Best Way To Detect a Ghost Town

[limegoldconvertible68]

I just recently found the site of a long lost town in Illinois. Its heyday was 1850-1910. I just got permission from the farmer who owns the site and he said that when the crops come off I am free to hunt as much as I would like. Using Mapquest and Google maps I think I have identified the flatboat landing as well as the public square. An old women told me where she thinks the hotel used to stand. Supposedly there was a parade ground where they mustered in a company of Union soldiers and I have identified two possible location for it. In a quick search in an area where there are no crops I found a 1903 O Barber dime and last week the farmers brother who lives in a river trailer found an 1842 large cent in his garden. My problem is the size of the area. Its at least 100 acres. I am used to hunting small areas and I lay a grid and completely work it and then lay another grid......and so on until I am complete. This area has me overwhelmed and I don't think it has every been hunted. I know common wisdom says that I should dig everything so I don't miss any gold coins or cool relics but good lord it would take more than my lifetime. Does anyone have any secrets for this kind of site? Thanks!

 

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[Montana Jim]

You are going to get a lot of advice from folks based on tons of personal experience. All the suggestions will be great, but you'll have to figure out your own way ahead.

My first suggestion: Realize that a farmed/plowed property is likely to have stuff everyplace.

My second suggestion: Go slow, breath, dig most everything until you get a feel for the space.

My third suggestion: Find a grove and stick with it, it's not going to matter if you are fast or slow, gridding or random... just keep moving.

Eventually, based on your findings, you'll know the best way to proceed and cover the entire place systematically.

Have fun!

 

[TORRERO]

I just recently found the site of a long lost town in Illinois. Its heyday was 1850-1910. I just got permission from the farmer who owns the site and he said that when the crops come off I am free to hunt as much as I would like. Using Mapquest and Google maps I think I have identified the flatboat landing as well as the public square. An old women told me where she thinks the hotel used to stand. Supposedly there was a parade ground where they mustered in a company of Union soldiers and I have identified two possible location for it. In a quick search in an area where there are no crops I found a 1903 O Barber dime and last week the farmers brother who lives in a river trailer found an 1842 large cent in his garden. My problem is the size of the area. Its at least 100 acres. I am used to hunting small areas and I lay a grid and completely work it and then lay another grid......and so on until I am complete. This area has me overwhelmed and I don't think it has every been hunted. I know common wisdom says that I should dig everything so I don't miss any gold coins or cool relics but good lord it would take more than my lifetime. Does anyone have any secrets for this kind of site? Thanks!

I have the solution to your problem....
Invite a friend...
ME !!

 

[Tank69]

best way ..............turn the detector on an hunt it till you just can hunt no more .

 

[rjw4law]

Best way for a Ghost Town....Full Moon, on Friday the 13th....let the spirits be your guide.

 

[Da Sand Crab]

...What else do you have to do for the rest of your life.

 

[Mackaydon]

Become orientated to the town. Seek a plat map of the town. If you're lucky Sanborne Insurance Company platted and named the streets and buildings.
Contact the county historian and the county librarian for history and referrals. Follow up with leads from this sitehttp://www.ghosttowns.com/states/il/il.html)
and other online sources regarding "Ghost Towns of Illinois".
Since you are already in the habit of working a grid, you're also familiar then with taking it slowly.
Let us see your finds,
Don.......

 

[Jason in Enid]

Mack gave some good advice. You need to find the county plat maps. These will show exactly where and how the town was situated. If you can find one of these maps, you should be able to use a surveyors tape to measure off the distances to road intersections and landmarks. This would then allow you hunt the general areas (like the parks) that you might want to hit first.