Cache Research Secrets?

[swizzle]

Can anyone here give specifics on what to look for and where to start when researching potential caches? Say if you were to start in a state you've never been in and you had only a few weeks to research before the actual hunt. Where would you start? Town clerk? County clerk? Local historian? When you go to a library what questions do you ask? What books do you read? I've heard of people researching diaries. Do libraries have diaries? What do you look for period? I'm very interested in the research aspect of the hunt but would like to know if there is any secrets that could help me. Who to talk to and what questions to ask. Any info on this would be great. Thanx Jason

 

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[xXx]

Swizzle,
What state are you searching? I have been working with the state's Archives and History Center. They get a lot of "leads" and will share them with you.
Also, try the series of books "United States Treasure Atlas" by Thomas P. Terry. He gives a lot of stories of buried treasures, ghost towns, battle and camp sites, ect.
Good Luck and we all hope you find a big Cache.
X

 

[swizzle]

I live in upstate NY. Near the southern adirondacks. One of the biggest problems I face is the fact that most of the places I want to dig are all on wilderness area's. Illegal to dig! So where do I start? Any info on turning me into a super cache hunter is more than welcome. I'm highly interested in recovering artifacts that I could donate to local museums. Jason

 

[Siegfried Schlagrule]

G'day, start by reading the american guide book for new york written for the WPAin the thirties. It should be in your local library. The reprint editions are also useful if you want your own copy. The revised updated editions are crap and not worth reading let alone buying. After you are familiar with that book read the county histories of the counties you care about. Many of these books have to be read at the library because they are so rare they won't let you take them home. The NY public library will have copies of all the county histories. Do your research at home and not after you've driven 400 miles and have two days on site. You can learn more local stories at the truck stop or flea market than anywhere else. Start a conversation with something like ..... "Did you hear about the guy over on the four lane? He pulled over to change a flat and found a can of money. Some people have all the luck. I spent good money on a metal detector and would sure love to go after some old money." That will get the tongues to wagging and maybe an offer to search a place or two. Get your permissions in writing and have a great time. exanimo, ss

 

[Colorado2]

Hey Jason. ?I can tell you how my hunt began. ?Moved to a new area some 5 years ago and thought it would be nice to know some local history so I could feel connected to the area. ?Went to the library and checked out a book of area history put together by the "Daughters of the American Revolution". ?Many of the stories were just someones memories handed down through families, but it was a starting point. ?Read about 9 French Canadian Miners that were riding back to their homes with Gold in pocket from California. ?Jumped by indians and the usual buried treasure stories. ?Well, that book led to another to find some sort of cross reference which led to another & another. ?I can't tell you how many I read as well as internet research at the national archives and geographical sites. ?What I do know is that the wealth of information I attained and the pure adrenaline I derived from incidental finds that proved these accounts were more than someones ramblings, is treasure in and of itself. ?I now feel that I know founding figures of this area first hand, and I'm afraid that if I ever do actually dig up some treasure, it may seem like an anti-climax to the whole process. ?I hope I'm wrong! ?Carrying tissue just in case

 

[cachenut]

Maybe this will help. I've been a programmer for 30 years now and do little that is not "logical". This includes treasure hunting and I might be called the Mr. Spock of Research.

When I move to a new area I get a few local hstory books and read those. To get an idea of what the place is like and where the old towns are.

Then I look around for the resources I might need. Where are the old newspapers, where are the historical archives, where are the historical socities, where are the libraries, state library, state archive, colleges and universities, private libraries or organization libraries. These are the places that will have original records.

Then I THINK!

What I want is something valueable and metal. This means coins of course but also other collectables. There are other things you can chase but with a metal detector you need metal.

The whole point of research is to find a precise, specific location to go dig. If the location is plus or minus 5 miles you might as well not go.

I try to find a really good lead before I go out.

Once you get into the archives you will find amny MANY leads for caches. I supplement these with articles form newspapers of the day which contained truthful stories of the events as they occurred. Sort of like eye witness accounts from 200 years ago.

I used to research original records from the US mint in Phil. for lost shipments of coins from 1850 and before. These records are stored in the national archives at several points in the US. I found several shipments lost.
I also found an insurance company where I could look thru their records from before 1850. What is an insurance company? They are a business that pays you if you lose something valueable. Right! I want to find reports of valueable things which were lost and here is a company/archive just full of lost valueable things. Geez. It doesn't get any easier. And they keep good reocrds. Who, what, date, value, and the story details.

Like c.w. relics. How about visiting the factory that made Texas butons and checking out back to see if they had a trash pit? Likely they made square plates too.

I should point out, anything made of metal and collectable and old will work. Just find out where they were made, shipped, or lost and go dig there. You need an archive for some of this but any good library has some of it. Even old bottles, you know.

I looked for old crimes in my area, Virginia. 1800 and before. I looked for crimes where coins were stolen and not recovered. You understand? In county court house records.

If you can get access to insurance company records from before say 1800 this would be the best you could do.

You can find caches others don't even know exist. What was once worth $100 can now be worth $100,000

 

[Rebel]

Yo! Rebel here: In addition to all da stuff from the pros in da previous "posts"... might wanna try:
www.treasurehuntersuniversity.com I am ONLY a researcher/historian... if you find anything... (Speaking in Mafioso voice with Southern accent): "U can give me 5%!" Ha! Ha! Ha!