Early Florida homestead finds!

[hiddentreazures]

We have been metal detecting for 6 months and we have come up with some interesting finds. Some items we are not sure what they are, and some items we know since we looked them up on the internet. We have made this a family hobby. We encourage our kids to get out of the house so we have accumulated 4 metal detectors. My new one I got for Christmas an ( AT Pro). I will dig anything that makes my MD ring. So I thought I would show you some of the items I found. And if you see something that you are familiar with please do not hesitate to tell me since most of the stuff is a (?) for me.

 

[GatorBoy]

Nice bunch of finds.
Nice axe head too..its in good condition.
Looking at the bullet and the buttons as well as the axe head I'm guessing early 20th century.
Those lock hasps are nice also..they probably were on a wooden chest.
Are those musket balls?
Looks like you have items from more than one occupation there.
Looks like an eagle military button also

 

[hiddentreazures]

Mr Gator,
Thank you for your comments, this means alot to us being that we are big fans of yours. All of these items have been recovered from our property just south of the Ocala National Forest in northern Lake County on the outskirts of the ghost town called Higley (Few have heard of this spec shown on maps from the late 1800's). We don't know for certain if this is a homestead or turpentine camp based on the herty pot fragments all over the property.

The axe head was dug up by my youngest daughter under 12" of sugar sand, I believe its a Georgia Pattern dating from the late 1800's to early 1900's. To short to be a turpentine axe

The buttons seem to be work denium or overall buttons because of the names on them like Anvil & Exselsior, I think the Aluminum Eagle and crown button is before 1930 and off of a blazer jacket only because I found a ebay listing calling a gold version sew thru blazer buttons but I was hoping it was something more.

The 2 musket balls are .455" with no marks except for the casting cut, maybe the are dropped balls or shot by a smooth bore. I will measure the 2 lead half round shots next to them and get back with you, they may belong to the no headstamp center fires that we have. The fifth shot over from the right to left is a .3 someting caliber but I am wondering if it is a CSA bar shot which is very rare.

I agree that the time line may cover 70 plus years because of the hundred some odd lead hand soldered cans that can date back to the 1850's all the way to the 1930 brass shot gun cases and buttons.

Thank you again and would enjoy talking more Florida history with you

 

[GatorBoy]

Great stuff to be finding on your property.. I know your area fairly well you're in a great spot.
My guess is once you start getting larger louder signals out of the way you'll start to recover other items like coins and smaller or personal items that may help you date things more clearly.
Overall it sounds like its good land in it was used for a long time.
I would try near the closest water source also that might be a great area look forward to more of your posts.
I dug an axe head just a few days ago that I'm very excited about.. It could be considered a trade axe.
I have family in Lake County by the way

 

[hiddentreazures]

I had seen your axe and was amazed that something like that could be found in Florida, we did have a few flags over our state in the past 450 plus years. I will share some more detailed photos of the lead and brass and odd items that I have no idea are. Thanks for all your great posts and finds, we can't wait to find a coin just one indian head would be great but got to get thru all those sheared nails and shotgun brass.

 

[GatorBoy]

Sure just post a couple at a time and I'll see if I can help out.
Here's a little trick.. Try raking out an area that has high potential and drag a large magnet across it several times that usually helps clear out the iron.
If you set your discrimination on about 25 on your AT Pro that will quiet down some of the small fragments of iron also.
Not that iron relics can't be cool I mean look at that axe head.. But when you're fairly certain you want to cover an area and not dig iron at the moment you're AT Pro will help out alot.

 

[FLauthor]

Try the county court house for the old Government Survey Plats usually dated in the 1800's or early 1900's. Any pioneer homes can be cross referenced with the help of the tax people on a modern map and also who the current owner is. If there is a local Historical Society in the area you are researching or live then for the few dollars, join it and carry their card in your wallet. Inform them that you'd like to act as their Field Representative to explore old home sites for relics and bottles of the past. Donate items to their museum, bottles naturally a Amber Warner Safe Tonic bottle goes into my collection first, if a second is found then it'll go to the museum with your name of it as the finder. It's amazing what doors will open to you when people know you are contributing your services to the preservation of your area's history. Great finds, keep up the good work.

 

[GatorBoy]

WELL put

 

[hiddentreazures]

Thank you for the great idea! We have tried to get in touch with the historical society in our area. We have not had any luck but we are not giving up on them. Also, we have found your books very helpful.