New Metal Detectorist in Lexington

[bclark]

Hey everyone I have a cheap 50 dollar detector and was messing with it for while finding change and such at the local parks. Nothing really older than the 70's and I decided to upgrade to a Ace 250. I have been going to the fair grounds in Fayette and Scott county but nothing turing up other than some newer coins. Anyone looking for a partner to go hunting with drop me a line. Now that the ground is softer maybe hunting will be easier. Got out of the Marines a year ago and I am from Arizona so I don't know the area to well other than to work and home.

Happy Hunting.

 

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[BuckleBoy]

Happy Hunting, and Congrats!

Buckleboy

 

[Frodov]

Dude! You got a sweet machine there with the Ace. I don't have quite the detector you have now, but I like my White's Prizm IV just fine. I too live in Lexington and have been in the parks and fair grounds around here.. Scott Co. just had their fair a couple of weeks ago.. I missed it.. but I did get some change and other goodies from the fair grounds afterwards. Nothing to get excited over, but it keeps me in battery money. <grin>
Check out my posts on "Today's Finds" under "Frodov" Anyway, drop me a line on here, or at "[email protected]" Maybe we can get together some time and hit one of the local parks. I'm still looking for other folks in our area, I was told that there was a club here in recent years, but it seems to have folded or something. I'm having trouble contacting anyone even remotely local. *sigh* Maybe I'm just too eager. <shrug>
Well regardless of what turns out.. happy hunting my friend! And Post it here online.

Frodov

 

[bclark]

Sure we can go dig up lexington or wherever. I live around the joyland area and I have heard that there was a big amusement park right where I live and I hit the local park up and mary todd everyonce in a while. I work at the jail and should be soon working with the Sheriffs Department if all goes well. I work first shift (8am-4:15ish) and I am off work on Tues and Weds. So far at the parks and fair grounds I have made about 3.18 cents in all new currency and found two hot wheel cars, 1 silver earing and a silver braclet. Nothing to interesting. Can't wait to find some old coins. I will email my number to you.

 

[Frodov]

Cool.. bet you could get permission from most anyone to metal detect on their property if you were in a Sheriff's department uniform. <grin> Just kidding, Work and Play are separate. I work an odd shift.. odd to the rest of the normal world, but I like it. I work 12 hour shifts, three days on, and three days off. Of course that means my days off rotate throughout a six week cycle. I'm sure I'll have some Tuesdays and Wednesdays off.. I'll have to link up with you sometime and we can hit the grounds around joyland (the park anyway) I wonder if there are detailed maps showing the old amusement park on record at the public library? If we could somehow compare an old map with a more recent one, we could pinpoint where the park was and then try to get in there and detect away. <grin> Know anyone who is connected to the Lexington Lyons Club? I'd like to find out who to talk to, to see about getting permission to detect out at Masterson Station Park, the Fair Grounds. They have it all fenced up, gated and locked. I can understand why, I mean they'd be liable if anyone got in there and got hurt.. you know, like by digging up an electrical supply line or something. ZZZZAP!
Still though, I'd sign a waiver if that's what it took to get in there and hunt. You KNOW that the place has to be loaded with coins. Especially around the midway where the rides set up.. and around the concession stand areas.
I'd love to find some old coins too, and the old amusement park would be a more likely spot than any of the parks open today. Of course if you know anyone that lives on an old property.. an old house (built before the 60's) they are likely to have older coins and treasures hiding in the soil around them.
Well my friend, I must go for now, Got to work tomorrow and it's tough to get up at 5:30 in the AM if you haven't had enough sleep. I'm sure you know how that feels though. Since you work first shift too. Till we meet again.. happy hunting.

Frodov

 

[bclark]

Don't know anyone in the lyons club but I have been looking for maps of lexington and the joyland area. Maybe even a map or guide of the park itself would be very useful. I can not seem to find any maps earlier than the 50's. I found a map of fayette county and scott county from the 50's and it also gives locations of houses, parks, farms, ect. I went to Masterson Station the other day and tooled around the soccer fields and found about 50 cents. I did find this old hotel the other day that just got sold and the owner plans to tear it down. The roofs are caving in and there are about 5 units to search around and a picnic area. It is overgrown a little bit in some areas but I found some change there. Nothing old but I am sure it is there just under the weeds. In Georgetown there working on widening a road to make better access to 64 and there a two old houses that are in the plans to be demolished and I try to make contact with the construction guys but have not had any luck reaching anyone. Well I emailed you my number and I am always looking to go hunting. Will be somewhere in the morning I am sure since the rain soften the ground a but.

Bernie

 

[wildrider]

I'll have to link up with you sometime and we can hit the grounds around joyland (the park anyway) I wonder if there are detailed maps showing the old amusement park on record at the public library? If we could somehow compare an old map with a more recent one, we could pinpoint where the park was and then try to get in there and detect away.

It is my understanding that Joyland Park is exactly where Joyland Bowling Alley sits.
Links to Joyland Park info:

http://cgi.ebay.com/1930-PHOTO-Lexi...9638915QQihZ013QQcategoryZ13878QQcmdZViewItem

http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/j/a/m/William-F-James/PHOTO/0106photo.html

Not much else, sorry.

There are alot of old sites that if you hunt you can get a good old coin, getting rare though. Bernie, I use to sell detectors and I know a guy that lives in the Mary Todd area. For the first three years, he dug
over $1000 each year, just in Lexington parks and schools.

I don't want to sound discouraging, sorry. But never ever, think it is all gone. Work the perimeters where the bushes are near the ball fields in any of the Lexington Parks.

I've hunted Southland Park two times probably 10 years ago. The first time I went where I thought everyone would loose stuff and sure enough, watches, jewelry and newer coins. But I knew it had been around a while, so the second time I poked around in "some" of the perimeter areas and got my first Walking Liberty half and a GW quarter. It rained and I never went back. Civil War artifacts got my attention and I stopped hitting parks.

My point is...I thought that for everytime I thought about hunting Lexington parks, someone had alredy hunted them 100 times. If they did, they didn't get it all.

I used to be the president, vice president and secretary/treasurer for the club in Lexington. We were active for about 5 years until 2 years ago. A club would be good,but you have to have a year-around meeting site and people who actively want to run the show. Everyone likes to attend and let someone else do it all.

A few things to remember:
* No place is hunted out, just harder to find.
* Your coil has to go over something before it goes off.
* The deeper something is, the less likely it will give you a "good signal" even if it is.

Good Luck to you.

Burt

 

[bclark]

Burt,
Thanks for the info. I went to the bowling alley and looked around a bit and there is an abandoned put put golf course bext to it. Thought it might be a good try on day. So you hunt civil war stuff. I am a civil war and military junkie. Anything military related and old I try to collect. I have a Marine Corps WWII dress blue uniform and want to restore it one day with all the brass and metals for that era.

I know the hunting is the hardest part but it is worth the travel and dig time when you find something good. I went out for 8 hours yesterday and 8 hours today and totaled aroung 2.00. I am having fun and it gets me out of the house.

Any good areas to hunt for civil war relics? I have been looking online and from what I see most of the area was downtown and now is covered up with pavement. Well thanks for the tips and pictures.

Bernie

 

[wildrider]

send me an instant message and I'll let you know.

 

[bclark]

Just emailed you.

 

[cavers5]

Welcome to KY and hope you find some great old stuff!

Cavers5

 

[Kentucky Kache]

If you guys want to drive about 45 miles, The Perryville battle field is a good place to hunt. Of course you can't hunt in the park, but you can get permission to hunt the farm land around the park. The battle was fought in a large area, not just within the park.

 

[bclark]

I am definately going to plan a trip out to perryville and spend the day. I have tried to think of many places to hunt and I have never thought about hunting around the areas that are off limits. It is a great idea because they we big battles and the lines of men were quite lengthy. I have been wanting to go to a reenactment. I went to a civil war site in North Carolina while I was stationed there. The battle of bentonville. They had trenches and an old house they confiscated and turned into a hopsital. I was told they took all the doors off this old house and used them as stretchers. Thanks for the tip. You seem close to perryville. Have hunted around their? Maybe we can meet up for a hunting party.

 

[Kentucky Kache]

I hunted there once, but only for a few minutes. Sometimes I run out of patience too soon. Anyway, A relative of mine donated the land that is now the confederate cemetery. His name is on the placard.
Let me know when you plan the outing and I'll see if I can get free.

 

[bclark]

Sure, I am always off Tues and Wed. I don't ever lose patience I have my canteens and some ice water and I go. I love to fish and just got into metal detecting. It is almost like fishing.

 

[Frodov]

Not almost like fishing.. it IS fishing.. fishing for metal (coins) instead of fish. <grin> I too like to fish, but since I got this detector this spring I've not been fishing but one or two times. I've kind of got hooked on the beep beeeeeep beep beep of the metal detector. Especially when you get a good target and end up digging up coin or some other interesting object. I've not found any really old coins yet, definitely no "silver" yet.. *sigh* but I keep looking. I know I'd have much better chances of finding silver in an older local, but as of today I've not found any to hunt. Oh I've SEEN plenty of places that would be likely if not definitely places to find silver, but you've got to get permission first. I've noticed that a great many of the older houses along broadway and many of the other streets around town are occupied by businesses these days. Probably have been for many many years, but I've not paid attention till now.. funny how you "notice" things when they take a higher priority or interest in your life huh? Like getting a new car.. suddenly you see that make and model of car EVERYWHERE!.. <laughing>
Anyway. I'll have to get together some time and check out the Joyland lot with you, I know you said your days off are Tuesdays and Wednesdays, unfortunately in my work cycle I won't have those days off for a few weeks, two weeks anyway. Oh, and I didn't get your email, did you send it to [email protected] ? I'll look again, but I don't think I got anything from you. <shrug>
Happy hunting! er.. fishing!


Frodov

 

[fofadave]

Hi there I am just getting started also. You got a reply from Frodov, he and I work together and hunt some maybe we should all get together some time and see what we can find. I am also into Civil war aspects and have done some work on locating areas around Richmond.

 

[bclark]

Sure man I would love to go. The more the merrier. I was up in Richmond a couple of weeks ago taking a polygraph at the DOCJT at EKU. I am almost done with the process of becoming a Sheriffs Deputy here in Fayette County. I hope all goes well with the process and if it does I will be living in Richmond for 4 months with my detector under my bed of course.

I went looking around in Athens on my way back and drove around and tried a spot across the street from the school. The grass was kept low. I read a post about how that was the site of the original school. I found some cans and trash mostly but did not stay too long. It was getting hot and the polygraph wore me out.