HELP New and questions on foundations

[craven27]

Hi everyone i am new to the hobby and i already love, love ,love it. I am hooked. I have put in quite a bit of time researching and marking out spot from sawmills to homesites on google earth using old maps. I have been out and found things. My question is , how do I figure out where these old foundations might have been after finding their locations on maps ? What if there are no corner stones or signs of where the structure might have been or even the land owner not knowing where it was ? especially like old sawmill spots in the woods where you cannot pinpoint where it may have been. Does anyone have any good tips on how i could go about figuring these things out? I would appreciate the help and happy hunting to all.

 

[lou2700]

There is a way you can layer the old map onto google maps match up the old homesites with the land they were on its very helpfull!!
Theres videos on youtube just search finding old homesites
Good luck!!

 

[gman7665]

Stay Off My Land !!! Ha ha ha ha ha

 

[Frankn]

You have to find the old maps that showed the locations. There are a lot of sites that show old maps From Historic Mapworks to the Library of Congress online map room. There are also books like United States Treasure Atlas that show ghost towns. You just have the other half of the research to do, or you could just go there and work from the "evidence' you find. Frank...

 

[Swartzie]

If there is no visible sign of a structure then you'll have to search for the "iron patch". Get your coil to the ground and start hunting around for the iron signals which would be from the nails and other iron debris that once made up the structure.

-Swartzie

 

[CincinnatiKid]

When on site, trees can be your guide. Look for areas bare/semi bare of large old trees. Obviously, home sites were cleared, but the surrounding trees were left to block weather.
Swartzie is fully correct. Iron targets will greatly narrow your search. Good luck.
Peace

 

[DFX DAVE in M.D.]

Look for old power line poles that go no where. I have found old home sites that way. They end at the old house if it was back off the road.

 

[Frankn]

Here's an extension on the tree idea. Look for trees in a line. They may show the roads. Out here there are trees in a row next to roads that haven't existed for 100 years. Way back in some places they burned the old houses and collected the nails for re use. I would get there early and look for 'shadows' of old paths and rectangular flat areas.
Frank...

 

[Red James Cash]

Also know what plants,flowers,bushes,were common,at the time period,that were grown around houses.In Mass. and NH I look for lilac bushes among other things.