Potential MD'ing site: what operation was this? Any guesses?

TriadHunter · Dec 15, 2016

I came across this former operation in the woods and I'm thinking about detecting it/around it. Surrounding the structure are lots of trees, many of which appear to be deliberately planted in rows for future harvesting. That leads me to believe this is possibly an old lumber drying facility. But I really have no idea.

Any thoughts? :?:

pan4au · Dec 15, 2016

not sure... possibly a tobacco drying barn..

TriadHunter · Dec 15, 2016

pan4au said:
not sure... possibly a tobacco drying barn..

I think you nailed it! We are recent transplants here and still getting used to the tobacco plants all around us. What you suggest makes a lot of sense.

Thanks!

Now I just need to figure out if it's worth a hunt or not. My initial swings around the barn resulted in typical "trashy" signals, similar to an old house site. Iron signals everywhere. Even in coins mode the signals in the 80's all turn out to be parts of old cans. Plus I know this place had power to it at one point, so it can't be that old. Hmmm....

hawgdawg · Dec 16, 2016

With the poles running across the inside makes it a good possibility. I've got family ties to the Beaufort / Pitt county area. If you're into wood working at all. I'd grab some of the lumber in the building if you're allowed to. Plane and sand down the wood and put a natural finish on it will make some nice crafts , shelves , tables. My dad did this and it was a beautiful amber colored wood.
Back to detecting, you'll probably find some farm plows , discs , mower spikes etc. But I'd love to hunt there myself. Good luck and post up some pics.

pan4au · Dec 16, 2016

you never know what you my find there .. maybe a few old coins... some CW relics.. there's no telling what may have been there before the barn.. you may even uncover an arrowhead when digging .. I've done that once here in W. Tn

TriadHunter · Dec 16, 2016

Thanks guys! Great ideas. :cool:

khouse · Dec 16, 2016

If you find the old house site cellar hole you'll be more apt to have better finds there..

Tom_in_CA · Dec 17, 2016

TriadHunter said:
....Now I just need to figure out if it's worth a hunt or not. ...

khouse said:
If you find the old house site cellar hole you'll be more apt to have better finds there..

Triad-hunter, not to be a kill-joy, but khouse is right: You're better off where people ate, slept, lived, etc.... NOT where they "worked" .

That's not to say that a coin couldn't be lost at a commercial working location. But you're always better off at places where they actually lived. And/or where money exchanged hands (stage stops, saloons, trading posts, etc...) where they slept, where they recreated (parks, camps, swim holes, etc...).

And the places doesn't look that old (ie.; not CW era etc...). Not sure about your state, but if I were to see that type construction here in CA, I'd date it to the turn-of-century at the oldest.

TriadHunter · Dec 17, 2016

Tom_in_CA said:
Triad-hunter, not to be a kill-joy, but khouse is right: You're better off where people ate, slept, lived, etc.... NOT where they "worked" .

That's not to say that a coin couldn't be lost at a commercial working location. But you're always better off at places where they actually lived. And/or where money exchanged hands (stage stops, saloons, trading posts, etc...) where they slept, where they recreated (parks, camps, swim holes, etc...).

And the places doesn't look that old (ie.; not CW era etc...). Not sure about your state, but if I were to see that type construction here in CA, I'd date it to the turn-of-century at the oldest.

It's all good. I agree. I may swing around and do some sampling, but I am not going to commit a day unless I start getting solid hits.

Funny enough, I found my only barber and 3 IHPs in an old work site. But the general rule is exactly as you mentioned. :cool:

Big Treble · Dec 17, 2016

Should be a house site there I would guess. I don't think that would have been a commercial operation, looks like more of a family farm size.

The Amish around here have bigger tobacco drying barns around here, and it's still cut, tied and hung by hand still today.

pan4au · Dec 18, 2016

TriadHunter said:
It's all good. I agree. I may swing around and do some sampling, but I am not going to commit a day unless I start getting solid hits.

Funny enough, I found my only barber and 3 IHPs in an old work site. But the general rule is exactly as you mentioned.

at work site.. ppl take lunch breaks.. sit underneath trees... coins fall out of there pockets... search around any large trees close by.

SAH50 · Dec 25, 2016

It is a tobacco barn and the poles running threw it are called tier poles. Based on the pictures, I'm sure it is old enough to have some silver coinage. I don't get excited about tobacco barns because in rural NC at one time I would say tobacco barns to houses was 6 to 1, or more. With that said, don't be surprised if there is not a house site around, these barns were literally everywhere, we have 200 acres that had 8 on it that I remember, and they burned down frequently as well. If you do detect it, start with the inside dirt floor. People climbed the tier poles and hung tobacco sticks across them. They were often upside down and climbing around, which led to falling. They could have dropped coins. Oh and yes you will find tons of iron all around.

Potential MD'ing site: what operation was this? Any guesses?

TriadHunter

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pan4au

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hawgdawg

pan4au

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Big Treble

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