For the experienced researcher....

[Ism]

With available plat maps only dating back to the 1870's, how would one go about finding homesteads in fields that existed before the plat maps were created?
I look for rises, sat map anomalies, plow arounds, and tree clusters. But its hit and miss. I see a lot of pre 1870 field finds (particularly in my state of Michigan) by members here and was wondering if their success is attributed to available info that I am unaware of.

 

[scubadetector]

I am in Michigan also and hit some of the back roads. The main problem with plow arounds is they are FULL of weeds, scrub trees, wild grape vines and almost impossible to hunt. The coins in the fields have been killed by plowing and fertilizer and are VERY VERY scarce!!!

I don't know where you live in Michigan but one of the ways to find things out is to ask the farmers you talk to when you ask permission to hunt the plow arounds. On my great grandfathers farm near Croswell for example my great grandfather built the house in 1852. they had a barn raising party in 1873. The home is still there BUT the home that was on another part of the property that my grandfather had is gone along with that barn. Only part of the grainery still survived.

The person that lives across the street from the farm I grew up with. His great grandfather died in my great grandfathers home because there was no way during the winter they could get to a hospital on horse and buggy. The history of some of these old places is fantastic and if your lucky , you will meet someone in a farmhouse that knows the whole history of the place.

The only thing I have ever found on my great grandfathers 160 acres is a sleigh bell and I would love to think its his. We have pictures of a buggy he had with a lot of bells on it.

So ask farmers. Most I have found are GREAT to talk to!!

Good luck!!

 

[Critterhunter]

Here's how I do it sometimes, combing both my favorite hobbies of RC electric planes (with onboard cameras) and metal detecting, and it's much more useful/deadly than Google Maps in certain ways...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0vjN-ilbM8

 

[Ism]

Critter, I should have said "farm" fields. I like searching plowed farm fields in early spring and fall. I have found homesteads on 1870 plat maps but would like to find relics and coins predating that era. I have seen numerous posts of finds in my area (Michigan) that predate the 1850's and didn't know if there was historical info that I have been unable to locate of if its just random luck. I had random luck this spring and chose a field near an old church. I found 4 LC's dating as early as 1823 and over 30 flat buttons. I have better map info than my local library and TWP hall so investigating them was no help.

Scuba, I have found the same jungle in the plow around but like to search the exterior. My thought are fields along main roads having the best chance of an undocumented homestead. These roads existed long before the secondary's. While I hate the road noise and attention (people honking as they drive by), Thats where I guess the most likely sites would be. Its very flat in my area so I look for a lone rise in the field as I have found my relics in those locations.

I'm just looking to improve my odds.
Thanks for the replies, every little bit helps.

 

[Critterhunter]

One way to find old homesteads not on plat maps in plowed fields, is to wait for a rain, and then after that rain a sunny day. Walk the field when the sun is rising and so at a steep angle. That's whey the sunlight will reflect off shiney objects the best, indicating areas of pottery shards or old glass. The rain is needed after the plowing to wash the dirt/mud off exposed surface items.

I've got a large crop field where I goose hunt, and in the middle of this field I've noticed old brick parts and pottery shards. I've been meaning to ask if I can metal detect that field but haven't as of yet.

The quantity of coins in plowed fields or even woods hunting is far and few between, but I find in woods hunting (haven't really hunted crop fields yet) the quality of the coins is far above what one would expect.

 

[fowlercharles]

Hi Ism, That is some great stuff Critterhunter has going on, and a really great tool for getting some "rat- now" update info on potential hunt sites. Aerial is great and I use it all the time. One advantage of aerials is having different sites showing different time periods and seasons.Flood period aerials give a really good idea of where folks camped and waited for low water in order to make their ferry crossings. ALSO, I would suggest you go to the BLO/General Land Records site. I just did a random on Michigan and found that you can pull up Patents with Legal Land Descriptions/acerage/etc from the 1830's 40's /whenever.The Land Descriptions will give you some "Idea"of where those owners may have choose to live due to the geographical (use a TOPO)features of the location.I have seen some descriptions that even specify it being a homestead. OK, now go and check out the Surveys (Original) by the County, and they go back as far as 1828-30. On some few rare ones the Surveyor will have drawn in particular geographical features/landmarks and other particular noticable features. Some will have houses,with trees(old oaks?) fields etc.Likely "near" their original location. I saw one in my area that had an "Indian village"drawn in on it., All that gets you back farther than 1870's and is a bit more to help with a hint of somewhere to dig some goodies.Every little bit helps with your overall understanding when it comes time to do the footwork.. HH, Charlie

 

[Ism]

Thanks Charlie, thats good info. Critter, I heard of using the reflective method for nugget hunting in the west but didn't think of using it in that manner...great idea.

 

[togamac]

The quantity of coins in plowed fields or even woods hunting is far and few between, but I find in woods hunting (haven't really hunted crop fields yet) the quality of the coins is far above what one would expect.

I hear you Critter. I've only been in the game this time around for two years and done most of my fishing on nearby sports fields and such. The fish are good for pan frying but tnere aren't any lunkers in these places like you'd find out in the woods or fields (although I do get the occassional ring).

 

[Tin Fin]

Ism,

Another possibility for you, and this might take some time, but it has worked for me to some extent; go to any of the local fairs, Lutheran Memorial fairs, or religious fairs that have any kind of historic bent to them. They can be just local fairs, but a lot of the religiously oriented fairs that are also historically oriented might have what you are looking for. And that item you are looking for is any book that has the local history - this can include maps, plats of a family land as opposed to a county plat, as well as historical photos. Now, I know the photos came generally after the time you are looking for, but any photo from the 1860's on, that has original buildings on it, can be of great help. Once you find any of those kinds of books, start talking with the author - they are often the ones selling the books at the fair - and they often have family roots in the area. The photos might be from the 1960's but buildings in the photos can be from the 1850's or even before. In talking with the author, you can find a resource for who they spoke to about the photos that are in the book.

I did just exactly this, went to a farmers place the I knew about, and was stunned to see not just the house in the photo, but a barn from the 1820' or '30's that was in the photo, and still standing. This was just a couple years ago.

This is networking - it can be a slow process, but it can be very productive as well. I purchased two books this way; and a magnifying glass comes in handy when looking at some of these photos. When speaking with the locals about these areas, you can show them the photos that they provided for the book sometimes, and ask them to point to that part of their property.

These families often have hand drawn maps of crops/crop-rotations, building locations, etc. Not always drawn to scale, but still pretty useful if you do a bit of by-guess-and-by-golly. It's a great way to meet people, and that you are interested in the history often will open the door to much more information.

I recently found out about someone that I know, but I didn't know they did a lot of research on some of my ancestor history. I stopped by there last Saturday to speak to this person. She let me take home an entire folder of information that she dug up, and it has some of my family history that goes back to 1793, and them moving into this state, the location of their house, how many buildings there were, very close descriptions of where some of those buildings were, etc. I have known these people for nigh on 30 years and didn't know they had that much information about my family history.

Something to consider. Good luck and HH,

Tim

 

[Ism]

These are the kinds of informative posts that I have been looking for.
Very good info!
Thanks much Tim.

 

["Dr.Tones"]

What's a plow around?

 

[Tin Fin]

A section of field that is plowed around - like thick forest in part of an otherwise corn field, or such.

 

["Dr.Tones"]

Cool. Thanks.