topo map questions

[PAmike]

I was doing a little research in my area on topo maps. I have 2 questions.

1- In a town nearby there are 6 houses still standing, the topo map shows 58. should I detect around where the houses should be located?

2- The topo map of a different area show a cemetery that I know for a fact is not shere, well at least the stones aren't there. is this normal? should I check out that site?

 

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[jeff of pa]

I would search that Whole area, IF you can ge permission.

 

[DiggerX]

I second Jeff's suggestion re: the houses.

As to the cemetery...it is common, but it is hard to say what the deal is. The bodies may still be there, in which case, well, it's definantly a no-no. Even if it says the bodies were moved, this sadly isn't always so.

Personally, I do not detect in ANY areas that were known to be cemeteries at ghost towns. There's too much of a chance there still may be some burials there. Just my personal code is all. :P

Doc

 

[PAmike]

is there a law stating we can't hunt treasure in cemeteries or is that just because you are superstitious or something?

I was just saying that the cemetery caught my atention because I know the area becaust I live withing 2-3 miles.

mike

 

[jeff of pa]

On Laws Yes & No. With Permission NO as long as you only dig Drops & not Dig Graves. YES there are Laws Against Grave Robbery & Tresspassing. .......... jeff

 

[chellyp]

Was reading back through old posts - was wondering what it means to "dig drops"? Does that just mean small depressions in the ground? Thanks!

 

[hollowpointred]

i believe jeff meant dropped coins.

 

[chellyp]

Duh, sorry....

 

[boomer]

Mike, what is the date on the topo maps? The houses may have been there during the time the maps were made. See if there is a later dated topo of what the site looks like now. If you got the topo maps from the internet, check another site and see what they show for the same area. also look at aerial photo maps of the area. They may show something different. You may need to check the local library or the county court house for land records. Sometimes on the net you can pull up the local history of a county by putting in,? say> Carter county history ohio, or carter county historical society ohio. But, whatever you do, stay away from grave yards, the laws are stringently enforced in all states. Talk to the people in the area and get the ok from the land owner to search before doing any detecting.? research is the key here. good luck.

 

[ruck]

Duh, I take it there`s not A site Online where I can download or copy Topo`s or old photos from a government agency or otherwise,thats the MILLION DOLLAR question! Ruck. PLEASE HELP!

 

[Jeffro]

Old Topo's are hard to come by. When my Grandfather passed away, he left me all his old maps, that was a start.... every time I'm at a garage sale, I look for 'em, as well as old fire maps. Recreational maps of forest areas are quite good, too. they show all the old shelters the forest service used to build and maintain.

Yes, definately check the areas that show on that map, especially look for any depressions when you're out in the field that could indicate an old bottle dump or outhouse. best of luck out there!

 

[newtocoinhunting]

PAmike, as Jeffro mentioned, you might consider looking for old Sandborn(TM) maps. If you are not familiar with these maps, they are also called fire insurance maps since that was their original purpose. They are the best resource I have seen for the layout buildings on a property at a historic point in time, but traditionally they only covered the larger towns in any given county. If you can find a library that has these for public use they are an invaluable research tool. You can also have a property researched (there is a fee for the research) to see if any maps (individually purchased for $10) are available for that property (for example, the maps for my local city go back to the 1880's), visit:
http://www.edrnet.com/sanborn.htm

I would recommend you ask any local historical societies or museums before purchasing maps, someone likely has a collection of printed maps for review. Libraries also might have subscribed to the historical maps through an online service offered by proquest.com, in which case the maps they would have access to would cover at least the local state if not other states.

 

[nevrdundetecting]

Duh, I take it there`s not A site Online where I can download or copy Topo`s or old photos from a government agency or otherwise,thats the MILLION DOLLAR question!? ? ?Ruck.? PLEASE HELP!

www.historical.maptech.com

don't know where you are but this site has a lot of states in the northeast, old topo maps, most in my area, wv, were surveyed around 1900

good luck

 

[Klaatu]

is there a law stating we can't hunt treasure in cemeteries or is that just because you are superstitious or something?

It's called respect for the dead.

 

[rockdude]

you might check out any antique stores for any old geology maps or Metsker's county maps.

 

[Johnny Cache Hunter]

TRY THIS ====> http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/maps/pa/county/jeffer/usgs/winslow.jpg

You might also try here http://www.mapsofpa.com/home.htm

and look here too http://www.mapsofpa.com/othersites.htm

For those outside of PA look here ====> http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/maps/