Fence Post Cache Questions

[limegoldconvertible68]

Since these were usually buried a 100 yrs ago or so haven't all the original fence posts decayed and been replaced? Would the new posts be in the same location as the original ones? Regardless, how do you run a detector to look for a cache, if its under a post would the detector see it? Wouldn't the metal in the fence render a detector useless? Sorry to ask so many questions but it seems like its nearly an impossible task to find an fence post cache from previous centuries. Obviously some people have been successful at searching so is it just a matter of luck or are there certain things to do to make success more likely.

 

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[JOHUNT]

It's been a while since I've been on T-Net but,here goes. Most fence posts would have been made from Locust trees. They do not rot very quickly. There are still some on my land. There is usually no metal that close to the bottom of a regular 3-4 strand barbed wire fence. Alot of people say that they would have used a post that could be pulled out easily from time to time and that it wouldn't have the fence attached to it. Fences were pulled tight as possible and (most) posts were pounded in deep. If there was a farmhouse there you might want to check all of them that are or were in sight of the house. Good luck! The ground is still frozen for me but, I am anxiously awaiting spring to get back to digging up the past!!!

 

[uglymailman]

I guess we build fences differently here in thh Midwest. Most of our posts are Hedge (Osage Orange) and were put in ground after digging a hole. A lot of new fences were built next to the first ones built that had trees growing in the fence line. Easier to move over 5 feet and build new than to clear the overgrown fence line. I've seen posts that I'm sure were at least 100 yr.'s old still standing. One way to gauge the age of an old fence is by the type of barbed wire that's in it.

 

[JOHUNT]

That's an interesting point you made about moving the fence over a few feet. That could make it a bit easier for a THer. Here in NY, fencelines usually ran on the property lines(hedgerows). NY was once about 60% farm fields. A major reforestation process took place in the 30's-60's. So now it's not uncommon to find fencelines throughout the woods. Plus the farmers would throw all of the field stones into the hedgerows. Some of the biggest trees out here have barbed wire running right through them.
So Limegold you might find a cache or you might find some other cool relic but, also remember that most people didn't have tons of money back then. So don't stop at fenceposts. Search everything. People used post hole banks because they didn't trust real banks, so they would've hid it well in a spot where they could monitor it! Best of luck out there guys!

 

[Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp]

HI. to answer a question regarding detecting along a fence, you merely run parallel passes with the wire. IE, balance out the wires' reaction, then slowly go parallel with the wire, The same applies next to a metal wall.

Don Jose de La Mancha

 

[nuggethuntr]

Excellent information.

Might look at your area of interest on Google Earth. Sometimes things that aren't noticable at ground level are obvious from above - such as old river channels or fencelines (which might now simply be a straight line of trees).

Google Earth also has a feature which allows you to switch between different years of data. On mine it goes back to 1993 - 18 years.

I've recently found (by switching between current maps and 1993's maps) two sites that are fields now - but were once old homesteads. You can see where the houses and outbuildings were as well as yard fences, trees, etc. Since then, everything was bulldozed down, burned or hauled away --- and the land turned into field. Today standing at the edge of the cornfield you'd have no idea that anything was once there. And yet, it is a prime target area.

nuggethuntr

 

[10claw]

one man i hunted with told me that his father placed a churn in the garden ( buried of course ) and that was his band since they lived about 30 miles from town. this man also found twisted gold bars in the hollow of a dead tree. one time i was there with him and he showed me the stump of the tree. we did'nt find anything that was left. tough luck.
never overlook rotten stumps nor limbs on large trees. good luck

 

[bigstrapper]

I'm researching a lot in my region, I tried using the BLM, Bureau of Land Management. That usually goes back to the mid 1850's or later. They used very detailed maps back then since they had to write down most everything they seen and it was usually a lengthy chore since they had to manually lay out the chains for measurement. Most of the time they noted fields, trees, cricks, minor and major roads and yes even fence lines.

 

[Kentucky Kache]

Research who lived there in years past and see if you can locate someone who may have old pictures of the place, maybe showing a fence row. You never know.

 

[lastleg]

Now that's some out-of-the-box thinking there KK. Most of my old Kodak pictures feature people saying "cheese".

 

[Kentucky Kache]

Now that's some out-of-the-box thinking there KK. Most of my old Kodak pictures feature people saying "cheese".

Do any of those old pictures have a background? I'm guessing they do.
It's not out of the box thinking...just common sense.

 

[dustytrails123]

Im hunting a spot this weekend for a gold necklace a friend lost on a fence line ...from what i read looking for gold i will need to dig alot of foil and pull tab signles /sigh ...but on a side note the place is an old boot leg house so maybe i could get lucky and the old timers maybe have left me something

 

[gazmuth]

Another thought on post hole banks is that during the hey day of the notorious robbers (i.e. Pretty Boy Floyd, Dillinger, Bonnie and Clyde) I am told that they would have small stashes of coins or bills in various spots around the countryside along fence rows on the paths they would travel, generally where the fence may bend or jog. This was 'escape' money should the law be after them and they needed gas or provisions. I will have to say that I have looked along some of the old highways near where I live, which are still dirt roads, the new highways being a mile or two to the side of the old 1900-1930's highways, but have never found anything. I try to think like maybe the outlaws would, but then too, where I live wasn't a lot of activity from the outlaws, and I apparently don't think the way they did.

Also, where I live was the 'dustbowl' of the 1930's, and money was tight, so the farmers would not have had much in the way of 'caches' for about all they would have was the shirts on their backs. It got better in the 1940-1950's and there are maybe a few of the post holes out there from that period, but also the banks started getting safer too, and so some people were more apt to trust those banks, around this area anyway.

I will still look for the old 'post hole' banks though, maybe get lucky, but just like everyplace else, the old 40 acre farms are gone and replaced by the 640 acre farms, and the dirt farmers around here don't much care for people asking to 'look' around there plowed fields with a metal detector, even though I have lived here for 55+ years. But I still ask, get lucky from time to time, and who knows, maybe even find more than a silver or copper one day!

Gazmuth

 

[maipenrai]

I dont really think post hole banks were used as much as we think or wish. Not a very convinent way to hide money. More likely, a barn or other out building would be used, then no one would see, when they made a withdrawal. Also, if it was any paper money, wouldnt have to worry about it getting wet in the rain. Even now days, I think basements would be better, so not to draw suspicion of family members or neighbors.

As far as Dillinger, Pretty Boy, and B&C, I wonder if they really planned that far ahead. Going back further in time, most robbers were running, and when they werent, they were living it up, not the type to plan further than tomorrow. It would be nice if they hid money everywhere, but except for dropping a coin every now and then, they spent it all. Pirate treasures are also mostly in our imagination, or dreams. I cant really see much need in burying treasure everywhere, but wouldnt mind it, if I ran across some. How many robbers carried a shovel with them, and had time to dig holes and then cover it so no one would notice it, especially if the posse was on their trail. At the most, just throw it under some brush, since they would plan on coming back for it.

It would be nice if someone here, actually finds a post hole bank, or has found one before. I have heard that Sears had them for sale, but havent seen any in any catalog.

 

[gazmuth]

LOL.... The movie 'Brother Where Art Thou' had a scene where it depicted some outlaw on the lam and money was flying out the windows.

I have to believe that the outlaws probably did spend most if not all of the money they stole, probably quite lavishly. However, I did remember reading a story, can't remember if it was fictional or non-fictional about Frank James, where he looked for stones in southern Oklahoma that he and his brother had put over stashes, and that book said he hadn't found all of them, but like I said, that reading escapes me and it well could have been fictional.

I have looked for caches, never found one, researched a lot of treasures, almost always ran into the treasure being in some place that you can't get to, under a lake or found long ago, so I just enjoy the small finds I do locate which are generally a couple of coins with the metal detector, and enjoy all the map reading and research I do to get me to the sites where I find little or nothing. I have to say that the researching for sites is still a lot of fun for me.

Nature and the great outdoors are still the greatest treasures I find, and would not take anything for them!

Gasmuth

 

[Rawhide]

I have detected fence lines, so why is it only buried under the post? Small bits of wire make it a chore. You cannot discrim the wire as the cap of the mason jar is also metal. If you find a gate, I would suggest going 300' feet or so in front of it and looking for a foundation. That seemed to be about the average distance, as most of the old homes are down by now. Good luck.