Hunt for late 19th century village

Knottyoak

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Location
SE Missouri
I have been researching the site of a small village that existed for around 15 years in the late 1800s. Upshot is, so far I haven’t found a confirmed site thru research yet. I’ve some familiarity with the area and know of no foundations or other visual evidence, but that is far from certain. Been using topo maps, google earth, water availability, and such to make the best reckoning I can. Secured permission to hunt 700 acres, and last Sat the weather was great, so the hunt was on. Found these things: square nails, pieces of iron, a modern .30-06 shell casing, and a shield nickel. Don’t know if I’m on the village site for sure, but it was sure nice finding my first old coin. Wasn’t sure of the ID until I posted it on the “help ID your finds” forum, and got confirmation from several of our helpful members.
 

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Congrats on the Shield and all the rest. I've been in this hobby now 10 yards and a Shield Nickle is still on the wish list. Hope you can go back and find a lot more. Trapper
 
Congrats on the shield nickel. Just an idea to throw out to you. If you know anybody with a drone that has infrared you can fly over the area at night large metal objects will show off heat even though their in the ground. If you know somebody with this you might be able to attempt to use it to help find the village.

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Congrats on the Shield and all the rest. I've been in this hobby now 10 yards and a Shield Nickle is still on the wish list. Hope you can go back and find a lot more. Trapper

I hope to. According to the local historical society, this village had about 30 homes, 2 saloons, a dance hall, general store, and a post office. There should be a lot to find, if I can find it.
 
Congrats on the shield nickel. Just an idea to throw out to you. If you know anybody with a drone that has infrared you can fly over the area at night large metal objects will show off heat even though they're in the ground. If you know somebody with this you might be able to attempt to use it to help find the village.

That's an interesting idea. I don't know anyone with that capability, but maybe someone I know knows someone who does. I'll ask around. Thanks for the idea.
I'd like to go to the courthouse and browse thru the old platt maps, but they're never open when I'm off work, and I know some of their records were destroyed by fire years ago, so the records I need may not exist.
 
You may check with the historical society, there may be old postal route maps. I've seen some as old as 1900. Also check any genealogy groups in your county and surrounding counties. Do you know the name of this village, finding the shield nickel and square nails you may be close. Best of luck and happy hunting, Jerry
 
Fun permission! If you're covering 700 acres to find just a handful of homes, keep your discrimination turned off so you can hear the iron -- spots that get concentrated in those lovely little square nails can tell you that you are close. Dig one up now and then to make sure they are still older nails vs. modern nails from unrelated projects/structures. LIDR can also help identify depressions and cellar holes, but is a tool that I haven't been able to figure out on my own yet.
 
I hope to. According to the local historical society, this village had about 30 homes, 2 saloons, a dance hall, general store, and a post office. There should be a lot to find, if I can find it.

This can be a much greater project if you document finds and work with the local historical society with information.

Guessing you have a map or aerial of the area. Grid it out for reference of where you find things including old iron/steel objects. A picture should emerge that can help lead you to more finds and help the historical society get a better view of this village.
 
This can be a much greater project if you document finds and work with the local historical society with information.

Guessing you have a map or aerial of the area. Grid it out for reference of where you find things including old iron/steel objects. A picture should emerge that can help lead you to more finds and help the historical society get a better view of this village.

I'm keeping field notes w/ little hand drawn maps to keep track of what I find and where, and then pin-point those places on google earth when I get home. I'm going to get a usgs topo map of the area to hang on the wall and do the same, so I'll have a big visual reference.
 
I'm keeping field notes w/ little hand drawn maps to keep track of what I find and where, and then pin-point those places on google earth when I get home. I'm going to get a usgs topo map of the area to hang on the wall and do the same, so I'll have a big visual reference.

Sounds great and should add fun the this site.
Would like to see the map as you fill in finds. You'll just need to obscure any map info that would pin point the location.

Also would like to hear how you and the historical society interact with info.
 
Sounds great and should add fun the this site.
Would like to see the map as you fill in finds. You'll just need to obscure any map info that would pin point the location.

Also would like to hear how you and the historical society interact with info.

I'll be glad to show the map, soon as I have one. Today I began to think of drawing a large home-made map to hang on the wall. Give me something to do when the weather is too bad to go out.

As for the historical society, the information I have is from a book they published in the 80's, I'm not sure whether it's still an active historical society. If it is I may join.

Today, the property owner shared rumors he heard growing up as to the location that agree with my guess as to where it would likely be, and I was lucky enough to find artifacts on the first hunt, so I'm feeling confident right now.
 
Hit that site this morning for a couple of hours, until the rain turned to sleet and the wind picked up. Spent about half that time finding a spring the property owner had forgotten the location of. (That should make my karmameter needle jump a little.) Did manage to find a wrench and a few other odds and ends that make me think I may be on the right spot.
Spent the afternoon working on a map of the area I'm searching. I'm no cartographer, but it should suffice when it's done. It'll show an 800yd x 800yd area w/100yd grid lines. I've got the creek plotted and that's about it for now. What with all the snow we got this afternoon, I'm sure I'll have all day tomorrow to work on it.
 

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Update

Covered some more area the past two weekends, been finding a lot of iron in the form of square nails, broken cast iron cookware, and odd bits & pieces. The only datable find is a "JUSTRITE" carbide miners lamp, with a 1913 patent date stamped on it. Thought I had something yesterday until I got it cleaned up a little, it's a brass ring that I assume decorated the handle of a tool or utensil at one time.
The map is coming along, still incomplete and rife with artistic errors, but fairly accurate from the cartographic standpoint. I'm beginning to plot the areas rich w/iron targets.skr 020219 brass ring.2.jpg

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My thrice-worthy wife went out with me today, she got so into it I thought I was going to have to wrassle her to get my detector back.
 
Map looks great and seems the finds are within the old clearing.
Some nice finds so far. A nice buckle and what I think is a handle (I have a couple of these) and then the lamp.
 
Map looks great and seems the finds are within the old clearing.
Some nice finds so far. A nice buckle and what I think is a handle (I have a couple of these) and then the lamp.

Thanks, I appreciate your interest in this. I'm having more fun with this project than anything I've done for a while.
The lamp, buckle, handle, and porcelain fragment were all together, along with a couple of round nails.
Yesterday, my thrice-worthy wife and I hunted in the pasture, starting 400 yd S of the overgrown clearing, W of the creek, and worked roughly NE. It started slow, but we hit paydirt in the form of square nails after 50 yd or so. We only covered a narrow strip maybe 100 yd long, that area has a lot of iron also.
 
update

I've had little time for hunting lately, due to bad weather and other obligations, but a few hours every weekend add up to a little progress filling in areas with a lot of square nails. I got more of the map features plotted, fences, gates, and trails, I'll finish those as I'm able. The topographic lines were time consuming, but they sure give a person a good idea of the lay of the land. I'm going to spend most of this afternoon on the site, we'll see how that turns out.
 

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