Anyone with experience at Old Mill sites??

[piedmont]

I know of several old mill foundations/works (1750-1900 era) in my area but have yet to detect any of them.

What manner of treasure have you all found in these type of sites??

Any strategies you are willing to share??

 

[John (Ma)]

I was trying to do an old mill in my area that burned down and talk about alot of junk. All kinds of little pieces of metal. I would think there must be some nice coins around there some where, but i am not sure how to even start. If I dug everything, I would be curious if I could complete the area in a year.

 

[Michigan Badger]

I know of several old mill foundations/works (1750-1900 era) in my area but have yet to detect any of them.

What manner of treasure have you all found in these type of sites??

Any strategies you are willing to share??

Not sure what you mean by "mill"

Here in northern Michigan, "mill" means sawmill.

If this is what you're referring to then lots of iron and few if any coins is the game. I've hunted the mill sites for over 40 years and the number of coins I found at these sites I could count on the fingers of one hand.

Lumberjacks were almost paranoid with their hard-earned pay. Most received credit and were only given cash when they left the site. This was to discourage gambling and all that always follows gambling.

The dates you mentioned should make for great finds in relics. Even if you're hunting a grain mill, any site dating to the 18th century is going to have old buttons, tools, horse hardware, axe heads, crosscut saw blades, and other cool stuff.

I have 3 wonderful dug Spanish buttons dating from 1800 to 1830.

Old sites always mean cool finds!

I'd dig everything. Great items are often masked by larger iron trash and/or relics.

Badger

 

[BuckleBoy]

I got my last Spanish Silver 2 Reales (1790's) from a grain mill site in West Virginia!

Strategy for these? Simple. Start from the foundation an work outward from the foundation in all directions. Pay special attention to anything that looks like an old road leading to or from the site. Such mills were centers of commerce and trade in the late 1700's, and everyone in the area knew where they were located back then. They appeared on old maps in many cases, and were even used as place markers during the Civil War--in some cases used to process food for the troops.

You'll want to use low discrimination on this site and dig everything that reads decent. Pay attention to how deep any 18th century finds are and adjust accordingly. Also make sure you eyeball the dirt in the hole for old glass, Native American relics, etc. I will warn you that targets are frequently deep in such sites because they lie in the natural floodplain of whatever creek they were situated on. Don't give up, though. Spend at least four or five hours working the site at a bare minimum...more if you are digging a lot of more modern trash. You have to get the newer trash out of there to hear the older stuff below.

Cheers,


Buckleboy

 

[piedmont]

I think most of the mill sites I know of are likely to be grain/grist mills. I am hot on the trail of a woolen mill site though. Water power was what drove the industrial revolution up until the 1840's and beyond, so there should be plenty of these old mills out there(esp. on the east coast).

Research tip: I found reference to the woolen mill in a local geneology website. I found several nuggets of information while reading a narrative geneology of a local family(you have to wade thru a lot of bragging about how progressive and smart and well regarded in the community their ancestors were).
The one I would most like to find is the old grove where the young gentlemen used to play cards, fight their roosters(notice I didnt say ****fight) and have drunken brawls in the pre-civil war days.

Thank you all for the detailed responses. Dont expect an update any time soon, 3 kids involved in sports, 2 yards to mow, upcoming vacation, a way too big vegetable garden, and work leave ol' Piedmont gasping for breath and a cold drink at the end of the week.

 

[BuckleBoy]

Sounds like that cold drink will be a good one! Keep us posted whenever you get a chance.

Buckleboy

 

[Michigan Badger]

I'll trade ya two lumber camps for that site

 

[Sapper23]

Well, go for your prime targets first: Gold, Silver,and copper Targets. because your going to be there for weeks digging iron target's , great place to hunt: there's EVERYTHING!!!


Good Luck hunting!

Sapper

 

[diggerfororo]

I saw some pix of an old grist mill taken in 1890 in central Missouri. There were lots of people having a picnic while the were getting their grain milled. Looks like a good site for coins and "stuff"

Les

 

[Boilermaker27]

During the civil war many troops camped at mill sites, as these were usually in remote areas, had plenty of camping area, food, and much other needed items. I have hunted a few mill sites in my state and at one mill site found a ton of civil war items.

Any mill site dating pre civil war could potentially have a lot of goodies. Don't hunt around the mill site for civil war items, hunt along the stream banks or pond on the higher ground. Some camps were located up to a mile from the mill. Remember, mills were a very necessary business during the civil war and many people congregated at these mills, in some instances recruiting was done at these mills.

So, spread out some and see what is there and you may be surprised.