Elkins WV

[David T.]

I will be visiting my grandparents in Elkins soon and was wondering if anyone would be willing to share any places near there where I could maybe dig a few relics. I would assume there are alot of old homesites there. Any construction sites to hunt? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

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[gmstreet]

I live just outside of Elkins. Although I'm new to M.D.ing I have hunted a few yards in town and found a few old coins and interesting relics. There are several turn of the century homes in Elkins, and some of the larger and more fancier homes are located around the city park, Boundary Ave. There are also a few larger fancy turn of the century homes on second street. I have never hunted in any of those yards but I'm sure if a person could get permission to hunt one of these, they would find some good stuff. I have heard mixed things about the city park. I've had some people say don't even think of hunting there and then others say, "Hey you should see what my brother in law found M.D.ing at the city park". We just had a huge car show over the fourth of July, and the Augusta festival is going on right now in the park, not to mention the Forest Festival in the fall. The park should be loaded with potential finds. I just can't get a straight answer if I can hunt there or not. During the Forest Festival there are about a hundred vendors set up in and around the park, and about half that during the Augusta Festival. The July car show brings in around 3 or 4 hundred cars parked in the grass in rows all over the park, with thousands of spectators passing through. Oh, I allmost forgot the Ramp Festival in the spring. Several area cooks set up booths all around the park to enter there favorite ramp dish in the annual spring ramp cook off. Again there are also several vendors set up round the park. I guess I'm kinda backwards when it comes to getting permission. If it's not a relative or family friend, I just don't know how to ask. I think the rail road yard might be a good place to search. There is some new construction going on in the yard that may be off limits but it's big enough that a person could stay to the outskirts and probably find some stuff. Of course I'm sure it's going to be trashy. Right across the road (wilson ave.) from the rail yard is a swinging bridge, the bank on the rail yard side of the bridge is a popular bank fishing spot, you might find some stuff there. Elkins has some history so any grassy area in town has the potential to hide some finds. Also, 6 miles south of Elkins is the town of Beverly. Beverly has some significant Civil War history. I have found several bullets and even found a musket barrel along the tygart river in Beverly. I hope I've given you some ideas. These are all places I want to hunt, I just haven't had time or don't know who or how to ask permission. Let me know if you find out if it's legal to hunt the city park, and if I find out, I'll post it here. There are also a few schools that were built in the 19-teens that have been turned into apartment complexes, Central school on second street and Third ward school on Harrison avenue in the sharp turn between dairy mart and the hospital. I think a person could just wander up and start detecting at one of these two places, who would know you didn't live there or aren't visiting a relative that lives there. Let me know how you fare.

Good Luck,

Greg

 

[gmstreet]

I couldn't resist it anymore... I just got back from the city park, no problems whatsoever. I found 3 clad quarters, 1 clad dime and a hole bunch of pennies, oh and tabs. I only looked about a half hour and my wally-world diggn tool broke, so i decided to leave. As I was getting into my truck I saw the Mayor pull in. I thought about asking her and then decided, hey no body hassled me so why draw any attention from local goverment, they may decide they don't want anybody diggin in their park. I just waved and went home. What was really cool is that where all of the vendor stands were from the Augusta festival are marked on the ground in spray paint. They could have just put up a big sign that says look here!!!LOL

Good luck,
Greg

 

[David T.]

Thanks for the suggestions. Just got home this afternoon. My grandparents live on elm street so we walk to the park alot. We hunt the park everytime we go up there and no one ever says anything so I guess its all good. Last year my dad found an 1890 IH penny in the park but thats the only older coin we have found there. Hunted the park and found a little change but nothing old. Hunted my grandparents back yard and along the side walk in front of there house. Found some old toys and what I think is a shoe buckle but I dont know. Man back in the seventies they must have thrown pennies at each other along the side walk. Dug probaly 30 pennies from the 70s in fron of there house. Also a 1946 wheat penny came out of there front yard but that was about it. You could also try the schools around there. Dug a little bit of change at North elementery. Thanks again