Seminole War Forts

[bofusmosby]

As Jon Phillips mentioned, the Tampa Bay area has seen activity for hundreds of years. I too have found many items at Fort Brooke that pre-date the fort by over a hundred years. I have also found a pipe bowl dating to the 1600's. The minnie balls were being used during the 3rd Seminole war time period (1850's), as well as musket balls. The switch-over to percussion had alread taken place, but there were still some of the old firearms still in use by the Malitia. There has been activity throughout this area for so many years, it doesn't surprise me that artifacts have been found in places that are un-documented in books.

As far as Blockade Runners being sunk in the Hillsborough river, there was a man by the name of Pop Taylor that was diving these sites back in the 60's, before they had been stripped of the artifacts, andI have heard of some interesting items that were being found at this time.

When Fort Brooke was established in 1824, the military were still using the same buttons that had been used during the War of 1812. Back then for the most part, as long as the items were still useable, they were used. I have found a number of artifacts over the years that were of the War of 1812 vintage throughout various fort sites.

 

[diggummup]

Hey guys! I just got permission this past week to hunt 2.1 acres that are across from a Seminole war fort! hunting the actual fort site isn't looking to good, but I'll take this place any day! I dug up a herty cup fragment too! So some sweet stuff is in order!

With all these good sites at your disposal... You should invest in a real detector. I can just imagine what you are leaving behind, sad but true. I would love to detect behind you and do some clean up work, seriously.

 

[Guest 1551]

With all these good sites at your disposal... You should invest in a real detector. I can just imagine what you are leaving behind, sad but true. I would love to detect behind you and do some clean up work, seriously.

Yeah, I miss stuff, but I dig every signal. Usually don't have it on any discrimination cause mine sucks that way. Since I'm 15 I don't has enough money to buy a new detector. I did just get $50 in half dollars from the bank and 31 were 90% silver and 36 40%! Maybe in a year or two when solved shoots back up I'll sell and get a better. The sites will still be there The good thing with my house is that I'm slowly excavating the whole thing so im not missing anything here and getting more than the non-ferrous targets.

 

[Guest 1551]

This new site though hasnt given me anything but 100+ lbs of scrap iron! Did find my third and oldest wheat yesterday! 1927!

 

[bofusmosby]

Donneybrook, let me tell you about a true story, concerning using a cheap detector. Decades ago, when various fort sites were being found, a group would go hunting on these site, and there would be all types of detectors in use. Most were the expensive types, that were far deeper then the cheap ones (for their day), but there was this one friend of mine that used a cheap two-bit detector called the Mighty-mite (sp). Now, this was back in the 70's, when a good detector was a must for hunting these sites. Granted, these "good" detectors wouldn't be THAT good compared to what is out there today, but by the standards of the day, they were good.

This one friend of mine that had the "Cheap" detector kicked butt on just about every site he went to! He was putting all the other hunters to shame. He even found a couple of gold coins on these fort sites! My point is this. No matter what quality of detector you have, if you learn that detector good, and become one with the machine, it will out perform any and all specs that are written about the detector. OK, so you have a cheaper detector. Just learn what you have, and learn it well. THIS will make the difference in the success you will have.

Well, this friend of mine (when he could afford better equipment) kicked butt everywhere he went. He then became a salvage diver, and in time, got his own boat, and again, kicked butt! His photo was even on the cover of one of the Treasure magazines, showing all the gold he had found along the east coast doing his salvage diving. When it came down to it, this guy was, is, and will always be a few steps above all others when it comes to detecting. His secret? Well, he had the right combination of luck (to swing his detector over the right place), skill (he knew how interpret what he was hearing), and he learned his detectors very well. Oh, and he had always been the most persistant hunter I have ever met.

 

[Guest 1551]

Donneybrook, let me tell you about a true story, concerning using a cheap detector. Decades ago, when various fort sites were being found, a group would go hunting on these site, and there would be all types of detectors in use. Most were the expensive types, that were far deeper then the cheap ones (for their day), but there was this one friend of mine that used a cheap two-bit detector called the Mighty-mite (sp). Now, this was back in the 70's, when a good detector was a must for hunting these sites. Granted, these "good" detectors wouldn't be THAT good compared to what is out there today, but by the standards of the day, they were good.

This one friend of mine that had the "Cheap" detector kicked butt on just about every site he went to! He was putting all the other hunters to shame. He even found a couple of gold coins on these fort sites! My point is this. No matter what quality of detector you have, if you learn that detector good, and become one with the machine, it will out perform any and all specs that are written about the detector. OK, so you have a cheaper detector. Just learn what you have, and learn it well. THIS will make the difference in the success you will have.

Well, this friend of mine (when he could afford better equipment) kicked butt everywhere he went. He then became a salvage diver, and in time, got his own boat, and again, kicked butt! His photo was even on the cover of one of the Treasure magazines, showing all the gold he had found along the east coast doing his salvage diving. When it came down to it, this guy was, is, and will always be a few steps above all others when it comes to detecting. His secret? Well, he had the right combination of luck (to swing his detector over the right place), skill (he knew how interpret what he was hearing), and he learned his detectors very well. Oh, and he had always been the most persistant hunter I have ever met.

Thanks for the encouragement! Just so you know though, my Dad is actually going to get me a Fisher F2 for my birthday! I'll finally have a machine to discriminate iron and go deeper!