Hidden Homesight

[Fishrgal]

I was so excited, a friend offered to take me to an old home sight she knew of where the land was not posted. I thought it would be close to the road and no problem getting to, so I wore my sandals that day. She drove me way out into the country and pulled down into a field and stopped. She said we would have to hike in. Well, hike we did, and hiked and hiked and hiked. The vegetation was taller than us and very thick as we followed what used to be a driveway of sorts. We finally arrived after being eaten by insects, cut up by thorns, and wet footed as we waded through mud and gunk. The house which once was, had somewhat fallen in upon itself, the roof down onto the floor of the second floor and half of it had gone all the way to the first floor. The house itself was filled with papers, dishes, and junk. We managed to confiscate some of the papers without actually climbing into the building. Found checks that had been endorsed and never cashed from the early 30's. Also, payroll receipts with names of all the men who worked for the town, including the hours worked and pay received. (around $30 a week or maybe it was for the month?) I believe it was the road crew or something like that. There was actually no place to swing my detector, the vegetation almost as bad all around and right up to the house. But I did find an area that wasn't bad and started working there a little away from the house. (looked like deer had bedded down there so the weeds were packed down). I immediately got a signal in the dime area. I used my pinpointer and started to dig. I found the edge of something and followed the edge of it. We thought it might be the top of a metal box or a very large rock, so we dug frantically. As she pulled it up out of the way I continued to dig as I was really getting the signal strong now, when she told me to stop and take a look. What we had pulled up was a grave stone! The old man who lived there had buried his wife there. Perhaps he had lost a dime while digging the grave. Needless to say, that dime or whatever was down there, no longer seemed appealing. All that work and all that excitement, and all of that to almost dig up some bones. And on top of it all, as we went back out a different way we found that we were following a poop-laden bear trail! I was so relieved to finally get back to the car and get the heck out of there! Thus went my first biggie hunt!

 

[oldranger]

At least you had the chance to there

Try another area nearby.. you never know whats
gpnna pop up...Sorry i didnt mean like another
gravestone ...

HH

Ron

Rangers lead The Way

 

[fongu]

Maybe you just ain't living right, Krista. That's part of the metal detecting hobby and you learn from each time you go out. I watched this show on National Geographic TV about this guy in England finding an Anglo Saxon hoard worth 5.5 million dollars and several metal detector people had searched this site before. The farmer who owned the property told him he was wasting his time, but allowed him to try his luck anyway. He and the metal detector man shared the 5.5 million dollars and I did not realize it until last night, but it was tax free. Keep looking and above all be patient and good things will happen. I just wish I was physically able to metal detect right now, but I really enjoy all the posts of people who are able to get out and metal detect, even if they have nothing to show for it but experience. Glad you did not run into any bears. HH

 

[Fishrgal]

I plan to go back after a couple hard frosts and the vegetation is down. I don't know if this means anything other than being interesting, but the entire house is made with square head nails. Does that help date it?

 

[fongu]

Make sure you check around the foundation of the house and those nails mean it's old enough to have some valuable stuff stashed around there somewhere. Watch out for wells that may be covered up by brush, because they are death traps to the unwary and I hope you take someone with you at this remote and bear infested location. take some bear spray or some means of self defense. Looking forward to your next adventure in this old house.

 

[hershey1]

That sounds like a great place to find some good stuff. Get a friend you can trust when you go back take your time and you will find hopefully something besides bear @#$%. Good Luck! HH

 

[MNCoinhunter]

Definately go back...there is treasure to be found.

 

[MrGee]

I think you stopped too soon. The old lady he buried there was probably wearing her wedding ring.

MrGee

 

[blade310]

MrGee,MrGee. Actually It does make you wonder if There might be a wedding ring on one of the buried fingers. wow. what might it look like and be worth.But on the other hand that's a little twisted. Randy Travis....Diggin Up Bones.... Krista that sounds like a great adventure. If and when you go back you can at least plan and 'prep' for the trip. Fongu is absolutely right about old wells, very dangerous. and a companion on an outing like that is a must. I hope you make it back out there,and if you,best of luck and hopefully you will post some pics.

 

[Uncle Willy]

The best bear spray is a 44 Magnum.

Bill

 

[Geo Unit]

Great story. Good luck when you get back there

 

[nova74]

That place sounds like it has great potential. I'd work everywhere around this place except for the grave site giving it a respectful 5 feet in all directions. I can't wait to check out the pic of the finds you'll get. Does sound from the chq's you were finding this person wasn't without money, but with the same token why would there be chq's laying about endorsed, make you think,could there have been something a bit more scrupulous and negative happened to the original owner? Either way the excitment is in the hunt and learning the story one scoop at a time.

 

[Old Katz]

Looks like you will have to bring a weed eater and wack some of the vegetation away.
I have no doubt you'll find some good finds there.
Katz

 

[Fishrgal]

You guys are making me more and more anxious to get back there! I hate to wish my summer away but I am really looking forward to a couple hard frosts to kill the vegetation. It is too far of a hike to carry my gas weed-wacker but will probably take a whip stick. Actually I will make my husband carry it - he intends to go with me the next time (to protect me).

 

[Uncle Willy]

Yeah it's hard telling what kind of boogers you can run into back there. Taking hubby is a wise move.

Bill

 

[fongu]

If your husband can't make it, take someone with you that you can outrun. You don't have to outrun the bear, just them.

 

[Dadsnorz]

If you were to take the band off of a finger of someone in their grave, I do believe you would deserve to be eaten by the Bear, and become that poop on the path home.

 

[metalhead]

If you were to take the band off of a finger of someone in their grave, I do believe you would deserve to be eaten by the Bear, and become that poop on the path home.

Amen, brother!

 

[fongu]

Don't watch any Chucky movies before you go to this remote site. It sure is funny how spooky old houses can be after watching a Chucky movie. lol

 

[salmonriverhotrock]

I'm not sure what state your in but here in Idaho, it's wise to determine who's property your on, fenced or not and Posted or not. We also have a great deal of federal lands here but even though they are mostly public and often unmarked or fenced, the Federals will use Mining Law if electronically prospecting without a permit and the Antiquities Laws to prosecute those metal detecting and taking anything that falls under them which amazingly, is a lot of things.

I know graves are protected by Law in Idaho but where you have dug up a grave stone, the last thing you need is to have a property owner and or maybe a family relative of the one buried, find you and others there with a dug up grave stone and turns around and claims you and the other were grave digging. I suspect out in the sticks 1930's, many graves did not have vaults so you could be hitting on a coffin name plate or hinges made of other than steel or iron. If it's bear country, I doubt it would be a shallow grave. I think I'd drop that spot like a hot rock till you determine much more about it. It may be respectful though to reset the headstone above and as it faced where you found it. I've done a great deal of genealogy if you have some info from the stone along with state and county.

Many years ago back in the mountains while detecting, I found a grave stone on the surface with name and all on it. Turns out though, it was a joke. I asked an old timer I knew in the area about it and it turned out when he was younger, he and his buddy had been drinking and put it there. An old Scottish-man, an old stone mason, had made it but it was never used for what ever reason and so had just been laying around the place until two young drunk men placed it elsewhere in fun. Here in Idaho County, Idaho, it is legal to bury family on your property and they do. A friend from work has a historically known settlers grave on his property.