Back to the c1860 Farm Permission

[ANTIQUARIAN]

Yesterday I decided to spend the day detecting the c1860 farm site, as this weeks forecast is for more rain. I started at the old homestead site in the hay field, but due to the rain we had last weekend the farmer had been unable to cut. I did manage to find a very worn copper and a black glass ‘mourning button’ that I’d missed on my first trip here last weekend.

So, I spent the rest of the day detecting the old farm house and grounds surrounding it. The farmer showed me a c1880 photograph that showed the house and its original owners. What amazes me is how little the farmhouse has changed except for the aluminum siding and the green AstroTurf on the porch. Unfortunately, it became clear to me early on that the front yard had been raised up and leveled sometime in the past 50 years as there were very few targets to be found. I did find a small Victorian sash buckle, a 1920 Canadian Penny, a 1918 US ‘Wheat’ Penny and a couple of interesting buttons. A few of my favourite eyeball finds were the old iron wagon wheels in the tall grass and the beautiful green glass weather vane on top of one of the out buildings.

I've always loved the sights and sounds of farm life, unfortunately, with the urban sprawl of Toronto in about 20 years this farm will become part of our past. 'Farmer Neal' who owns this farm never married, has no children and told me that his sister's kids have no interest in farming or living in the country. The way of life on this farm has changed little in the past 60 years, except that dairy production ceased here in 1998 and the land is now leased to others for grazing beef cattle. Things often change very little over time on the farm. It's been a way of life for the man who has lived here since his parents bought the property in 1961. The 'old barn' the weathervane sits on is actually a c1840 Baptist Church that was moved here from a cemetery located a half mile up the road. It was going to be torn down to make way for more burials, so it was moved here in the 1920s. It's these types of stories/folklore that are passed down through the generations.

Sometimes it's not about the finds we make on these sites, to me, it's about capturing in photo's a way of life that's quickly passing into history.

Thanks very much for looking!
Dave

 

[The Aluminum Monster]

Your post was so eloquent. So true about that way of life going the way of the dodo. It does look like an amazing spot and I wish you the best of luck.

 

[vpnavy]

 

[dirtdigginfool]

Very well written! Appears to be a lot of ground there, I'm sure you'll come across a hot spot loaded with great stuff. Love the pictures! Ddf

 

[Hawks88]

Nice pictures to go with the nice story to go with the present and future finds. Congrats and good luck.

 

[dansalata]

excellent post,great photos

 

[Professor of Engineering]

Beautiful photos and some nice finds, congratulations!

 

[ShortbusElite]

That looks like a great permission. What a beautiful home and nice looking yard to detect.

 

[Rookster]

Great finds and presentation,.Congrats

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

Your post was so eloquent. So true about that way of life going the way of the dodo. It does look like an amazing spot and I wish you the best of luck.

Thank you for your post TAM, I just want to give the reader a sense of what the sites look like that I detect.
I'm going to head back here for three more hunts this weekend, I'll post anything of interest.

Best of luck to you in MA,
Dave

Thank you Sir!

Very well written! Appears to be a lot of ground there, I'm sure you'll come across a hot spot loaded with great stuff. Love the pictures! Ddf

Thank you DDF, there is a ton of area to cover here!
But I think I'm up for the challenge.

Have a great Independence Day weekend!
Dave

Nice pictures to go with the nice story to go with the present and future finds. Congrats and good luck.

Thanks for your post buddy!

Keep cool down by The Falls this weekend or up in Niagara-on-the-Lake,
Dave

excellent post,great photos

Thanks very much Dan!

Have a great Independence Day weekend!
Dave

Beautiful photos and some nice finds, congratulations!

Thank you Professor.

Best of luck to you,
Dave

That looks like a great permission. What a beautiful home and nice looking yard to detect.

Thank you for your post SBE.

Hopefully I'll have something nice to show everyone after this weekend,
Dave

Great finds and presentation,.Congrats

Thanks Rook!

Have a great long weekend,
Dave

 

[Javadroid]

I really like the picture of the home with the folks on the porch and seeing it as it was way back when. Our hobby so often brings history to life, and how often do you find something and feel that connection to the past? That sense that you are the first person to hold that coin or thimble or whatever in a 100 or 200 or more years? It's an awesome and tangible engagement with the moment it was lost. How much more that must feel for our brothers and sisters in Europe and other places where they measure finds in multiple hundreds or even 1000+ years.
I love this hobby... think I'll head on out right now!

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

I really like the picture of the home with the folks on the porch and seeing it as it was way back when. Our hobby so often brings history to life, and how often do you find something and feel that connection to the past? That sense that you are the first person to hold that coin or thimble or whatever in a 100 or 200 or more years? It's an awesome and tangible engagement with the moment it was lost. How much more that must feel for our brothers and sisters in Europe and other places where they measure finds in multiple hundreds or even 1000+ years.
I love this hobby... think I'll head on out right now!

Very well said my friend... I don't think I could've said it better myself!
Have a great long weekend,
Dave