Swing and a miss

[Gravitytester]

I have permission to hunt the grounds of a church that has been in around since the early 1800's as verified by pre-civil war survey maps and families that have lived in the area since that time. It has several small clusters of trees on the property, so my first trip there I focused on the area of one of the clusters. I had a couple of hits but it produced nothing. Now I know there is no such thing as a sure thing but really with the history this place has, I thought I would have found something. Now I am fairly new to the hobby and I am trying not to disturb the area any more than possible, so I am not digging everything. I just thought I would have found something, a penny, dime, button or even a pull tab. I have only made that one trip out there, so there is still hope.

 

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[pa-dirt_nc-sand]

I would put my detector on a basic coin disc mode and swing over the most promising parts of the property, by the main entrance, along the entry walkway, any adjacent flat grassy areas. If you are getting zero targets I would guess this has been hunted thoroughly in the recent past. If you find some old targets, then open up your machine some more. The ground should be nice and moist to allow for good plugs with minimal damage.

 

[Indian Steve]

If you can see where the outhouses were or still are, the path to them could hold some surprises. I would bet it has been hunted before but nobody can find it all.

 

[Loco-Digger]

If you saw it and think it's a great place to find things, well then so have hundreds of others who had the same idea. The places I find that produce are off the beaten path. People have been detecting for decades. I grid every site I have permission for and I hope you do to. Some places that have produced at hunted out sites are where they recently remove shrubs or had utility lines dug up.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

What loco-digger and skippy is saying could be very true. And if you ask the person at the church : "Has anyone else ever detected here before ?", they might adamantly say "no". And they might be quite certain of their answer. Perhaps even from the point of view of "having been in charge here for 40 yrs", etc.... So you might be compelled to think "I'm the first one then".

But trust me: Anyone could have detected it. Even in spite of the person telling you otherwise. And even in spite of his title or position there, etc... Because who's to say that a past parishioner didn't simply just help himself ? ( reasoning "I go here, no one will mind or care"). Or who's to say someone 10 yrs. ago didn't get permission from the organist or janitor, etc.... ? And this information simply didn't reach the current facility's manager. Or who's to say that someone in the past didn't just ... uh ... help themselves ? I know that sounds horrible, but some people think of churches as quasi-public. Ie.: unlike walking across a person's private yard lawn, churches are open to the public (and in fact, generously invite and welcome them). Yeah yeah I know that "doesn't make it right", but just saying, some churches yards have a different corner-lot feel, than if it were a private home sitting on that corner.

 

[Gravitytester]

Yea I am under no delusion to think that it has not been hunted in the past, just hoping to find something that may have been over looked. The advantage to this church is it is in a very rural area whose roads do not see a lot of traffic. The gentleman that owns all the farmland around it gave me permission, his family is on the original membership roster dated 1863. The one curious thing I found was this. On the pre civil war survey map, it has the location of the church across the street in the vacant lot. I know the road could have moved since then but I also know the original structure burned and the documents say it was built on the original site. So if the church originally owned the land on both sides of the road, the term original site could mean on the land but maybe not exactly on the same spot.

I tried to upload the Civil War Survey Map but the file is to large.

 

[Loco-Digger]

Go for it, ya just never know what's there until you swing your coil over it. What do ya got to lose. Congrats on getting those permissions, that's sometimes the most challenging obstacle to many.

 

[Truth]

could have been hit before. That's the odd thing about this hobby... you just never know who was there 2 weeks ago.

........Or 2 years ago


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