind is something that I always do. I was surprised how easy it was to get permission considering I have been working on permissions in my state of Delaware for months. Thanks for the link I will check it out.

 

[Mackaydon]

Matty,
Congrats on achieving Eagle Scout !!
With a similar dedication, I know you'll find plenty of treasure, be it treasure hunting, in your job and in your life.
Don....

 

[Tom_in_CA]

The area I am going to check is owned by the Army Corp of Engineers. I have looked up the laws and they allow metal detecting in certain spots without a permit and one of those places is lakes and waterways owned by the Army Corp of Engineers. I have emailed them and got a response today that I have permission just to fill in my holes and leave as little a trace as I can. When asking permission I just am honest and explain who I am and what I do, I remain polite even if denied because I don't want to leave a negative impression for our hobby. I am an Eagle Scout so leaving no trace behind is something that I always do. I was surprised how easy it was to get permission considering I have been working on permissions in my state of Delaware for months. Thanks for the link I will check it out.

congratz on your permission from the "army corp. of engineers". A word of caution on such future endevours as you go place to place elsewhere: Another way to think of it, rather than thinking you need "Permission" (any more so than you'd need "permission" to fly a frisbee there), is to put it this form of a question: "Is it prohibited?" Rather than "does this activity need permission?". And for that, you can look up the laws/rules for yourself, to get that question answered.

Because ...while its commendable that you "got permission" for your current site (army site), yet to be honest with you, the very next clerk you might have asked there, on the very next shift, could have given an entirely different answer. Ie.: they can morph something to apply (that you might harm earthworms or whatever), and have told you "no". There's quite a lot of places that get routinely detected, and no one's ever cared "till someone asked". So your desire to be within the confines of the law is commendable, but just saying, you can look up said-laws for yourself, to accomplish the same thing. Rather than risk a "no", when no such rule really exists, that says such a thing.

 

[moon222]

In Texas does anyone have knowledge of Trespass Fees ??

 

[lastleg]

moon222 > First shot over the head; Don't wait for the second.

 

[mattyshore]

That is some great advice. I might have to apply that to Delaware where I live. I have spent some time talking to locals in the areas I hunt here in DE and they have some great advice and places to check out. Nothing more than some clad but even that still gets me excited.

 

[Produce Guy]

Try All about Texas - Texas travel, Texas history, Texas cities, towns, ghost towns; people, historic places, buildings, illustrated.

 

[mattyshore]

Well no major finds at the old Ghost town. Found some clad and two old bullet shells, but hey it is a find from another state and I didn't go home empty handed. Spent some time on Long Island NY after Texas and found a whole mess of clad on the beach and a silver Roosevelt dime. As long as I find something it is a good day. Still holding out for some gold but I stay positive everytime.