Digger_O'Dell
11-28-2015, 09:10 AM
Hi all,
Spent Friday battling rain, cold, and high winds that could freeze Frosty's snowballs off. So to say is wasn't prime detecting weather would be quite the understatement! But I did have the rare day off work and the whole of daylight hours to detect. In anticipation of this I did more research and planned out some "dream sites" to hit. This included an 1850 church, a mid 1800's school house, a town square shown on an 1838 map, an 1836 house, and an early 1800's lighthouse. I also had a side stop at the elementary school I attended in the early 70's since I had time and was in the area, even though it was only a 50's era building now turned into a town hall.
I arrived at the church about an hour before light, but luckily there was one outdoor light on so I could get a start with my detecting. At this point it was about 30 degrees with light rain and winds 30-40 MPH. It didn't take long to realize I was miserable, but at least I was detecting! It also didn't take long to realize that around the building there was just an overabundance of square nails and hot rocks. Also I found that the cemetery was still active, and the site has had a lot of activity in recent years. Apparently the area was graded and expanded, as away from the building was a lot of fill dirt judging by the buried soda cans about a foot down. But I did manage to find a few relics and clad coins. Most of the area was void of any good targets or even trash-even the region by the outhouse was clean! I did manage to find one really interesting item that I can't identify, but it's pewter and looks to be part of an Indian doll or ?? Any help would be appreciated, but I think this will be able to be ID'd.
File photo:
51656
So on to the old town square after a couple hours. On the way, I realized I was only a couple blocks from the elementary school I used to attend, and decided to swing by there. It has been drastically changed since my school days because now it has become the town hall and apparently some local church operates there now too. They removed most of the playground and built a huge tin barn in it's place. But out front I did manage to find the only silver of the day-a 1946 Rosie, which predates the school.
Silver dime, and church finds.
51657
Once I arrived at the old town square I found it has recently been radically overhauled. New gravel paths and benches were installed. But even still, I expected to find something. After an hour of nothing but clad, and nothing below a couple inches, I read a plaque mostly hidden at the old band stand stairs that documented a major project tearing out the square and rebuilding it in the mid 1980's. Well, that explained it!
Next stop was the old lighthouse next town over. Once again it didn't take long to find another plaque documenting how the place was dug up in the 70's to shore up the foundation and the land area it sat. Nothing to be found there either.
:girlcry:
File photo-1850's school
51658
Next planned stop was a mid 1800's school house. I had high hopes for this site also as I have always had luck at old schools. But once again I found out all the land around it was replaced and filled in recent years to make a park like setting around it. More outbuildings were put up for storage, and nothing but some very shallow recent clad was found.
Last stop was at an 1836 house which is part of a tiny park along the river. It isn't really marked well and is listed more as a historic building-the first settler in the area lived there. Much of the area around the house is neglected and growing wild, but part of a river walk goes through the area. There are a couple "cellar holes" on the site as well that were apparently out buildings at one time, but only the walls are left buried in the banks of the river. Again, nothing but trash was found here. The "park" itself was all newer and filled to build the river walk. It also looked like whoever was responsible for the old house was using the old cellar holes as storage for landscaping items and hiding a lot of old junk from view of the street.
Isham Day house
51659
$2.94 clad, junk, and more float copper.
51660
ID help? Pewter "foot" maybe?
51661
Spent Friday battling rain, cold, and high winds that could freeze Frosty's snowballs off. So to say is wasn't prime detecting weather would be quite the understatement! But I did have the rare day off work and the whole of daylight hours to detect. In anticipation of this I did more research and planned out some "dream sites" to hit. This included an 1850 church, a mid 1800's school house, a town square shown on an 1838 map, an 1836 house, and an early 1800's lighthouse. I also had a side stop at the elementary school I attended in the early 70's since I had time and was in the area, even though it was only a 50's era building now turned into a town hall.
I arrived at the church about an hour before light, but luckily there was one outdoor light on so I could get a start with my detecting. At this point it was about 30 degrees with light rain and winds 30-40 MPH. It didn't take long to realize I was miserable, but at least I was detecting! It also didn't take long to realize that around the building there was just an overabundance of square nails and hot rocks. Also I found that the cemetery was still active, and the site has had a lot of activity in recent years. Apparently the area was graded and expanded, as away from the building was a lot of fill dirt judging by the buried soda cans about a foot down. But I did manage to find a few relics and clad coins. Most of the area was void of any good targets or even trash-even the region by the outhouse was clean! I did manage to find one really interesting item that I can't identify, but it's pewter and looks to be part of an Indian doll or ?? Any help would be appreciated, but I think this will be able to be ID'd.
File photo:
51656
So on to the old town square after a couple hours. On the way, I realized I was only a couple blocks from the elementary school I used to attend, and decided to swing by there. It has been drastically changed since my school days because now it has become the town hall and apparently some local church operates there now too. They removed most of the playground and built a huge tin barn in it's place. But out front I did manage to find the only silver of the day-a 1946 Rosie, which predates the school.
Silver dime, and church finds.
51657
Once I arrived at the old town square I found it has recently been radically overhauled. New gravel paths and benches were installed. But even still, I expected to find something. After an hour of nothing but clad, and nothing below a couple inches, I read a plaque mostly hidden at the old band stand stairs that documented a major project tearing out the square and rebuilding it in the mid 1980's. Well, that explained it!
Next stop was the old lighthouse next town over. Once again it didn't take long to find another plaque documenting how the place was dug up in the 70's to shore up the foundation and the land area it sat. Nothing to be found there either.
:girlcry:
File photo-1850's school
51658
Next planned stop was a mid 1800's school house. I had high hopes for this site also as I have always had luck at old schools. But once again I found out all the land around it was replaced and filled in recent years to make a park like setting around it. More outbuildings were put up for storage, and nothing but some very shallow recent clad was found.
Last stop was at an 1836 house which is part of a tiny park along the river. It isn't really marked well and is listed more as a historic building-the first settler in the area lived there. Much of the area around the house is neglected and growing wild, but part of a river walk goes through the area. There are a couple "cellar holes" on the site as well that were apparently out buildings at one time, but only the walls are left buried in the banks of the river. Again, nothing but trash was found here. The "park" itself was all newer and filled to build the river walk. It also looked like whoever was responsible for the old house was using the old cellar holes as storage for landscaping items and hiding a lot of old junk from view of the street.
Isham Day house
51659
$2.94 clad, junk, and more float copper.
51660
ID help? Pewter "foot" maybe?
51661