Well, we finally got a clear Sat. to get out into the woods for another adventure. This seems like the first time Rob & I didn't have bags over our detectors and rain gear on. It was a perfect day...not too hot not too cold.
The area of forest we'd looked at last time we had never even explored......
But, I think we both knew it was about to be another special day....when as soon as we entered the forest we walked right into this....
[attachment 36766 WRItrail.jpg]
Cutting right down the middle of the photo you can clearly see an old cart road (& my pack lying in the middle). These get us excited as they usually lead to something. We saw stone walls on both sides, & you just get the feeling your "close". Someone took the time to erect those walls....
The topo map I had of the area showed a small stream that we had intended to check out. They have been good places to find homesites along as often you didn't need to dig a well....
Plus, these clear New England streams are really a great part of the landscape. When we got to the stream it was beautiful. As we admired the running water, we saw evidence of a small mill of some sort.
[attachment 36767 WRImill.jpg]
If you look close at the right side of the photo you can see part of the stone mill foundation in the hump there. There was not alot of major mill races & such that we have seen alot of......this must have been a real small time mill, or perhaps a really early one.....
that would be nice. We had a decision to make. Assemble our detectors & hunt the mill or keep going. But, it was unanimous, GPS the mill & keep going. We had a feeling cellar hole # 17 was close by. Often the mill owner had the nice place
We continued the hike deeper into the forest. Soon, it was clear we had made the right choice as we walked right into a nice cellar hole site.
High fives again, & #17 in the books (can we get a dancin chicken?) This was another "complex"....or larger site that featured a good sized home & several outbuildings. Probably NOT the mill owner house...more like a big farm operation.
Rob got right into swinging his new ID-Edge along the corner of the foundation stones. You can see fall is coming with many leaves down already....
[attachment 36768 WRIrob1.jpg]
I took several photo's of the site, and finally got the T2 assembled out of my pack. The "clear spot" I picked to try to balance the detector had a good target there.
Hey, check this out......a miniature "holy grail"!
Or actually a childs toy pewter cup.
[attachment 36769 WRIcplexCup.jpg]
Pretty cool way to begin the hunt...Not sure the age of these. Probably not colonial, but still very cool & before the "War of Southern Aggression" I'm sure. I found a tea cup style one of these at another hole 2 years ago....
I hunted out toward the cart road & away from the house foundation & got a nice solid reading. It was a thrill to see a large cent sized disc flip out of the plug!
Unfortunately it was clear it was worn down.....it's the early Draped Bust type cent (late 1700's?). You can see this is the wreath side if ya look close. But, I can't get a date off it yet....
I've started a peroxide attempt. This is gunna need a miracle cleaning to see a date. But, still cool to find.......
[attachment 36772 WRIfinds.jpg]
Here's the "big penny" alongside some other of both of our finds from the site. Buttons-2 fancy 1830-40 style 1 pieces, the cup, and a much later snap-thingy.....
We ate lunch & decided to move on in search of more sites....we hadn't even hunted around 2 of the barns yet, so we are not done detecting.......not even close.
Again, it seemed like we made another wise decision. After spotting a gate opening in a nice stone wall on the way back to the car. A little scouting around and we were amazed to then walk right into a stone chimney still standing tall among the pines!
[attachment 36773 WRIchimney.jpg]
Can you see it hiding in there? Yea we almost walked right by it....
but, we'll call that house site # 18
Though certainly not a colonial construction.....it still looked like a fine place to come back to again. We really need a full day of hunting out here.....
The mill could prove interesting as well.
Thanks for comin' along again, & I'll let ya know how my cleaning of the early large cent goes......
HH,
Bill
The area of forest we'd looked at last time we had never even explored......
But, I think we both knew it was about to be another special day....when as soon as we entered the forest we walked right into this....
[attachment 36766 WRItrail.jpg]
Cutting right down the middle of the photo you can clearly see an old cart road (& my pack lying in the middle). These get us excited as they usually lead to something. We saw stone walls on both sides, & you just get the feeling your "close". Someone took the time to erect those walls....
The topo map I had of the area showed a small stream that we had intended to check out. They have been good places to find homesites along as often you didn't need to dig a well....
Plus, these clear New England streams are really a great part of the landscape. When we got to the stream it was beautiful. As we admired the running water, we saw evidence of a small mill of some sort.
[attachment 36767 WRImill.jpg]
If you look close at the right side of the photo you can see part of the stone mill foundation in the hump there. There was not alot of major mill races & such that we have seen alot of......this must have been a real small time mill, or perhaps a really early one.....
that would be nice. We had a decision to make. Assemble our detectors & hunt the mill or keep going. But, it was unanimous, GPS the mill & keep going. We had a feeling cellar hole # 17 was close by. Often the mill owner had the nice place
We continued the hike deeper into the forest. Soon, it was clear we had made the right choice as we walked right into a nice cellar hole site.
High fives again, & #17 in the books (can we get a dancin chicken?) This was another "complex"....or larger site that featured a good sized home & several outbuildings. Probably NOT the mill owner house...more like a big farm operation. Rob got right into swinging his new ID-Edge along the corner of the foundation stones. You can see fall is coming with many leaves down already....
[attachment 36768 WRIrob1.jpg]
I took several photo's of the site, and finally got the T2 assembled out of my pack. The "clear spot" I picked to try to balance the detector had a good target there.
Hey, check this out......a miniature "holy grail"!
Or actually a childs toy pewter cup.
[attachment 36769 WRIcplexCup.jpg]
Pretty cool way to begin the hunt...Not sure the age of these. Probably not colonial, but still very cool & before the "War of Southern Aggression" I'm sure. I found a tea cup style one of these at another hole 2 years ago....
I hunted out toward the cart road & away from the house foundation & got a nice solid reading. It was a thrill to see a large cent sized disc flip out of the plug!
Unfortunately it was clear it was worn down.....it's the early Draped Bust type cent (late 1700's?). You can see this is the wreath side if ya look close. But, I can't get a date off it yet....
I've started a peroxide attempt. This is gunna need a miracle cleaning to see a date. But, still cool to find.......
[attachment 36772 WRIfinds.jpg]
Here's the "big penny" alongside some other of both of our finds from the site. Buttons-2 fancy 1830-40 style 1 pieces, the cup, and a much later snap-thingy.....
We ate lunch & decided to move on in search of more sites....we hadn't even hunted around 2 of the barns yet, so we are not done detecting.......not even close.
Again, it seemed like we made another wise decision. After spotting a gate opening in a nice stone wall on the way back to the car. A little scouting around and we were amazed to then walk right into a stone chimney still standing tall among the pines!
[attachment 36773 WRIchimney.jpg]
Can you see it hiding in there? Yea we almost walked right by it....
but, we'll call that house site # 18
Though certainly not a colonial construction.....it still looked like a fine place to come back to again. We really need a full day of hunting out here.....
The mill could prove interesting as well.
Thanks for comin' along again, & I'll let ya know how my cleaning of the early large cent goes......
HH,
Bill
Maybe you should move to a bigger State! HH, Mike
