Finding old or abandoned homesteads/ sites

[JvilleHunter]

Was curious if anyone has any kind of tecnique on locating old homesites from the past. I saw where on one site (can't remember which) where a hunter flies in an airplane in central Florida looking for a clusters of Oak trees?? I suppose this symbolizes some sort of village? Anyway, was curious if anyone in here has some other tips (google, tera, etc) they use instead of just wondering out in the bush so to speak. Any help would be appreciated...

Thank You,
JvilleHunter

 

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[les]

Hi : One of my ways to find old site's to hunt isn't a unusual way to do it, but ,has it's advantages & disadvantages, one of the disadvantages is if a New house has been built over a old one, ya can't see that on terraserver aerials,,
What I do is Search old Platt maps for houses ,then go to Terraserver topo to locate the section # the site is on,then I switch to Terraserver aerial to locate the old site, this works good if in a rual area where the house is torn down & nothing has been built over the site, I have found old house sites in the middle of fields doing it this way, on the terra aerial ,look for darkened areas, square areas/the outline of the old yard,etc. I have found old house sites in fields that have been plowed,but ya really have to look close to see the imprint left there by the Buildings. the aerials will show old roadways also,, if you follow old roadways on the Terraserver aerial,,you will find old house sites,sometimes it is kinda time consuming,but, to find those older places to hunt it is worth the effort,another thing ,,those terraserver topo's show old Churches,some of those may not be there any longer & could be great sites to hunt,,<G> ,Good Luck!!
Les

 

[Samuelben]

I've got 1 900 yards away from me.what I've noticed is the foundation blocks are still there,older houses used the stone blocks.also very slim but if you find a outhouse theres a house nearby

 

[sthrngold07]

I live in Laurens SC,is there any kind of website that might have old house plats without having to go to the local courthouse and spending hours looking through their maps.?

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

Locally the clues can be large trees (folks always seem to leave a few trees near the house for shade), lilac bushes, daffodils (not native but commonly planted near homes).

Follow stone fence lines and keep an eye out for nearby foundations. If you come across a dug well there may be a house site nearby.

 

[Gypsy Heart]

I live in Laurens SC,is there any kind of website that might have old house plats without having to go to the local courthouse and spending hours looking through their maps.?

Sanborn website has Laurens listed on their map sites back to 1884
http://sanborn.umi.com/
Residence ...login
welcome....password

 

[Shortstack]

Locally the clues can be large trees (folks always seem to leave a few trees near the house for shade), lilac bushes, daffodils (not native but commonly planted near homes).

Follow stone fence lines and keep an eye out for nearby foundations. If you come across a dug well there may be a house site nearby.

This is exactly how I find them. Take the back roads when visiting friends and family; alternate routes to other towns to shop. Old homeplaces had large shade trees and domesticated plants such as those you listed. Plus, there were often trees and / or flowers planted in straight lines along drives or down the sides of the house. Nature does not place plants in straight lines. If you're driving along and spot some wild roses growing in the ditchline, there is probably an old house site near--even across the road. Look for old culverts placed into a ditch with a drive entrance that goes nowhere. Because most states figure property taxes to include all standing structures, it is not unusual to see freestanding chimneys out in the fields or piles of brick / stones where one collapsed.

 

[johnnycat]

Out here in New Mexico I look for the orange colored rock that were used as foundations. Also, sometimes another tipoff are old, huge cottonwood trees or huge salt cedar bushes. Also, a gate in a barbed wire fence seemingly leading to nowhere.

 

[treasureace14]

u could spend thousands on ur piolets license and a heck of alot more on a helicopter and do that same thing.or u could use the internett

 

[Ray S ECenFL]

In Brevard County Florida, you can visit the County Web Site and look up, via map, any parcel of land, then you can switch to a satellite view. You may have something similiar in your area.

http://www.brevardpropertyappraiser.com/scripts/esrimap.dll?name=Brevard1&cmd=map&id=20080514

In order for the satellie view to opeate, you have to zoom in a bit on the map. The Aerial View will then have a select button available.

Ray S.

 

[matzilla]

Old maps compared to new maps or GIS info can be a great tool.

Land records are excellent places to get started...In Iowa you can look up old homested rights to property that includes the township, section, etc.

Read history info on rootsweb or genealogy websites of similar content

Ask old timers if they remember a house that might have sat empty for a long time.

 

[nicademusx]

you can also see the shaded areas on aerial maps where railroad tracks used to be. The tracks used to have old depots every few miles or so. The town where i live the trains used to drive over the resevoir to pick up water for the steam engine!

Here in ohio, a good indicator of an old home site is a hand pump. the wells were drawn by hand and most people left them in the ground instead of moving them, and usually they still work, if they are not rusted fast.

 

[Eu_citzen]

There are multiple ways..I'll offer some info for some ways good for Sweden could apply elsewhere to.

1. Maps offer good info and are often quite reliable though the landscape can change (could be a problem)

2. Elderly people offer good info but can be inaccurate because of memory...Else superb info.

3. Church documents can include the members of the church and houses etc. Can include maps, names, dates etc. Can offer much info and quite reliable best used with maps.

4. Design of buildings: The popular ways and looks of the buildings have changed with age. Look at windows, doors and foundations.

5. Trees and vegetation: You can often find special plants etc close to house sites i.e. Roses and flowers in general, apple trees and of course big trees for shadow when it's hot.

6. Water: Often they build where water is close for house hold things they still needed water and had to transport it by hand. (buckets?)

7. Hill sides give good view (panoramic view) and a good chance to spot "intruders" from a distance.
Good for i.e forts and other defensive buildings.

8. Aerial photos can be used to spot i.e old roads in the woods or certain terrain features.

9. Stone walls are solid proof for human activity.

 

[hmonroe]

I went to the site that someone said to go to for the old maps and I couldn't sign in. Any help?
http://sanborn.umi.com/cgi-bin/auth.cgi?command=ShowLogin

Stacy

 

[Gypsy Heart]

I went to the site that someone said to go to for the old maps and I couldn't sign in. Any help?
http://sanborn.umi.com/cgi-bin/auth.cgi?command=ShowLogin

Stacy

sorry...I always used that login and password.,..maybe someone has a new one....

 

[cosmic]

sanborn
welcome

 

[BuffaloBob]

I have located dozens of old building sites here in Colo, in the summer when when things are growing.

I walk up to the nearest hill near the area and the foundations and sometimes even an old board made an outline in the vegetation. One place I found, near Crested Butte, had a row of these sites. I left but told a buddy in town about it. Right. He quickly dug up a small $350 bottle of some sort. And he called to tell me all about it. I was so............. happy. Yeah, happy for him.

An airplane would be good in flat areas. But I don't have any pals who fly. Or a boat or a cabin in the woods. Just dumb dogs that pee on me when we hunt. But I like 'em anyway.

 

[BuffaloBob]

Out here in New Mexico I look for the orange colored rock that were used as foundations. Also, sometimes another tipoff are old, huge cottonwood trees or huge salt cedar bushes. Also, a gate in a barbed wire fence seemingly leading to nowhere.

That's good! I was done in NM and Texas last Spring and wondered about finding places off the beaten track. I drove down the old Hwy-6(?) East of I-25 and really enjoyed the trip. Ground was kinda hard though. Loosens up if you pour beer on it I hear but that's a heavy price to pay for some guys.

 

[MRBeyer]

Any idea what the new Sanborn map password and login is?

 

[kc10bull]

Username: proquest
Password: welcome


This works I just logged in to the following site

http://sanborn.umi.com/