I feel more like a historian right now.

[Detecto]

Because it's too cold to hunt, and my machine is being repaired.

I have 3 tools.

-Google Earth
-My ENTIRE STATE was aerial photographed between 1937 and 1940.
- Plat Maps.

Using these 3 tools, and cross-referencing spots, I can find a lot of buildings, even roads, that no longer exist.

Today, in a small nearby town of 300, using these 3 tools, I was able to find out this town had a train depot.

I also found a house on the plat map, near me, that has been verified, because there is a windmill and well there, that is not even on the 1940 aerial photo of it.

That means this house is so old, that it was torn down over 70 years ago.

My father found an 1834 dime in AU condition near this area, using a cheap metal detector.

I am really itching to try these new spots when the weather warms up and I get my machine back.

How many others here research into the past to find spots most people would not even think of today?

 

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[Oldhand]

Good time spent researching!! congrats on the aerial photographs that long ago!

 

[Detecto]

It's also pretty interesting that 70 years ago, brush pretty much didn't exist. The woods were simply trees, not all that stuff you need a machete to cut through today.

 

[Oldhand]

That is pretty interesting. I am searching my county plat maps or at least attempting to and the county site is absolutely horrible to navigate. I will find a good source of GIS plats and do pretty much the same thing you are. The wife and I have uncovered a couple previously unknown (at least as far as we can tell) sites from late 1700 thru mid 1800 that have been yielding some pretty good finds. we want more history so we can search further. Let me know how your research goes!

 

[Detecto]

That is pretty interesting. I am searching my county plat maps or at least attempting to and the county site is absolutely horrible to navigate. I will find a good source of GIS plats and do pretty much the same thing you are. The wife and I have uncovered a couple previously unknown (at least as far as we can tell) sites from late 1700 thru mid 1800 that have been yielding some pretty good finds. we want more history so we can search further. Let me know how your research goes!

I will. I usually never release a video or photo until I've done that site.

I think the railroad depot might yield some good finds. It was installed sometime between 1870 and 1902, there is no train track through the town in 1870, but there is in 1902.

 

[coinman123]

I sometimes spend many hours researching, it becomes pretty fun to find new places, though most of mine turn out to be bad. Nice job with the research, it always makes me feel like some explorer mapping out his next quest.

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/general-discussion/534221-abandoned-road-any-tips.html

 

[Detecto]

I sometimes spend many hours researching, it becomes pretty fun to find new places, though most of mine turn out to be bad. Nice job with the research, it always makes me feel like some explorer mapping out his next quest.

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/general-discussion/534221-abandoned-road-any-tips.html

Correct. I think most people pick the low hanging apples, as in spots that already look good to hunt on.

I don't think a lot of people look back into all the history of the area.

For example...I just sent off a permission letter to someone that owns land over 20 miles from here, BUT there used to be a town there, laid down in 1840, and completely fizzled out by 1900.

Even on the 1940's aerials of my state, the town was no more.

Driving by today, there is literally no indication there was a tiny town there.

No foundations, signs, etc. All there is, is open fields.

So arming yourself with history and going to places most people would drive by and not given a second thought, could possibly yield some of the best finds.

 

[Honest Samuel]

Google maps are good for finding treasures. Good hunting and good luck.

 

[coinman123]

2 hours of research and I found 4 old homesteads in the woods, on public land. This was just this evening, I feel I am an addict when snow is on the ground. They appear on a 170 year old map, and the Google Earth overlay shows where they should be in the woods.

Happy Researching!

 

[foiler]

10 hours of searching sans machine for each hour with.

 

[Detecto]

Well I am a little bit sick to my stomach...

I'm only done 1/2 of an area about 7 miles by 7 miles, centered near my house.

So far...TWENTY SEVEN HOMES GONE since 1940.

I found out through doing some more research....many of these houses were perfectly good houses, but many of them got removed just to make way for more corn or bean-field.

I have no clue why, and this isn't meant as an offense, but many farmers in my area do not care about houses, I can count at least 10 within a 5 mile drive, that could of been fixed up 15 years ago, but now are on the verge of collapse.

It makes sense too...because I've NEVER seen a house for sale near a corn or bean field, many in the country near woods, so I guess they would rather just let them fall in and make more room for a few extra bushels than sell them.

 

[dsdigger]

Make note of where those homes where in relation to current fields and if no access now, try again after growing season is over and crops have been plowed under to see if you can gain access and try to see what may be there and has been turned up. Sounds to me that the larger farm was determined to be the better choice than the house but not knowing condition, etc., can only speculate. Pretty sure you hit the answer. Good Luck and hope that you can get access and turn up something!

 

[Detecto]

Well gang...just got done doing overlays for my small area. Not going to do anymore.

Roughly an area 10 miles by 12 miles. Found over FORTY ONE homesteads that are no more.

My plan of attack, between now and when I start college (fields will be planted by then), is to make a program to notch out all VDI's above 20.

Won't have time to dig any iron relics. I think if I pack a lunch, I can probably do 2-3 sites per day. I probably won't have time to do them all, so when time starts running out, I will do the homesteads that appear to be the largest.

I'm sure there are homesteads torn down before 1940...however the plat maps are worthless, none of the roads line up, because whoever drew them...did so as a "guess" and nothing is to scale, meaning none of the homesites will be as well.

So my main area of focus is fields, before they get planted, then once that happens, start doing homes still standing, parks, etc.

My dad is in his 60's, and knows a lot of folk in some old towns near me, so getting permission will be easy, and he also metal detects as well.