I live just outside of Elkins. Although I'm new to M.D.ing I have hunted a few yards in town and found a few old coins and interesting relics. There are several turn of the century homes in Elkins, and some of the larger and more fancier homes are located around the city park, Boundary Ave. There are also a few larger fancy turn of the century homes on second street. I have never hunted in any of those yards but I'm sure if a person could get permission to hunt one of these, they would find some good stuff. I have heard mixed things about the city park. I've had some people say don't even think of hunting there and then others say, "Hey you should see what my brother in law found M.D.ing at the city park". We just had a huge car show over the fourth of July, and the Augusta festival is going on right now in the park, not to mention the Forest Festival in the fall. The park should be loaded with potential finds. I just can't get a straight answer if I can hunt there or not. During the Forest Festival there are about a hundred vendors set up in and around the park, and about half that during the Augusta Festival. The July car show brings in around 3 or 4 hundred cars parked in the grass in rows all over the park, with thousands of spectators passing through. Oh, I allmost forgot the Ramp Festival in the spring. Several area cooks set up booths all around the park to enter there favorite ramp dish in the annual spring ramp cook off. Again there are also several vendors set up round the park. I guess I'm kinda backwards when it comes to getting permission. If it's not a relative or family friend, I just don't know how to ask. I think the rail road yard might be a good place to search. There is some new construction going on in the yard that may be off limits but it's big enough that a person could stay to the outskirts and probably find some stuff. Of course I'm sure it's going to be trashy. Right across the road (wilson ave.) from the rail yard is a swinging bridge, the bank on the rail yard side of the bridge is a popular bank fishing spot, you might find some stuff there. Elkins has some history so any grassy area in town has the potential to hide some finds. Also, 6 miles south of Elkins is the town of Beverly. Beverly has some significant Civil War history. I have found several bullets and even found a musket barrel along the tygart river in Beverly. I hope I've given you some ideas. These are all places I want to hunt, I just haven't had time or don't know who or how to ask permission. Let me know if you find out if it's legal to hunt the city park, and if I find out, I'll post it here. There are also a few schools that were built in the 19-teens that have been turned into apartment complexes, Central school on second street and Third ward school on Harrison avenue in the sharp turn between dairy mart and the hospital. I think a person could just wander up and start detecting at one of these two places, who would know you didn't live there or aren't visiting a relative that lives there. Let me know how you fare.
Good Luck,
Greg
