Winter Research --- Looking forward to Spring!!!!

[mpostma]

Well, we really don't have as much snow as usual just south of the Mighty Mac. We had it, but the long thaw in January, and then only a few inches of snow since have left us with spots here and there on South facing hillsides with brown showing.
Unfortunately it is also frozen very deep.

So, since I can't detect I have been working with local history, and finding places to try in the spring that nobody has ever thought to hunt. Last summer I found a virgin picnic grove and took home 10 to 20 silver and indians a day for several hunts.
This winter I've found a ghost town site for what was a very popular place for weddings etc, a hotel site back in the woods that has never been hunted, a creek site that was the first place white people came to live in the area, and also was an indian camp site, several swimming holes, a site where the "tent shows" were set up, and much more.

I am now a board member of the History Preservation Society. I have been doing oral history interviews with some of the senior citizens. You can bet that part of my questions are aimed at where things used to be.

I would encourage any of you to get involved with local historical societies. I'm up front and tell them I metal detect and shoot old coins. The rewards are there. You just have to be willing to dig in and help a little too.

Good Luck this spring!
Mark

 

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[postalgriff]

yeah I remember some of your posts from htat picnic grove, great stuff. good luck with your new spots, they sound great will be looking forward to your posts!! I've spent a few late nights pinpointing some good spots for spring too. bring on the thaw!! HH Mark...

 

[Greg-in-MI]

Is this an invite, I am sure that is what it sounds like. I've been hitting the books and maps also, people seem to think that the best places are behind us I believe we are in for some great discoveries both in treasure hunting and prospecting.

 

[mpostma]

This week I found a misfiled map on a university archive. It was an 1890 map of a logging town in the upper peninsula.
The town boomed from about 1870 to 1910. I overlayed the old map with a google image of the current town.
It had 9 or 10 saloons and several hotels, along with houses and buildings.

When I did an overlay I found that 4 or 5 of the saloons are in a park and wooded areal along side of it now.
There were buildings all over that are gone, and most of them are open space now. The town was about 4 or 5 times the size of what it is now.

Postalgriff,
I would love to find one site a year like that picnic grove! I've seen your posts, you do quite well! You ever find yourself up this way let me know, I'd be happy to have you come out and hunt!

HH,
Mark

 

[mcmich]

Since you have me thinking logging camps...found a site with lots of pictures of MI logging camps, tools, etc..

http://www.classroomhelp.com/lessons/michigan/lumber10.html

 

[Planet1mars]

I started as well with winter research.. i tried something diffrent and found a lot of very old maps.. from the french settlers to britsh colonies that were in michigan... sucks i cant read french, but its intresting to know the british population at the time in some areas.. you can find a few maps from french canadians....I also found a few things on river piracy here in michigan pretty intresting... just cant wait for the thaw and warm spring...this snow storm kind of set the feeling of winter is still here..

 

[mpostma]

MCMICH!
Nice website! Thanks, very cool!

PlanetMars,
Long time no hear! If you want to look up Piracy on the Great Lakes take a look at King Strang and the mormons on Beaver Island. There were many accusations that they lured ships onto the rocks around Beaver, and looted and stole all along the Northwestern coast of Michigan. Strang was shot by a couple of guys he had thrown out of his kingdom in 1856, so in the ten or eleven years before that it was pretty brutal up here.

Good Luck,
Mark

 

[Planet1mars]

I cant wait to go in upper part of michigan... Finally the disability is squared away after 3 years...and have gotten myself 2 detectors..Love the cibola, just want screen upgrade.. i did read a few things about jesuit priest's in michigan and there journeys to wisconsin and back.. i honestly beleave we have history still waiting to be found..the peytroglphs in michigan and still nothing found in that area.. and indian mounds...I was near the mackinaw brideg last year for a week but couldnt hunt becuse of a spine surgery were they use a laser to burn nerves off... lol nasty taste of bunt dog hair for a month... Ill post the pics of the screws they took out of me this past dec... amazing find in the body, hey and we did use the detector on my back so i guess its kind of a find, just doctor dug it out of me...Im glad to see your still here and hope to see the others here in the next few weeks

 

[Ray S S]

Hello, Mark I was wondering, if the PM I sent to you got through a couple days ago?

Ray

 

[craigv3]

Great info and great site!!! I cant wait for spring.....I'm simply tired of the snow and have CABIN FEVER to the max... I keep telling myself "Its right around the corner"....I think I'll put some old clothes on and shorten the rod on my detector and hit my crawl space in my basement....It may have potential since the house I live in is built in 1856...The additions for my kitchen and living room were built in the 1970's....but that crawl space is hiding virgin ground

Keep up on the research and i'll be looking to see the daily posts once this frost line is gone...

Be safe and take care,
"Z"

 

[Planet1mars]

messing around with michigan history, seem i forget that michigan at one time was part of canada...and so i rifle through maps i seemed to have stumbled on mc arthur a general that went along lake erie through detroit up past algonac and back in canada, we were once called qubec territory.. so now im going to read about this guy and see if he had small attacks with indians or any others while heading north..and before the cliton river to kalamazoo expantion. clinton river is on maps from 1700s... i did find one old foundation hope to have permission in a week to hunt it