You think there will be gold and treasures here?

[kitt]

I found some old letters and records, some stating about mineral operations so i decided to read through them.
I found a section not to far from me where there use to be inhabited by some miners who built pretty much a really small town.
Now in the papers it states there was a blacksmith shop built there in 1915 which is my main target to metal detect.
Not only that it used to be a placer mine and 5 miles above that was a lode mine.

Do you think this area is worth checking out with my ace250?

 

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[BC1969]

Hey never hurts to try, the first mark twain quote in my signature should motivate you.
Good luck.

Mike

 

[kitt]

I hope the mountain roads are good enough conditioned for a little car

 

[cudamark]

I found some old letters and records, some stating about mineral operations so i decided to read through them.
I found a section not to far from me where there use to be inhabited by some miners who built pretty much a really small town.
Now in the papers it states there was a blacksmith shop built there in 1915 which is my main target to metal detect.
Not only that it used to be a placer mine and 5 miles above that was a lode mine.

Do you think this area is worth checking out with my ace250?

That was a rhetorical question.......right?

 

[kitt]

I check google earth and theres basicly a patch of nothing where this used to be. Looks like dead brown ground

 

[Tom_in_CA]

I check google earth and theres basicly a patch of nothing where this used to be. Looks like dead brown ground

Well I don't know about "gold" and "treasures" there, but you might find some period coins. Ie.: fumble fingers losses. Will depend on how long-lived it was, how heavily trafficked it was, etc... And if it's mining related: be aware that there might be a lot of industrial iron junk. So try to find where the people lived, ate, slept, drank, and spent their money. Don't go to the places where they WORKED. Where you might still see visible ruins of machinery and foundations, etc... that "catch they eye". Those might just be areas where they worked and processed their ore or whatever. The place to detect is where they lived, ate, spent $, etc.... But if you have utterly no idea of where any particular thing was, just fan out. When you start finding personal effect (buttons, suspender clips, etc...) is where your best odds are.

 

[luvsdux]

Tom is right on. Any of the old logging and mining camps MAY produce something, but the working areas are usually full of old iron.
luvsdux

 

[aarthrj3811]

Tom is correct....You did not say how old the town was?...If you find what could have been old floors that is a good place...You have to remember that old towns were torn down and used to build at other sites.Old time placer miners did not have funnels and other stuff to pour their gold with and it ended up on the floor.
..Art

 

[Ism]

You also have to remember that the land is owned by someone. Depending where you live it could be a claim.
You would be so lucky to find a claim owner that doesn't shoot first and ask questions later.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

You also have to remember that the land is owned by someone. Depending where you live it could be a claim.
You would be so lucky to find a claim owner that doesn't shoot first and ask questions later.

Ism, do you have any examples of anyone who was "shot first" (before questions were asked), when someone metal detected anywhere? Just curious. This seems to be a common fear we are told to have. Yet .... when I look around, I fail to see any obituaries for such an egregious offense.

 

[kitt]

Tom is correct....You did not say how old the town was?...If you find what could have been old floors that is a good place...You have to remember that old towns were torn down and used to build at other sites.Old time placer miners did not have funnels and other stuff to pour their gold with and it ended up on the floor.
..Art

started in 1915 ended in 1927. it was a gold placer mine with 4 cabins a saw mill and a blacksmith, in the mineral records it shows nuggets up to 7 ounces were found.
I can see the hole they dug when using google earth. I also see some fallen trees around the hole with all the limbs cut off. Thats all that google earth shows.
about 5 miles north of this mine was a lode mine

 

[cudamark]

I'd dig everything that beeped for starters. You never know what you'll find in a place like that.

 

[Ism]

Ism, do you have any examples of anyone who was "shot first" (before questions were asked), when someone metal detected anywhere? Just curious. This seems to be a common fear we are told to have. Yet .... when I look around, I fail to see any obituaries for such an egregious offense.

Its a metaphor Tom. Claim owners wont be anymore forgiving than you would if you caught someone in the act of robbing your house.
It's mineral trespass to be on somebodies claim without permission. Most mines and ghost towns that I've investigated are claimed or private property.
It's not hard to find out. To do otherwise is irresponsible.