Any Ideas for Iowa Sites?

[Magil]

Though I've been MDing for many years, I just recently started spending time on this site.
I've got a bad case of cabin fever and have been trying to plot out sites to visit once the
ground thaws. Any suggestions? I spend a lot of time in NE Iowa and live in Central Iowa.
I'm going to try the banks around some of the hot fishing holes on the trout streams up to the NE
this year. Also areas that might have been river pirate hangouts by the Mississippi.

Son-in-law has several old rental properties and I've done pretty good around them.
Last weekend he found a diamond ring under some carpet he was tearing out of one.
14K gold band, one large diamond and 8 smaller ones surrounding it.
Some people are just lucky that way.

 

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[A. Grignon]

Whats the closest town to ya ?

 

[Magil]

Marshalltown

 

[spyguy]

Magil,
The best IA lead I've ever heard of is the one concerning Kelly's Bluff over in Dubuque. Tom Kelly was an eccentric who lived on this land in the late 1800's and buried gold coins all over this bluff overlooking 2nd street & ? (now behind a catholic church). Several gold coins have been recovered from this site over the years, but the biggest cache is said to await a finder still.... A book that talks about this and other US leads in depth is by an author named Kevin D. Randall. Gold prices being what they are --- this would definitely be worth a road trip for you!
HH
-spyguy

 

[Magil]

Thanks for the tip.
I've got some friends in Dubuque. I'll check it out with them.
I have to agree that all along the Mississippi is a hot bed for Treasure Hunters.
There's a ton of history there. I met an old timer in Prairie du Chien Wisconsin
last year (across the river from Marquette, Iowa).
As a kid, he used to camp out on the islands every chance he got. He showed me a large
collection of stuff he had found. Most of it was Indian related (arrow heads, pottery, etc.)
He had donated a huge amount of artifacts to the University in LaCrosse. He said that there's
still a lot out there.
I've read that there were river pirates that had a camp across the river from where the
Wisconsin river joins the Mississippi.
I'm thinking the islands and shoreline in the area would be worth working with a Metal Detector
Plus, there's lots of exposed limestone bluffs with small caves that would be worth checking out.
Does anyone know if using a metal detector on what would be a National waterway is prohibited
by law? I know the Indian mounds and National Parks would be off limits but what about the
river in general?

 

[dave in iowa]

Hi magil . im from dubuque , i know kellys bluff quite well , my aunt used to live right behind the church they speak off and right on the bottom of the bluff, along the river would be good , catfish creek .is another place , eagle point park . from dave my daughter has inlaws from marshall town

 

[Magil]

Thanks for the info Dave!
I'll give it a try come Spring. Maybe sooner if we could just get the temp up another 10 degrees or so.
What's the Marshalltown name? Maybe I know 'em.

 

[LDW65]

I am originally from iowa but now live in texas. Iowa is full of old farm houses, barns, schools etc. I wish I had started md'ing when I lived there. Check out those places.

 

[JamesE]

Welcome to Tnet,
You may already know, there's what called US Treasure Atlas series of books, can be found individually on eBay for 10-$15, alot of info for the the money, also DeLorme Gazetteer has old and ghost towns still in it even if they are no longer existing. Any interest in prospecting?
jim benton county

 

[Magil]

Thanks for the tips.
Prospecting? Never tried it.
What do you prospect for in Benton Co.?

 

[JamesE]

Mostly jail bait!
Just a joke (for those conservatives that may see this)
I've never looked here much at all for gold although there is some geology that might have something. Usually go north to the 'glacial' edges. Going to a Steam Engineers school in the middle of May by Forest City and plan to poke around up there, the topography looks interesting for gold and the Atlas lists a few GT's to MD. Only 1 in Benton though. jim

 

[wyattrr]

Try nature parks, boat landings, athletic complexes and churches...ck the library for history of your area...go to town hall to see their older territory maps. HH