My Driveway

[smallfoot]

Hi guys and gals! Little back story. These are a few items I've found detecting along my driveway in the last month. I'm near a major river here and I have some knowledge of the history around here. I'm about a mile away from an old hotel that operated late 1800s to early 1900s. The jist of it is the hotel offered hunting and fishing excursions to people traveling the paddle wheelers that traveled the river. They'd get off the boats and go by wagon to the hotel and from there they hunted and fished. I have been here for 28 years. I have never been able to prove it by any other means that there were dwellings here, although I have found a well, some indications of brick and way too many other indicators with the metal detectors. We don't have cellars here unless you want an indoor swimming pool. You have to look for foundation rocks, blocks or bricks from a chimney. My driveway turns out to be one of the major trails to one of the only roads around here at the time. These are just a few. I'll do more later. I'm pitifully behind on taking pix. I can vouch for the hunting in this area. I've got enough firearm related relics to open a hardware store.....remember when you could buy ammo there? Please enjoy! more later...

 

[Digger RJ]

Nice!!! Congrats!!!

 

[Trezurehunter]

Very nice. I like the old padlock.

 

[Hawks88]

Nice finds. I like the padlock too. Congrats

 

[smallfoot]

more evidence of a building site: found around the area of the well. I used to have permission on the ground here but until I reach out to the new owners I'm out of this area. I can do the road. I'd like to dig the well.
Items I found around the well indicate a building site but lack of toys maybe means no home site. Don't know yet. Haven't even found a marble...

 

[Toecutter]

Sweet ax head!!

 

[Professor of Engineering]

Cool finds, congrats!

 

[smallfoot]

Today's hunt...same driveway...varied finds. The normal run of firearm related material. Did get 3 round balls(50cal+) shotshell headstamps, a 32 rimfire, in one of the last places I got good signals among trash and dug this out:




Turned up a pocket watch back, might have been gold plated, can see no marks. Could not locate any other pieces.
Then a foot away, another signal and got the suspender clip:
Then a foot away, got the 45-70 casing headstamp is WRA Co over 45-70
I eased on to the house, tired, carrying about 10 lbs of cast iron and trash in my bag tired but satisfied with my finds. By the way, on some research today I stumbled on a partial reason why my driveway may be holding some good finds. It appears that the old trail thru here was at one time called the Old Dragoon Sand Trail...
Group shot also holds some china shards, a small piece of NA pottery

 

[smallfoot]

I would have hunted longer than 2 hours but my bag got really heavy... I believe the rain lately has improved signals. Pretty good hunt for relics. Picked up a nice ax and a hoe. Another pocket knife (3rd on the driveway). Another suspender clip. Also got a brass cover for something like a cigarette case...not sure on that but my guess. Picked up a couple of spoons too. Makes 3 of them on the driveway. Both of these exhibit some decoration and further cleaning will be done. Took a pic for some of the detail on one of those. As always got the required firearm related relics...bullets, shell casings, shotshell headstamps including one of the full length brass ones. Not sure of the stamp yet. Chunk of chain and a neat old iron ring. I'll go back for the 15 pounds of cast iron I picked up..sheesh! I think I could put together a pot bellied stove...

 

[Inspector]

That's quite a haul of some cool relics, BOL continuing the search

 

[VTColonialDigger]

Those are some really cool relics! Maybe there is a coin around there somewhere.

 

[smallfoot]

Those are some really cool relics! Maybe there is a coin around there somewhere.

I keep hoping for something to pop up. I've picked up some recent coins along the way but nothing really old from here yet. The best 2 are wheaties. 1925 and 1954D. Something in the late 1800s forward would be period for this area for the most part. But you can always dream about the lost spaniard losing his lunch money...

 

[smallfoot]

Got a Super Sniper in today! I've been back and forth across a couple of areas that are laden with iron targets but have good targets too. The Double D coil is pulling target signals out of the iron but I've heard these are better. I'll review it when I hunt it a few times.

 

[smallfoot]

I cleaned up the 3 spoons I've found. All 3 were plated but pretty fancy to me. Only 1 had anything I could read...Sheffield Plate Co.
I only got about an hour in today until the rains set in. Still playing with the Super Sniper.
Here are the after pix from electrolysis.

 

[Underwonder]

Cool finds! I like the padlock and the spoons! I am sure more cool relics will turn up!