The Value of Old Maps in Relic Hunting

[Canewrap]

I'm starting to really, really realize that without old maps the accounts we read and then try to locate are almost next to impossible. I was convinced that the new road in an area we're searching follows the old road pretty closely, based on some hand-drawn maps of the period. Wrong! I was getting permission from a landowner in the target area and found out that the old road ran behind his house and looped back to the area of the new road, crossed and ran parallel on the other side. Without his help or a more accurate period map, I might never have known this. Its hard to see the old road from the new one. Now, I feel like I'm truly hunting for needle in a haystack with the skirmish area I'm trying to locate. That also tells me that unless you have a professionally surveyed map, you better have more than one source.

 

[ihuntrelics!]

n/t

 

[Canewrap]

Ah, but that is extremely difficult here as in most of the road is in the trees.

 

[ihuntrelics!]

off the trees(unless all evergreen) and can see somewhat through to see these old roadbeds but sometimes not. I use some liveview maps and now is the perfect time to use them. Sometimes I will just walk the land when it is too thick to see from above and start on a part of the old road bed and try to walk it out as far as possible. Sometimes the roadbed sticks out clearly, sometimes it's only noticeable by a fence row or tree line that was following it. Sometimes the old roadbed is dug into the ground and sometimes it's sorta raised up and more noticeable. I have used this technique to find old R.R. beds and when you follow it into pasture or farmland it is blended in by the constant traffic of livestock and plowing of fields. That's when it gets really tough for me. I hope this helps you some. Have you ever read the Dave Poche books on finding CW campsites? It has some tips in it for finding old roads and such and also by using old county maps and plat maps.
good luck,
Scott

 

[Canewrap]

"Have you ever read the Dave Poche books on finding CW campsites?"

Yep, have the CD rilght in front of me as I type this and I'm using his techniques to try and puzzle this out.

 

[ksdigger]

Your exactly right...I personally acquire different time period maps to see the subtle changes over the years. The feeling your getting, "trying to find a needle in a haystack" is what all serious relic hunters experience at one time or another. But once found, you've got something that no one else took the time to do and to me...that is great satisfaction!