anyone find good locations with historic aerials?

[maxxkatt]

I am in north Atlanta area and have been researching old home sites using Historic Aerials. I have been successful at finding old home sites where the home is gone but the area is now in a public or semi-public area.

Can some of you guys and gals who have used this research tool share some of your finds? Depths of the finds?

 

[Oldsjunkie]

It's a great tool for researching spots for sure. Torn down homes vary as far as successful finds go, at least for me. YMMV. I've worked a local public school this year and found using historicaerials.com that there were 6 homes torn down in the late 60s on the property. One of the lots produced about $15 in clad, a merc, a silver washington, several old toys and three silver rings total. This lot was on the corner across from the school and has been used by the kids to play on since the house was torn down. The trash isn't too terrible on this lot. Two of the other houses on the property were side by side near the football field and I haven't pulled anything from there but a little clad and a metric s**t ton of nails and scrap. I've put these two on the "if I run out of spots" list. I used historicaerials this afternoon to check out an old park I haven't been to yet since it's in a rough part of town which puts it down on the lower end of my "to hunt" list. Decided to get there tomorrow at sunrise and after looking at the aerials see that there were four baseball diamonds that were there before the earliest aerial in 1946 and disappeared by about 1992. That will be my spot for tomorrow and if it's anything like most old diamonds I've been on I expect a pile of wheat and some shiny stuff Good luck and HH!

 

[maxxkatt]

historic aerials

I have the same problem with 12 schools that were built in 1911-1912 and now closed. But they are on the wrong side of the tracks and I would not likely get out of there with my metal detector, wallet or life. Sad to say, but inner city areas are too risky. I could carry, but why go into a known risky situation and cause a lot of trouble.

 

[Ice Scratcher]

but why go into a known risky situation and cause a lot of trouble.

Because this is the land of the free and home of the brave... I would hunt it and carry, if someone is brave enough to screw with you, set them free..

Lick a shot !!!!! !

<°)))>{

 

[GKL]

I have the same problem with 12 schools that were built in 1911-1912 and now closed. But they are on the wrong side of the tracks and I would not likely get out of there with my metal detector, wallet or life. Sad to say, but inner city areas are too risky. I could carry, but why go into a known risky situation and cause a lot of trouble.

IF you did decide to hunt there I would try to have 4 or more other people along, even if they are not into detecting themselves, tell them you'll buy everyone lunch later !

(and wear reflective safety vests, they might think you are city workers)

 

[maxxkatt]

I also have a park in the "rough side of town". I get up and hit it at 7:30 am and the residents in that area are all asleep.

 

[Dewsweeper894]

I have , unfortunately the was spotted and though a great guy but I am forced to share it . He is a grid searcher and swings a big stick. By drive by it looks like a newer ball field and with much older more attractive sites very close that kept the old timers busy . I spotted on the old maps side of the historic Arials and felt it had potential based on the old neighborhood on one side sure enough . Not teribly old but plenty of Mercs and even a good handful of washingtons and yes I started pulling wheaties scattered and found pockets of silver . Figure I have about 25 out of there and is still producing 1 for every hour or two I stop and swing . No clue by the map what the open space was years ago.

 

[Cherokee747]

Had good results with it here in Oklahoma

 

[Walknstik]

Before the internet...

back in the late 60's I had a childhood friend whose father was a crop-duster here in SE Texas. He and his wife were bottle-hunters and he would spot possible sites to search while dusting crops in his plane. It worked cause their garage was always full of old bottles. Ha! Lots of clues can be spotted from the air that can't be easily seen at ground level...best of luck to you and HH!

 

[IDXMonster]

Get that shirt that says..."Due to the high cost of ammunition there will be no warning shot..."

 

[Lucky828]

Hunt early and be aware of your surroundings. Not a good day to have both earpieces on. And carry your side arm like you do your Sampson. Just another tool with a job to do. If you start to get to much attention, come back another time.

 

[maxxkatt]

I also have a park in the "rough side of town". I get up and hit it at 7:30 am and the residents in that area are all asleep.

you are so right about that. do you find an bling?

 

[maxxkatt]

I have , unfortunately the was spotted and though a great guy but I am forced to share it . He is a grid searcher and swings a big stick. By drive by it looks like a newer ball field and with much older more attractive sites very close that kept the old timers busy . I spotted on the old maps side of the historic Arials and felt it had potential based on the old neighborhood on one side sure enough . Not teribly old but plenty of Mercs and even a good handful of washingtons and yes I started pulling wheaties scattered and found pockets of silver . Figure I have about 25 out of there and is still producing 1 for every hour or two I stop and swing . No clue by the map what the open space was years ago.

did you look at old aerial photos and topo maps to see if you could tell what was there? Just curious. but the bottom line it is producing for you. Great!

 

[Dewsweeper894]

did you look at old aerial photos and topo maps to see if you could tell what was there? Just curious. but the bottom line it is producing for you. Great!

I'm guessing it held at least 50 silvers for me very possibly more and I attracted attention and was joined almost emediatly by another hunter shooting clad in a school yard just adjacent that was newer. ,
Historic aerials is very handy!
There is more to this location and if you PM me I'll fill you in on something special. , Dew.

 

[TriadHunter]

I used the tool to view the grounds of a church permission I obtained. The pastor of the church gave me permission to hunt a certain area (large ball field). Using the aerial maps, I was able to confirm the ball field was there as far back as the photos went (1951 I think?). So I figured I had a chance of silver. I have yet to find any silver, but I have found a silver ring, $9 or so in clad, and a wheatie in 3 hunts. Not sure if that was what you were asking in your post, but maybe this helps you a bit. The maps seem to work.

 

[Porsche914]

I have used it numerous times to determine where original or old houses were located on now vacant land. I use the slide feature and load the newest map with the topos on the other side. Slide back and fourth and pinpoint your spot.

The success I've had includes finding the exact location of an old farm house by triangulating with other landmarks in the area. I pulled some silver as well as a few relics on this one.

Another time I was able to determine where the entrance to an old ballfield was located. It was loaded with coins from the 40's and 50's.

Most recently I was given permission to hunt 100 acre homestead from the Oklahoma Land run. The owner knows there were two houses on it but did not know where. The topo map from 1908 shows it exactly. I will be hunting it when the weather gets better.

I also have used the maps to determine the setback line on vacant lots.

 

[Cherry Picker]

In the late 1800's to the 1920's there was an old cycle track around dodge but no one knew for sure where. It was where the world famous Dodge City Classic 500 for many years. People came from all over the world to race at this 2 mile flat track. After years of researching old news papers I found it with the help of Google Earth.

After I found the location by more research I was able to pinpoint where the grandstands were located. Obtained permission and we hunted it for several seasons, but only when the farmer was planting. It was a wide open field now. A few years later the farmer lost his marbles and forgot he had ever given us permission and kicked us off.

In that short time we did hunt it was nothing short of amazing. We developed hand signals to tell each other when we had found a barber, Indian V-nickel etc. All them goods still lay in that field getting plowed over every year.

Here is an aerial view showing the 2 mile oval.

Here is a 1938 aerial I found doing my research taken by an airplane going over. I userd the image overlay on the Google Earth image to pinpoint were to search. In 1938 you could still see some of the original track outline.

Here is a picture of the Grandstands full of people dropping goodies LOL.

Some of my finds from the track. My favorite is the "Laughing Indian" silver pin in the middle. It was always a race between Indian Motorcycles and Harley Davidson. This was a pin wore by one of the Indian racers. Stamped in the back is Indian Motorcycles.