Best Texas Finds

[Shaw]

Now it all comes together.

Gillie suits and MD's

 

[TxTim]

Seriously-

We do hunt the woods mostly -many times by the bike trails which are all over the park- Most of those trails are on the south side and somewhat south of the old camp. I dodge and talk to the bikers all the time. Most of those guys are too intent on staying upright to notice us within a few yards of them.
There is also a smattering of transients who camp in the woods. They are best avoided but mostly harmless. They do leave a lot of trash.
Coral snakes and copperheads will change your course but the mosquitos are your worst enemy.
Somewhere on the web is a homemade map made by a guy whos was stationed there. It is fairly accurate. We have found the old post office site, a YMCA and other places that have produced some old silver. I have boxes full of buttons, shell casings, tent rope tighteners, horseshoes and all that junque you'd expect to pull from an old mil. camp where 40,000 troops were active for a couple years.
You should get down there and give it a try. There aren't many places where you won't find something.

 

[Shaw]

Seriously-

We do hunt the woods mostly -many times by the bike trails which are all over the park- Most of those trails are on the south side and somewhat south of the old camp. I dodge and talk to the bikers all the time. Most of those guys are too intent on staying upright to notice us within a few yards of them.
There is also a smattering of transients who camp in the woods. They are best avoided but mostly harmless. They do leave a lot of trash.
Coral snakes and copperheads will change your course but the mosquitos are your worst enemy.
Somewhere on the web is a homemade map made by a guy whos was stationed there. It is fairly accurate. We have found the old post office site, a YMCA and other places that have produced some old silver. I have boxes full of buttons, shell casings, tent rope tighteners, horseshoes and all that junque you'd expect to pull from an old mil. camp where 40,000 troops were active for a couple years.
You should get down there and give it a try. There aren't many places where you won't find something.

Thanks for the info, I may try and hit it in the next few weeks during the weekday if possible. There are some areas that seem a bit opened up or cleared out back there along the trail systems. I noticed them last time I rode out there. It would be great to have a few pieces of that history.

 

[Kieth-Tx]

I had never wanted to land hunt much...I was a beach hunter. In early 2007 a buddy said they were tearing down a whole block about a 1/2 mile from my office in Corpus. I mainly started land hunting because he had never broke into the 1800's in a coin so it started as a challenge. When the dust had settled after a couple months...we both had numerous coins below 1900...my best is the tiny 1851 half dime...his was a 1848 quarter. There are some quite unique finds on that table from that location...the civil war buttons & bullets, the inaugural derriotype ribbon from president Harding, the 1850's ballast bottles and the Bennigan & clay marbles. But the find that has the best memories isn't even on that table. I found a silver spoon that had a girls name in it and date. It was given to a little girl when she was three years old in 1911. I finally was able to track her down and found out that she had died 6 months before...dang. I will post the letter from the family later. There are also three items(2 tokens and a 1841 dime in the pics that are from a 2007 Louisiana hunt) on the table...all the rest are from that location. Hope you like the pics.

 

[sniffer]

my best find to date in Texas, would have to be my friend, Texas Connection.
he is a true host in every sense of the word and an all around Good Joe

Sniffer

 

[Shaw]

Very nice relics and coins there Keith,

What are those star buttons and what is the gray bottle made of? Those are some really great finds.

Jason

 

[Kieth-Tx]

They are listed in Alberts Button book as Confederate local Texas button 23A. I found 4 in one spot...but 1 was crushed.
I found 14 of those blue bottles, it is a Belfast Ginger Ale in a ballast bottle style from the mid 1800's. I also found quite a few beer bottles in what must have been a privy.

 

[TxTim]

They are listed in Alberts Button book as Confederate local Texas button 23A. I found 4 in one spot...but 1 was crushed.
I found 14 of those blue bottles, it is a Belfast Ginger Ale in a ballast bottle style from the mid 1800's. I also found quite a few beer bottles in what must have been a privy.

Great stuff Keith!
Especially the buttons!

 

[cooltone23]

My greatest find to date was during the first search for The Battle of Medina dig. After 4 hot hours of drudging through sand and cactus, but nice shade from the old oaks, I got a hard signal that left my ears ringing. Started digging and when I finally felt what it was, I said great. Here is a piece of pipe from an old water mill. I kept digging around it and after a bit, I noticed it was a short piece that had a bigger diameter on one end than the other. Excitement filled me as I yelled out for Dan, the leader of the dig. What I saw on the ground looked like a small cannon. Even Dan, thought so too. we got it out of the hole and turned out to be a Studebaker thimble. Was a neat find and the excitement of the hunt made it memorable.

 

[sniffer]

I know if I had dug that I'd be pumped

 

[texan connection]

Thanks sniffer I wish yall coulda found something better LOL. Outstanding stuff Kieth I got a buddy who would Probaly die if he found a Texas Button.

 

[sniffer]

maybe next time TC

 

[Shaw]

I bet that your heart was thumpin cooltone thinking it was a small cannon. Still a great find and a good trip from you have posted up. Hope you get to hunt again soon.

 

[Joe(TX)]

My greatest find to date was during the first search for The Battle of Medina dig. After 4 hot hours of drudging through sand and cactus, but nice shade from the old oaks, I got a hard signal that left my ears ringing. Started digging and when I finally felt what it was, I said great. Here is a piece of pipe from an old water mill. I kept digging around it and after a bit, I noticed it was a short piece that had a bigger diameter on one end than the other. Excitement filled me as I yelled out for Dan, the leader of the dig. What I saw on the ground looked like a small cannon. Even Dan, thought so too. we got it out of the hole and turned out to be a Studebaker thimble. Was a neat find and the excitement of the hunt made it memorable.

.......................FORGIVE ME FOR MY IGNORANCE................But what is a Studebaker Thimble??.......Joe

 

[Kieth-Tx]

Thanks for the replies Tim & Texan.
Cooltone...even dug like it is it looks like a signal cannon! Cool find.
Hey Joe....don't feel bad...I had no clue either about Cooltones Thimble...but I think it is from a Connastoga style wagon axle.

 

[cooltone23]

My greatest find to date was during the first search for The Battle of Medina dig. After 4 hot hours of drudging through sand and cactus, but nice shade from the old oaks, I got a hard signal that left my ears ringing. Started digging and when I finally felt what it was, I said great. Here is a piece of pipe from an old water mill. I kept digging around it and after a bit, I noticed it was a short piece that had a bigger diameter on one end than the other. Excitement filled me as I yelled out for Dan, the leader of the dig. What I saw on the ground looked like a small cannon. Even Dan, thought so too. we got it out of the hole and turned out to be a Studebaker thimble. Was a neat find and the excitement of the hunt made it memorable.

.......................FORGIVE ME FOR MY IGNORANCE................But what is a Studebaker Thimble??.......Joe

This might clear it up. Sorry I wasn't a little bit more clear on the description. ENjoy.

 

[Joe(TX)]

.............NEAT.............SO STUDEBAKER made Connestoga Wagons BEFORE the Studebaker CAR.............................NEAT.................I did not know that!!.................So how old is this Studebaker Thimble??..........1890's.....??................JOE

 

[cooltone23]

No Clue Joe. I was told that Studebaker began MFG'ing wagons in the 1850's. I was not able to keep the thimble due to the clause we signed during the hunt. Here's an add that I found while researching the theimble.

 

[Joe(TX)]

................SO WHO GOT THE STUDEBAKER THIMBLE??

 

[cooltone23]

The owner of the ranch we were doing the hunt kept it. That was part of the deal at the hunt. Anything found on the property is the owner's property. Even tabs were his, lol! Part of our MD'ing creed.