How To and Where to For USA Detectorists
HOW TO DO A BASIC MAP RESEARCH
It's important to know how to read maps, including both old and new topographical maps, correctly. The principle of this type of map research is simple: to obtain as many old maps of the same area as possible and compare them to the modern topographic map. Sometimes finding an old map is challenging, especially in the case of the early Colonial maps called plats. But even if you lucky obtaining such a map, you still have to do a lot of work deciphering the map's symbolic content. Plats were not drawn to scale, and the detail you know and expect today was not present. Roads, terrain and land parcels were approximate at best.
The more less scaled US maps of the townships were issued for the first time in the mid-1800s. They were called "Beer's Maps" or "Beer's Atlases." Such maps can be obtained at the County library, State Archives, or downloaded from the Internet. Beer's maps don't show the terrain but contain many important pieces of information that can be useful for further research.
Used-to-be houses, now cellar holes, are marked by pink dots on the Beer's Map Issued in 1854. Still-standing houses are marked by blue-green dots.
Besides giving location of the school houses and homesteads marked with their landowners' names, these maps correctly depicted roads, with distances between landmarks. At that time, the distances were measured in rods, also known as "poles" or "perches.".
1 rod equals to 16.5 feet and was once known as a "quarter-chain."
A Gunter's Chain was a linked measuring device 66 feet long, including handles on both ends. It was invented in 1620 by Edmund Gunter, an English mathematician: all road and land measurements since his day were shown on maps in "chains" or their divisions (rods). Few know why a mile should be 5,280 feet long; but if you multiply a chain by 80, you will soon find out (80 x 66 = 5280).
Beer's maps are scaled 160 rods (or 1/2 mile to the inch) which makes it easier to measure distances and locate cellar holes on the ground. This might be crucial in the cases when the torrential rains changed the terrain dramatically, or dense vegetation has made the cellar holes invisible, thus making their discovery a difficult task for a treasure hunter.
The following map was issued seven years later, in 1861, and, for example, shows fewer houses on the upper road. That means that there would be no modern junk found around the remaining cellar holes and foundations of those houses. Also, older coins and relics could be found there.
After these maps have been compared, all remaining cellar holes and foundations, potential metal detecting sites, should be marked and transferred onto the modern topographical map. This map would be used for locating the cellar holes during the footwork on the ground.
The best topographical maps for treasure hunting purposes are those in the "seven-and-one-half-minute" series, with a scale of 1 to 24,000. Each of these maps covers an area of approximately 60 square miles. These maps can be obtained from the various sources including the U.S. Geological Survey.
As you can see, this simple map research yielded seven available hunt sites that are situated within a 1/2-mile distance on one road. Next step is to do some footwork and conduct busy treasure hunting.
Other types of maps that are helpful for your research: tax maps, fire insurance maps, military maps, railroad maps, canal maps, property deeds, census documents.
Tips On Research - Footwork
Here are some tips on footwork research during the warm months of the year. This activity can be done either after you have done your research and need to locate an actual site, or when you lack any leads and just assume that there might be something potential in the area.
Roadways
Always pay attention to dirt roads, trails, side pathways and dead ends (not always so). It's understood that if there is a road, it leads somewhere, or used to lead somewhere. It wasn't built for nothing. Abandoned roads in the forested areas are what you need to focus on. Being not bothered by a large amount of junk targets, some metal detectorists search only such roads and recover a handful of old coins.
By the way, in early America, the wide road infrastructure was not developed until the mid-1800s, and the roads weren't the major way of freight transportation even then. Today, when you send anything across country you refer to it as "shipping." This stems from the time when freight sent across-country went only by ship or canal boat. The canals took even some of the tourist business.
For example, even as late as 1860 many roads in New England were only clearings through forest, with few level stretches and often with stumps left in the middle of the road. In that year, the governor of Connecticut wrote, "...This kind of road will throw a child out of its mother's arms. We let our road-makers shake us enough to the mile to furnish assault and battery cases for a thousand police cases." That tells you one good thing: coins certainly dropped out of the travelers' pockets during the rides on those roads.
As the early roads were no more than rivers of mud, road-makers experimented and used different materials, from crushed coal to corncobs, to overcome that problem. There are still crushed-oyster-shell roads along the seacoast, left over from the time before the development of plank roads. First plank highway was built in Canada in 1836. In 1875, there were close to three thousand miles of plank roads in New York alone, and by 1880 the idea had spread to every other state.
The word "highway" came from old Europe, where there was always a smooth private road for the King, with adjoining lower shelf road for commoners. The word "turnpike" originated from the past when a pike turned or raised to admit travelers past the tollhouse. The custom of leading a horse from the left, and the convenience of having the teamster's seat also on the left side of the wagon, was why turnpike wagons traveled to the right of the road; because of that, Americans started driving on the right side of the road.
While exploring the abandoned roads, you should search:
1) Intersections
2) Openings in stone walls
3) Spots around creek crossings (possible "rest stops") and bridges, or bridge remains
4) Side pathways
5) Openings in the forest
6) Earth mounds and depressions on the roadsides
7) Single-standing or first-growth trees, apple or other fruit trees on the roadsides and in the forest
Unusual or alien vegetation and planting on the roadsides
Stone Walls
The impressive thing about New England is its stone walls that extend for miles through the forest. You might wonder why anyone would have gone to such great labor building stone fences through thick forest; they wind over steep wooded mountains and into the deepest glens. The truth is that when they were built, no forest was there as it had been cut down. The stone walls were no more than neatly piled rocks, gathered during the farm clearings of the eighteenth century. Over years, the abandoned farm lands have been reclaimed by the second and third growth forest.
Stone walls were usually topped with one or two rails of wood which have since disappeared into fireplaces as fuel, or rotted away with the years. Stone fences were not only property divisions but also did the chore of keeping cattle in. During the hot summer days, stone walls provided a shade for resting farmer.
While metal detecting around a cellar hole or foundation, it's important to search the areas on both sides of the stone wall that encloses the property. Kids used to play on the fence railings and lost coins. Also being in close proximity to the house, the stone wall would be a good landmark for stashing treasures in it or near it. Many coin caches and other relics have been recovered from the stone walls by treasure hunters.
First-Growth Trees
The oldest homesteads were usually graced with one big first-growth tree. Such trees were also left standing on the farming lands as "markers" - that's why some of them still can be seen in the forest that has taken the farming fields back. All farmed land was once barren of trees except for these markers and the few farmhouse giants that remained.
Always check out the area around a first-growth tree or large decayed stump, in 90% cases, you would find a foundation or cellar hole. Also, a giant tree would be another good landmark to hide a treasure nearby.
Vegetation
When far within wooded areas, notice low-level vegetation and tree types growing in the area. Look for atypical trees such as apple, pear, cherry and chestnut, and bushes such as forsythia, rose and lilac. They all stand out among the forest in times of blossom and fruit bearing.
Another vegetation clue to locating cellar holes is a dense ground cover called "myrtle" or "periwinkle." It has waxy green leaves with white or blue colored flowers when in bloom. It looks like an emerald carpet from a distance.
Pottery and China Shards
Scattered pottery and china shards is another good clue to locating a cellar hole in the wooded area or in the field. Pay attention to the ground and creek beds to spot scattered pieces of pottery and other nonmetallic objects, such as clam shells, broken window glass, dish and bottle pieces, clay pipe stems, marbles, and coal, that were buried just under the surface and later washed out or exposed by heavy rains or wind erosion.
Ground Depressions and Cellar Holes
Early settlers usually located their homes on high ground so that rain and ground water would drain away from the foundation. The dimensions of a cellar hole can often be an indicator directly proportional to financial stature. Investigate all shallow ground depressions and earth mounds of building dimension size.
When GPS navigation is not available, various natural landmarks would help you find your position on the map and locate abandoned cellar holes in the area. Make sure you know How to Use a Compass or, without it, how to determine where north is. Knowledge of basic survival skills is a must for any treasure hunter.
A clue to locating an old homesite could be just a stone slab barely visible in the wooded area down the road. Observation and keen awareness are two traits that you, as a treasure hunter, must employ to be successful. Always study your surroundings and look for anything that would indicate older activity of people.
Other Types of Research
Talking To Old Timers and Locals
Old timers are the best source of leads. They are in your area and possess invaluable information that sometimes can't be found in old books and newspapers. All you have to do is to ask them the right questions and be a good listener. For example, an old timer talks about the church bazaars held for years, and how that property is now scraped off and ready to be sold for a new shopping center. Be always respectful, courteous, and grateful for their kindness.
Some old timers might even take you to the location and point out to a treasure spot.
Fishermen and hunters also might disclose locations of potentially good treasure hunting sites in the area, where they fish and hunt. I have a book of all trout streams in my state, with all related info for pinpointing them, printed by the state Natural Resources Dept. Found at a local used book store, it cost me a whopping $2.00. it is one of my best resources for locating old sites in remote areas. Each year deer and other wild game hunters trek deep into uninhabited areas in their search for game. They see things that mean little to them, but could indicate places to detect. Old homestead dumps have been located this way, and such places yield many interesting and valuable items and artifacts. Ask around, join a club, hunting, birdwatching, fishing, hiking, etc. They all love to talk about what they do and have seen.
The Town, County or State library or State Archives
are still the best source of old maps, history books, old newspapers, memoirs and diaries, school yearbooks and community celebration books. Today, you can obtain any book, any document, any microfilm or its copy through the regional inter-library loan system that is computerized. You need to become familiar with the computerized setup at your library to search through classified catalogues.
Valuable documentation can be found in the National Archives, Library of Congress (Manuscript Section), the Historical Sections of the Department of Defense, the Interior, Justice and Agriculture. On the state government level, documentation can be found in the secretary of state's archives, state treasurer's archives, state land offices' archives and state prison records.
On a county level, documents may be found in the archives of the county attorneys, clerks, surveyors, assessors and sheriffs. In city governments, old records can be found in the files or archives of mayors, city clerks, city engineers, libraries, city museums, police departments, street commissions and utilities offices. Private records of attorneys, bankers, businessmen, doctors and auctioneers can also furnish clues to finding a treasure.
Many rare and old historical books can be found in a small and antique book stores, annual library book sales, garage sales and, of course, on Internet. College library and your community, county or state Historical Society also possess a good amount of local historical information, nothing to say about their special publications that might date back to the early 1900s. Genealogical books can help you track present day descendants of ancestors who owned the land discovered in your research.
But don't buy some very expensive, "rare" book or map, touted to give you a fabulous lead. In all probability, if it's that good the person who owns it wouldn't want to sell it. And more likely many people bought that book and followed that "fabulous" lead. Definitely stay away from so called "Treasure Atlases." They are good only for collecting or armchair treasure hunters.
Historical Plates or Markers and Road Signs
While driving through your community, you might have seen such plates standing on the roadside. In New York state, they were erected by the Department of Education in the 1930s. By showing the exact locations where historical events took place or where settlements once stood, these historical markers might provide you with valuable leads.
While driving through any rural area, be on the lookout for road signs that use words like: grove, park, school house, church, fort, reunion, revival, canal, lock, ferry, market, square, beach, picnic lane, battlefield, camp, etc. They might indicate treasures.
Old Photographs and Lithographs
Old photographs, lithographs and postcards can be worth a thousand footsteps as well as words. They will give you a first-hand visual description of the place of your interest, let you see all changes that occurred in the area over the years, and enable you to pinpoint exact location of the spot among the modern infrastructure.
Tools for research can take on other forms and types. More likely you will develop your own research methods and techniques. Always think like a detective, develop a concentrated self-discipline, be persistent, diligent and dedicated, be curious and have fun! Today it is the internet, Google Earth, GPS, and all sorts of historical information sites. Make a list of the ten closest sites you would like to detect if all the requirements fell into place. Lean all you can about them, then go about getting permission to search from the owner, and move down the list when the search is either blocked or completed.
By the time you reach the bottom, you will have at least ten more sites to research, and a place to go anytime you have the urge to go out, for the rest of your life. Talk to ther's who are retired or unable to get out anymore, they are likely an excellent source for places they would love to go to if they were able to. If you can't find a place after all the above, you should perhaps find another hobby.
Logging
Does your area have any history of logging? If so, there may well be clubs or groups that identify and map the old logging camps, roads, and ways to get to them. Axes, chains, canthooks, ox shoes, marsh shoes, hand-forged iron, etc, are common items found in these areas, and can be highly sought after artifacts by museums and collectors.
While cruising Ebay one day, I ran across several old postcards from my area, one of which showed the old swimming hole on a local river of a small town nearby. I didn't even need to buy the card, cheapskate that I am, I simply copied the jpeg and archived it on my computer. After printing it out, I visited some old friends that I knew in the town, and they were able to pinpoint the location exactly for me. This place is on the top of my list for the first outing this spring. Effort, thought, and a little work will always pay off. Good luck and good hunting!
- Bart
