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CyberSage
12-03-2009, 12:45 PM
The broken charred brick and blackened piece of tin I held in my hand confirmed I had discovered what I had set out to find. I raised my head from the dig site and looked around at the surrounding landscape of park like grass and old trees that abruptly ended at the edge of an asphalt parking lot. I was just a few feet off a sidewalk from the 1960's that seemingly led to nowhere. A small outcropping of concrete disappeared into the grass and gave the only other clue to the existence of the historic building that once stood here.

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o187/CyberSageBH3300/Sidewalk.jpg
The sidewalk to nowhere. It just dead ends at the far end of the photo where the trashcan is.

My research for a metal detecting hunt had turned into a fascinating tale of pioneers and their endeavors to bring an educational system to the young western frontier, and to the story of the first building at an agricultural college that would later become Colorado State University. I stood and looked west across the modern day parking lot. This is all that remained. I had found what was left of the building known as “Old Main".

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o187/CyberSageBH3300/TurnOfCentury.jpg
Old Main as it appeared at the turn of the century.

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o187/CyberSageBH3300/ModernDay.jpg
As it appears today in the same location

Old Main was the first building erected on campus back in 1878. The Agricultural College of Colorado opened it's doors the following year. It consisted of President Elijah Edwards, two faculty members and 5 students. From this simple beginning the modern day campus of Colorado State University arose to it's current status over 2500 faculty members and 25,000 students. There are over 6000 other employees as well. While the main part of the college is a beehive of activity, the older parts have become peaceful and still. The old buildings are beautiful and still provide functional use for the campus. The Colorado State police officers who patrol the grounds are friendly and have waved at me as I metal detected this wonderful place over the years. It was one of these officers that while patrolling on May 8th, 1970, saw the smoke pouring from the building known as “old Main". Vietnam War protest had gotten out of hand and arsonist had set fire to the structure. The fire department's efforts were hampered by a failed water main and by the time water had been routed in, it was to late. Old Main was gone. The arsonist were never caught. In one thoughtless act after another the protest that day at CSU had done their damage.

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o187/CyberSageBH3300/oldmain.jpg
The newly built campus main building

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o187/CyberSageBH3300/burnedout.jpg
The burnt out hull of Old Main the morning after the fire.

I started griding the area that I thought would approximate the front of where the old building once stood. I started pulling a few Wheats including a 1913. This was a an older find and got me excited. I had just turned to make my second pass along the “sidewalk to nowhere", and received a solid hit in the 74 to 76 VDI range. It pin pointed tight and showed a good target at about 7 inches. I cut a deep horseshoe plug and flopped it over. I ran my Garrett Pro-Pointer through the hole and got a solid tone at the bottom center of the hole. I felt the usual rush of adrenaline that accompanies the final moment of truth. A quick and shallow plunge with the Lesche digger revealed a brownish green coin a little smaller than a Quarter. I turned it to the sun and saw a 2 surrounded by a laurel wreath. It was 2-Cent piece! My first. Knowing this coin had to be a little older than what I normally would find in the Fort Collins area, I pulled the loop from my keeper pouch and took a closer look. I could just make it out... 1-8-6-5. An 1865 coin! The dance ensued, I mean I actually did a dance! It was not pretty but I did my best to do a jig with my elbows raised up and down and feet hitting the ground with toes pointed upward. That felt good. I quickly looked around and felt embarrassed. Then I did it again. lol

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o187/CyberSageBH3300/2cent.jpg
A quick and shallow plunge with the Lesche digger reveled a brownish green coin a little smaller than a Quarter.

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o187/CyberSageBH3300/2centsite.jpg
A picture of the dig site. I continue to use the SEF coil with great success.

You have to ask yourself this question when you go hunting. What are you after? What drives you to keep going back, when everywhere you hunt it seems like it's been hunted out? Why is it that you continue to go back to that same old park, and pound the same old ground? I can tell you this much. These areas we are drawn to, they have a pull on our spirit. They are full of history and the life force of past generations that have walked this ground before us. That energy pulls you there. It wants to be discovered. It wants to be discovered by you. It has a story to tell. Digging coins and relics will not silence that hunger and drive however. Find the story, the history and the passion of the people who came before you. The irony here is that you will never dig that out of a hole in the ground my fellow detectorist. It will only come from understanding the long dead individual who left that item there so many years ago for you to find. Well that's my 2 cents worth friend...

or I should say, that's “Old Main's" 2 cents worth. ;)

Keep Swing'in
Jack

The old photographs used in this post are property of Colorado State University and their contributors. If you would like to learn more about old main please visit their history archive at the following link.

The Burning Of Old Main
https://lib.colostate.edu/archives/old_main.html

Epi-hunter
12-03-2009, 01:02 PM
What a fantastic post Jack. You captured in words exactly how I feel about metal detecting, and why it is important to me.

That is a beautiful 2 cent piece! It held up very nicely. I'm still waiting for my first :) If and when it ever comes I will be dancing too ;)

MNDigger
12-03-2009, 02:08 PM
Thanks for the history lesson and great post Jack! Congrats on the 2 center!

OkieDigger
12-03-2009, 02:29 PM
Great post Jack. I'd be doing my old gold panner's dance when I found an old coin like that.

marchas45
12-03-2009, 04:37 PM
Great post Jack and research you deserved that 2 cent piece now go and find the rest of the treasure just awesome. thumbsup01

coinnut
12-03-2009, 04:37 PM
Super 2 Cent piece. :shocked04: Man that soil was kind to it. Glad your first one was a keeper. Now that you are spoiled, wait till you see the condition of the next one lol Looks like the soil there is real good to copper (bronze). I bet that wheat was in good condition also. Thanks for posting it and the great story too thumbsup01

randy
12-03-2009, 05:41 PM
Wow, that is a beautiful coin. Congrats!

angellionel
12-03-2009, 05:58 PM
That's a superbly preserved 2-cent piece. An excellent find for sure. I would have done a dance too, no doubt about it. ;)

del
12-03-2009, 07:46 PM
hey Jack thanks for the history lesson and great pictures , congrats on your first 2 center she's a beauty of an example .

yazoo
12-03-2009, 08:11 PM
Very nice, great pics and a great coin. How r u liking the coil?H.H.Yazoo

xzlr8n
12-03-2009, 08:21 PM
Great read and results!! Congrats on your 1st 2 Center, great shape too :tongue:!!

z118
12-03-2009, 10:25 PM
What a great post and a great find! The building and story of the fire reminded me of an old photo from my high school... back in the day they always had a huge football game against their arch rival, Deerfield Academy. One year during the big game, a class building near the field caught fire. The football game went on. As I recall the building was destroyed AND my school lost the game. See the pic below.

Thanks for the great post!

Bentfork
12-03-2009, 11:17 PM
Great post Jack. Great find too!

BHNugget
12-04-2009, 02:13 AM
Excellent post Jack! You defined the spirit of detecting in a way I couldnt even come close to with words. thumbsup01

z118: Now thats what I call team spirit! lol

CyberSage
12-04-2009, 08:15 AM
Thank you folks for all the nice responses. It looks like this will be my last hunt this year unless we get some kind of heatwave. Temperatures have been dropping below zero at night and we have a light snow cover. The ground is frozen solid now. Not a bad way to end up the season I guess.

Keep Swing'in
Jack

sectshun8
12-04-2009, 09:05 AM
Thanks for the great read this morning Jack, it was a pleasure thumbsup01

If it's too cold now, how's February? :twirlingeyes:

SeabeeRon
12-04-2009, 03:00 PM
Man oh man buddy, you sure know how to phrase a post!! thumbsup01 Great job and an amazing coin find!! :drool:

Beefcake
12-04-2009, 10:21 PM
Now that's a great post buddy!!!! Awesome job... I'm drooling over that 2 center.... It's on my wish list!

TimC
12-05-2009, 07:59 AM
Jack, you are definitely the man in how the feeling are conveyed, I love the post and read in in poetic form, very nice. Maybe the weather will concede a few days so you can hunt, your post are always a high spot in the morning at the computer and forum. Thanks!