Woke Her Up After Nearly 160 Years...

[BuckleBoy]

Hello All,

As many of you know, the Iron Brigade has been trying to find a difficult housesite for a week now. After two separate hunts leaving empty handed, and double and triple-checking the GPS coordinates, and more research, I'm pleased to say that we finally found it.

Since it was *only* going to be 93 degrees today , we got an early start. After arriving on the site and entering the new GPS coordinates, we loaded our gear into our packs and got deep into the woods. To be honest, neither of us felt much like getting into those same woods that we'd been swallowed up and beaten by the last two hunts. On our way in, we realized that we weren't alone. This little baby was sitting there stock still. The only thing moving were its nostrils.



After a good hike through the brush, we got to our location and set up base camp.

Well...those changes to the coordinates I made since last hunt Certainly paid off. We took about ten steps away from base camp toward the east and found the iron patch. Although we'd not had a good iron patch to whet our appetites in several hunts, I wasn't quite convinced yet. Not until that first cooking pot fragment, eating utensil, cast iron stove piece, or other housesite item came up would I be ready to do some dancing...

It didn't take long. The first decent target I got was a suspender clip. We gave some Serious high-fives and Hallelujah's, then started the Serious hunting. Here's Rodeo beating back the brushy, ticky woods with his Ace 250:



We dug some harmonica reeds and pewter spoon fragments, but the targets were very thin and the iron patch was very small--perhaps 30' x 30'. It appears that the structure was an old log cabin. There was no trace of it--not even foundation stones or a cellar hole. I think the small size of the iron patch was one of the reasons we didn't find it earlier. I also think that the geography played a role as well. There are lots of small knolls everywhere--each of which could easily have been the site of the house.

We brought a tarp with us--so that we could have a place to sit or lie down without the Ticks crawling up us the whole time. With the forecast High Temperature being what it was, I didn't want to take chances on us running out of energy. And so we took breaks between shifts of hunting throughout the morning to lay on the tarp and relax a bit. Here I am having a leisurely, sweaty cigarette on a Highly Flammable Tarp deep in the Tick-Infested Woods.



Now let me preface this part by saying that most of the time I don't thumb the knobs on my Fisher 1266-X before I dig--unless it is an "iffy" signal to begin with. It's faster to just dig it out of the ground.

Well... I got a typical signal just like any other (the analog users will understand)...but what I didn't know is that if I had thumbed the knobs on the Fisher it would've read Strong "Coin"--probably "Quarter." So it was a Beautiful surprise when I saw this in the hole:



It was an excellent Large Cent--1851.

Here's a photo I took of it back at the car after the hunt:



So we continued to work the site hard, drinking up and sweating off gallons in the process. A few more interesting items came up, including some nice suspender clips for Rodeo Recon, and a GREAT little buckle. When the finds had become very slim, we packed our gear and headed home.

Here are the cleaned up clips, buckle, and Large Cent:



And all of the iron, tin roofing, and junk we dug to get the goodies:



And of course, some photos of the cleaned-up LC. I only used water and a soft tootbrush, since the coin seemed like it wasn't very corroded.








Regards,


Buckleboy

 

[BuckleBoy]

nice stuff. Good reseaqrch too

I have a question. Where and how do you go about researching an area? i know of a house that was built in the 1850s that still stands within my area but what about others? I mean I live about 4 miles outside of town and I have massive woods in all directions of my house. I would assume there was at one time a house or two in those woods since the area used to be farm lands years and years ago

Original deeds will be in the courthouse.  They can tell you what structures were on specific tracts.  Maps frequently have to be tracked down.  The dozens of maps I've got now came from many different libraries, collections, the internet, etc.  Some I've even had to purchase.  Go to local libraries, university special collections, etc.  Look through the old atlases--sometimes they're there.  Focus on one area, and talk to the old timers.  They can often lead you to a site without GPS, maps, research, or hassle.  Of course, many times they don't think there was ever anything there--and you will know that they are wrong (even though they've lived there all their lives).  Be gracious in this situation.

By focusing on one area, you gain GPS information from "found" sites to triangulate new sites--and you also learn owners names and can drop them when talking with someone new.  VERY important to start with a narrow focus.  Try different types of sites--houses, church sites, and schools--and see which are the most productive before committing to one type of site--and it IS important to commit when you've done enough research--otherwise you sell yourself short when you realize that there are thousands of sites out there...too many to hunt in a lifetime, even with hunting buddies.  I've probably got a hundred huntable sites lined up right now.  Getting permission will lower the number, but that's still a TON of digging.

Good Luck,


Buckleboy
 

 

[kindafoundabuckle]

nice stuff. Good reseaqrch too

I have a question. Where and how do you go about researching an area? i know of a house that was built in the 1850s that still stands within my area but what about others? I mean I live about 4 miles outside of town and I have massive woods in all directions of my house. I would assume there was at one time a house or two in those woods since the area used to be farm lands years and years ago

They use the method like the girls on Charmed use. They get a map out and wave a crystal over it until it stops. Thats where they go! No Google Earth or GPS nonsense. I think they call that scrying and please correct me if Im wrong.

BTW the only reason I watch the show Charmed is for the chicks that are on it! The power of 3 

KFB

 

[BuckleBoy]

nice stuff. Good reseaqrch too

I have a question. Where and how do you go about researching an area? i know of a house that was built in the 1850s that still stands within my area but what about others? I mean I live about 4 miles outside of town and I have massive woods in all directions of my house. I would assume there was at one time a house or two in those woods since the area used to be farm lands years and years ago

They use the method like the girls on Charmed use. They get a map out and wave a crystal over it until it stops. Thats where they go! No Google Earth or GPS nonsense. I think they call that scrying and please correct me if Im wrong.

BTW the only reason I watch the show Charmed is for the chicks that are on it! The power of 3

KFB

Yeah! Works better than Dowsing.

 

[rodeo recon]

Thank you all for the kind words of support and encouragement. We need all of the help we can get in those dense woods. And having more Iron Brigade members along will always help. KFB and HB, I can't wait to hunt with you guys again, hopefully very soon. I'm thankfully no longer a rookie, and should have no problem pulling my own weight in the field. KFB, if donations are required to get you hunting again, count me in. One hunt with you is not enough. You have years of experience that I would love for you to share with me. Let's get the team together for a great hunt soon.

Rodeo Recon

 

[kindafoundabuckle]

Thank you all for the kind words of support and encouragement. We need all of the help we can get in those dense woods. And having more Iron Brigade members along will always help. KFB and HB, I can't wait to hunt with you guys again, hopefully very soon. I'm thankfully no longer a rookie, and should have no problem pulling my own weight in the field. KFB, if donations are required to get you hunting again, count me in. One hunt with you is not enough. You have years of experience that I would love for you to share with me. Let's get the team together for a great hunt soon.

Rodeo Recon

Brother from what I hear about your hunts your rookie status is long gone. You are doing a really great job. Thats what BB tells me after hunting with you. You are off to a great start in your digging carear. I got that pinpointer for you and will get it to you ASAP. The fund is adding up quick! Im really surprised what this used detecting stuff is bringing at auction. I sold my 1270 and it did really well on the big "E". It wont be long until I have my new machine and Im sure I will be asking you for advice! Thats how impressed I am with what you have found in such a short amount of time you have been hunting. Send me your phone number in a PM so we can hook up and I can deliver your pinpointer ASAP. I got all day Sunday to do that if your schedule permits.

KFB