Will the research payoff?

[Bomgoat]

Was doing some reseach online today and happened to come across an old county survey map from 1915 for the county that I live in. I also found another survey map from 1950. I found on both maps a church and a school that no longer exist today and where they stood is right down the road from where I live. I decided to check out where the old school used to be, it is now a field full of wheat stubble. I found the approach into the field and I could tell right away that somethng used to be there. Just by looking at the ground you could see that the soil is a different color and it is in the shape of what appears to be an old building, does this make any sense? As I walked around this lighter colored soil I started to find chunks of cement and pieces of broken pottery so I figured that it had to be the spot. I started detecting and what I found is what you see in the pics... at first I thought maybe this was someones old dumping ground with some of the stuff I was finding but then I found a couple of the metal tops that go on pencils that hold the eraser. I then decided that it must be the old school that I was at. I didnt find any coins, but I did have a lot of fun digging this stuff up. I will be going back there soon, maybe I will find a couple of coins. The coolest thing I found was the animal trap that still had the chain attached to the pole that would be hammered into the ground. Why would there be an animal trap around a school? I was thinking maybe to keep the skunks and badgers and other wild life at bay when school was out but who knows. Tommorow I am going to where the church used to be to see what I can dig up there, I will keep you posted as to what I find. Take care and happy hunting.

 

[jb58]

nice work-keep at it!

 

[Dixiedigger]

I would keep hunting the site, there's coins there somewhere.

 

[diggummup]

Any large old trees nearby? I think more research needs to be done. Try to locate old photos of the school at the local library. The layout of the place will help you decide where to actuallt detect. IE- the playground, the parking lot and such. As for the trap, it was probably put there after the place was vacated and/or abandoned.Good Luck

 

[mikewaz]

Keep at it for sure!
I hunted the site of an old one room school house years ago and was pretty disappointed my first few times out because of all the old iron and trash laying around, but I knew there had to be some keepers mixed in. After my third trip it startted to pay off and ended up with some Barbers, a shield nickel, a few Mercs and some jewelry.
Keep hitting it!'
Mike

 

[Bomgoat]

Any large old trees nearby? I think more research needs to be done. Try to locate old photos of the school at the local library. The layout of the place will help you decide where to actuallt detect. IE- the playground, the parking lot and such. As for the trap, it was probably put there after the place was vacated and/or abandoned.Good Luck

diggummup this would have been a one room school house which is pretty common to see here in North Dakota. This school is literally out in the middle of nowhere, the closest town would have been about 7 miles away. Where the school once stood is now farmland, wheat was planted there last year. There are no trees even close to the site and I highly doubt there was any type of playground. Im sure all that once stood there is the school and an outhouse.

 

[ivan salis]

the trap and bullet are most likely either before or after it was no longer used as a school and was either a abandoned building or a pile of rubble -- some one was hunting and trapping wild life --so your finding "mixed" date items -- with pencil tips being found good chance its the school --the kids most likely had a favorite recess "playing spot" --- thats where you will find the coins & marbles and lil toy type items (cracker jack toys and such) most likely --look for old big trees or some other "play place"--or the remains of them --tire swings and such and playing in the shade and around the bases of trees was quite common -- if no trees in the area -- look on the side of the building that would be the "shaded" side -- during the early afternoon --since thats the side the kids would play marbles at --pitch pennies ect.

logically speaking the kids would rather play in the shade than the heat --so the shade side should be the heavier used side -- while they were in recess --lunch break and as they played waiting for parents to come get them after school .

kids often were given a few cents for "milk" or lunch money -- some of these old cents might be floating around that spot --kids of long ago especially in farming areas did not get "big money" to spend -- so most likely not a lot of old silver there but there might be a few pieces -- most likely old copper wheaties and maybe a few IH cents depending upon when the school house was built and in use. -- now as time went on and things cost more ( lunch money / milk wize) like in the 50's -- you might have some silver showing up --like dimes , quarters and halfs

I would urge you to see if they have a photo at the library or town hall of the old school --being able to visualize it --would be a great help.

 

[allen]

lets hope your research pays off nicely for you !!

 

[Bomgoat]

the trap and bullet are most likely either before or after it was no longer used as a school and was either a abandoned building or a pile of rubble -- some one was hunting and trapping wild life --so your finding "mixed" date items -- with pencil tips being found good chance its the school --the kids most likely had a favorite recess "playing spot" --- thats where you will find the coins & marbles and lil toy type items (cracker jack toys and such) most likely --look for old big trees or some other "play place"--or the remains of them --tire swings and such and playing in the shade and around the bases of trees was quite common -- if no trees in the area -- look on the side of the building that would be the "shaded" side -- during the early afternoon --since thats the side the kids would play marbles at --pitch pennies ect.

logically speaking the kids would rather play in the shade than the heat --so the shade side should be the heavier used side -- while they were in recess --lunch break and as they played waiting for parents to come get them after school .

kids often were given a few cents for "milk" or lunch money -- some of these old cents might be floating around that spot --kids of long ago especially in farming areas did not get "big money" to spend -- so most likely not a lot of old silver there but there might be a few pieces -- most likely old copper wheaties and maybe a few IH cents depending upon when the school house was built and in use. -- now as time went on and things cost more ( lunch money / milk wize) like in the 50's -- you might have some silver showing up --like dimes , quarters and halfs

I would urge you to see if they have a photo at the library or town hall of the old school --being able to visualize it --would be a great help.

Thanks for the info Salis

 

[Bomgoat]

Keep at it for sure!
I hunted the site of an old one room school house years ago and was pretty disappointed my first few times out because of all the old iron and trash laying around, but I knew there had to be some keepers mixed in. After my third trip it startted to pay off and ended up with some Barbers, a shield nickel, a few Mercs and some jewelry.
Keep hitting it!'
Mike

Im hoping that once I the trash cleaned up that I start finding some coins or jewelry.

 

[kuger]

JFYI,that is a coil spring trap,and with the in line spring on the chain(to prevent trauma and shock to the animals shoulder) I would say its not over 20 years old.That size trap is generally used for Fox,and Fox like to hunt old buildings and such,so that would be a great place to to trap one

 

[Mark_38]

Nice finds, I especially like the trap myself.

 

[hunterV3]

Is that fur on the trap? The animal may have pulled the spike and drug the trap to where you found it. JAG