Asking advice about doing research

LazarusLong714

Full Member
Joined
Jun 17, 2024
Messages
138
Location
Lorain County, Ohio.
Good morning everyone. As titled, I am asking for advice or maybe more correctly, how to do the research on a chunk of land. This is my first year of MDing in the actual dry dirt. I have zero experience of looking up or researching history of land or properties. Don't even have a clue where to start.

Locally, I have found a couple of "parks" and "tot lots" that I can go to, but I would rather find other places to hit up. I know a guy that has about 20 acres of farm field that I have asked to detect, once the crops are off, and i have gotten permission to do so. I am out in "the country" so to speak, but I am not FROM the country, so I don't know all of the farmers... didn't go to school with any of them, aren't related to any of them by blood or marriage. I don't know the old stories about the land and I don't know who to ask. I WOULD like to detect some fields around me.

I have PM'd a couple of members here who also live in the state I am in and they have had what sounds like significant luck in some farm fields closer to their actual locations, but I know that is dependent on what HAPPENED in that field in the past. For them, Civil War buttons have been found because troops have camped in those fields at some point. Ohio Forces either on the way to the fighting or on the way home. I know that I could spend the rest of my life detecting on fields and find absolutely nothing if there is nothing to find, so the question is, how do I look into the history of any specific chunk of land?

Once the field is cleared and I start spending time on it (the one farm I have permission for) I would like to be able to selectively approach other farmers in the area and ask permission to hunt on THEIR fields, tool. But not indiscriminately.... hopefully fields that have some documented history.

I am familiar with the fact that the new super highways we have are generally NOT following old roads... it is the old roads I am looking for, and I have those near me. I know that fields were at one point forests and around here, many treed areas were once fields. 50 years of untended growth can make a spot look like it was never cleared of trees. I have seen that happen in my lifetime to a property a friend's family owned when I was young. Still amazes me when I drive by it and recall riding his horses in some of the space you would have a hard time walking through.

Thanks for reading and hopefully pointing me in the right direction to get started.

Lazarus
 
It's not rocket science. Find an old farm, get permission to detect and hunt the land surrounding that farm. It seems most times the closer you get to the house/barn/shed the more trash and buried garbage you will find but move out >50 yards and you start finding buttons, crotal bells and older coins. You can spend time researching if you want but I hunts farms a lot and just use my head looking for places farmers might have rested and traveled on that farm. We have some naysayers on this site who say don't randomly detect farm fields but I disagree.

Steve
 
You don't just hunt "any farm field". Maybe in Europe that might work, since their field have 2000 yrs. of continuous cultivation & civilization. But in the USA, it is a waste of time just to go to any field. You have to know that something went on there. Eg.: a stage stop. Or a cellar hole (habitation). Or a defunct park/campground used to be there. Etc.....
 
My very limited experience from Wisconsin would be that the farmer usually knows something about the history of the farm. Things like there used to be a building over there or there is an abandoned well pump over there. Farms in this area used to be 40 acres or smaller, so lots of sites possible in what is now a 200 acre field. Get the permission, talk about the history, and get out detecting. If you are not hitting anything, move on a bit. If you start to hit 'stuff' and maybe even can see items on top of the soil, then slow down and see what you find.
 
Talk to the older people in town. Try to find old maps, read up on local history. Where I live a lot of the large farm fields where once smaller fields bounded by stone walls that where removed to make larger fields more suitable for modern farm machines. Good luck!
 
Farm fields are where I like hunting the most. Don't just use old maps for finding places to hunt, because everything is not listed on them. Look for any slight rise in the field, then look for bricks, pottery or glass. Asking a farmer where a place might of been in the field sometimes helps but most of the times they don't know. There were some places they had a camp for the civil war for training. Most of the civil war relics that are found in Ohio were from soldiers that had returned home from the battle.
 
OK, you need to take it from the top (and get up to speed on local history). You can check out the antique topographic maps archived with the USGS and available online for FREE!!! These can go back to the 1880s and will tell you some of what was extant at that time. Schools are generally depicted. There have been several vintages of USGS topos through the years. Look into what Sanford insurance maps were available in your areas of interest. These should help in the early 20th Century. For the Civil War era try researching the history of the sundry Ohio military units, particularly those raised from your areas of interest. Local historical societies and libraries (with collections of era newspapers) may have information. Kentucky was just across the river and they had raiders with designs on Ohio. John Hunt Morgan leaps to mind as a Confederate raider. I think you can find biographies available. I think Ohio was also a bone of contention with the French before the American Revolution. More history to research. Read history! Aerial photography will show some of the evolution of commerce and habitation prior to the inundation of clad coinage after the mid century. You might even get lucky and find the odd large cent to further outrage Tom in CA's tender sensibilities. Ohio was the 17th State admitted into the Union (1803). What towns were there at that time. Clement Vallandigham was an interesting personage (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clement_Vallandigham).
 
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I'm in western PA so not too far from you. Yes, you could spend a lifetime in a field and not find much. I hunt random fields and woods all the time. I'm looking for early colonial sites and I have learned maps are only going to get you so far, and often times nowhere near the oldest of sites.

Here is the approach I take when hunting random fields/woods, let's say the area is 10 acres for example. Typically, the targets in colonial sites/camps are going to be concentrated in an area no bigger than maybe 250 sq ft. I think 10 acres is a little under half a million sq ft, so it seems like the odds are against you. I'll start with working an open grid. So instead of griding a small area and overlapping my swing to hit every square inch, I will detect in a large grid pattern in rows about 8 feet apart. At this point I'm not paying attention to overlapping my swing, I'm trying to locate the area that has a concentration of targets quickly. As I am working the large open grid, I'll dig every target I come across. This will give me an idea of the age of activity the area might have seen. If I do come across a concentration of targets, I will slow down, start a tight grid, and dig all non-ferrous targets. If I don't find a concentration of targets when I do the open grid, I'll call it done and move on.
 
You don't just hunt "any farm field". Maybe in Europe that might work, since their field have 2000 yrs. of continuous cultivation & civilization. But in the USA, it is a waste of time just to go to any field. You have to know that something went on there. Eg.: a stage stop. Or a cellar hole (habitation). Or a defunct park/campground used to be there. Etc.....

Tom - I agree and disagree. Agreed, we are looking for places with activity/habitation. I disagree that hunting random fields/woods is a waste of time in the USA. Maybe on the west coast but not east of the Mississippi. Hunting random fields/woods is how you find places with the oldest activity on the east coast. These sites are not on maps.

I started doing this exact thing about 2 years ago, hunting random fields/woods. I have found more colonial relics and coins in the last 2 years then in the previous 13 years combined. For 13 years I studied maps and hit every cellar hole I could find and get permission to. Sure, I found a lot of Indian cents, countless wheat cents, merc dimes, and early/mid 1800 LC's, but not exactly the colonial stuff I was after.

The last cellar hole I went to is on a map from 1856. I hunted this location many times and the only coin I found there was an 1823 LC (poor me, right?). Anyways, I figured someone got to this site before me so I need to move on. When I left that cellar hole I decided to take a detour through a field on my way out. The field is about 1/4 mile from the cellar hole. As I was zigzagging across this field I got a great hit and dug a 1794 Liberty Cap cent (yay!). Needless to say I hit every square inch within fifty feet of that coin and found a couple of musket balls and tombac buttons, there was some iron in there as well. So, I knew this was a spot with old activity. I came back the following weekend and started doing a large open grid as I explained in my reply to the OP. A couple of hours into this open grid I found an area with a concentration of targets, it was about 150 feet or so from where the Liberty Cap was found. So far this site produced 16 coppers, 4 Reales, 2 Rev War buttons, and many relics. I went back to the 1856 map and there is nothing on it where this field is. I also looked on a LIDAR map of this field and there is no feature or sign of activity here, it simply looks exactly like the surrounding area.

I haven't been to a known/visible cellar hole since I located the spot mentioned above. I have found a few more colonial sites since by going into random fields/woods and I cannot find anything common between them. There are no cellar holes, hand dug wells, or any other visible feature at any of these sites.

In past 2 years hunting random fields/woods - 30+ Colonial coppers, 5 Spanish Reales, 100's of colonial relics (including Rev. War relics)
Previous 13 years hunting obvious cellar holes/known places of activity - 2 Colonial coppers, 1 Spanish real, and a handful of relics

What does this ^^ tell you?
 
The web site "Historic Aerials" is a very good research tool for more modern indicators. For older sites you want to look at topography, water sources & old roads.
 
These are OUTSTANDING answers. Thank you, to each of you, for your input. THIS is the type of education I am looking for, and there are such a variety of approaches to this, just in this handful of responses.

Saker, I can understand what you have explained. It is essentially a random sampling approach with more attention paid to any areas with anomalous to determine if it was just random or if there is a reason for the result. I can appreciate how you explained the gridding.

Rock Jock: I will have to dig into those resources you recommend and see if I can find any info on my area that is pertinent. That looks like a steep learning curve, but with winter coming on... something productive to do.

Erndog: Again, more resources. Gonna be a busy winter for me, I can tell. Thanks.

Buckhill: unfortunately, there isn't really a "town" or even anyplace where locals get together out here. So close to a few cities that people just make that drive, and then blend in with all the other people. Too bad, too. So much history and info is getting lost without anyone to pass it on to.

Rcornell: I didn't grow up in the area I now live in, so I don't know any of the old time families (generational farmers). Land out my way is getting bought up fairly quickly for development as most landowners don't farm it.... they lease it out to farmers and when there is a hand off of the land to a younger generation, they tend to see it as a windfall to just sell the land and pocket the money. The FARMERS on the other hand, own very little land but have FIELDS all over the place that they work. Hard to find the actual land owner sometimes, as they might not live anywhere close by.

Tom: I can see your point on this, but at this point, ANY swinging of the detector to me, is better than not swinging the detector. Maybe someone will see me out there and be more likely to say yes if I knock on their door later.

Graybeard: I like your answer, and I have been waiting for an opportunity to talk with you. I am up between Oberlin and South Amherst, only about 30-35 minutes away from New London. I'd be happy to buy you a coffee for a little conversation some day. PM me and maybe we can set something up. It would be nice to have a buddy close by.

Hope everyone has a great day. Happy Hunting.

Lazarus
 
Good morning everyone. As titled, I am asking for advice or maybe more correctly, how to do the research on a chunk of land. This is my first year of MDing in the actual dry dirt. I have zero experience of looking up or researching history of land or properties. Don't even have a clue where to start.

Locally, I have found a couple of "parks" and "tot lots" that I can go to, but I would rather find other places to hit up. I know a guy that has about 20 acres of farm field that I have asked to detect, once the crops are off, and i have gotten permission to do so. I am out in "the country" so to speak, but I am not FROM the country, so I don't know all of the farmers... didn't go to school with any of them, aren't related to any of them by blood or marriage. I don't know the old stories about the land and I don't know who to ask. I WOULD like to detect some fields around me.

I have PM'd a couple of members here who also live in the state I am in and they have had what sounds like significant luck in some farm fields closer to their actual locations, but I know that is dependent on what HAPPENED in that field in the past. For them, Civil War buttons have been found because troops have camped in those fields at some point. Ohio Forces either on the way to the fighting or on the way home. I know that I could spend the rest of my life detecting on fields and find absolutely nothing if there is nothing to find, so the question is, how do I look into the history of any specific chunk of land?

Once the field is cleared and I start spending time on it (the one farm I have permission for) I would like to be able to selectively approach other farmers in the area and ask permission to hunt on THEIR fields, tool. But not indiscriminately.... hopefully fields that have some documented history.

I am familiar with the fact that the new super highways we have are generally NOT following old roads... it is the old roads I am looking for, and I have those near me. I know that fields were at one point forests and around here, many treed areas were once fields. 50 years of untended growth can make a spot look like it was never cleared of trees. I have seen that happen in my lifetime to a property a friend's family owned when I was young. Still amazes me when I drive by it and recall riding his horses in some of the space you would have a hard time walking through.

Thanks for reading and hopefully pointing me in the right direction to get started.

Lazarus
Build on your reputation with the one farm you will be hunting. Cover all holes, show the owner your finds, in short just be a good detectorists. When you ask for other nearby farm permissions, refer to the name of your current farm permission owner's name. EG, Mr. Willliams gave me permission to hunt his farm recently and I found such and such items.
 
Maxxkatt, that is solid advice right there! It helps that I know this guy from church. Recently our church had a youth group campout. I always give presentation and this year I seeded a bunch of wheat pennies so each child could find one with my detector. The camp out was at this guy's farm and he complimented me after it was over and that is when I asked him. I would have no problem dropping his name in further asks. Good catch, thanks for that.

Lazarus.
 
I am originally from Springfield, OH. My dad worked as a civilian at Wright Patterson AFB. When they broke it up and move units to other AFB so it would not be one big fat nuclear target, he got transferred to Robins AFB in Warner Robins, GA. We lived in Perry, 15 miles south. I was in the 2nd grade. so I was a yankee living in the deep south in the 50's. Got teased a lot about being a yankee. I tried explaining that the North won the Civil War, but that didn't set to well with my classmates whose parents were still fighting the Civil War in their minds.

Of course now I live in Atlanta and nobody from metro Atlanta can get farm permissions between Atlanta and Chattanooga unless related or good friends. The rural people are very, very suspicious of anyone from Atlanta due to Atlanta's high crime rate and drug activity. You cannot blame them.

I have some Civil War battle areas I can hunt in metro Atlanta that are not protected parks. But the have been way overhunted in the 70's an 80's by guys with very good White's detectors. So my many source of gold is totlots.

This hobby can be as good as you wish it to be. Yes some areas of the country have better targets than others, but you just have to make do with where you live or near by.
 
........ Maybe on the west coast but not east of the Mississippi. ......

......... What does this ^^ tell you?


It tells me that you east coast guys are sick. Sick sick sick. And that LC's and colonial coppers litter every farm field there.
:sissyfight:

But seriously : I bet that (unlike in Europe) there are still going to be random farmfields with absolutely nothing of interest in them.
 
In my area Farming, Ranching, and mining are the historical reasons for being here.
Farms were relatively small affairs 10 to 40 acres. Ranches could be huge [ it takes 12 to 20 acres per cow to feed them all year on native grass] so up to thousands of acres with little to no human activity on it. And the mines where you will have houses, cabins, work sheds, barns, etc... fairly near the mine. these could be a few to hundreds of houses.
The easy thing for me is the government kept good records of the mines, good maps, and good property maps.
Google earth has made it so that any laptop can overlay a historic map on to a current map and line them up pretty close. That way I can compare what was there to what is there now, and even get the owners contact info right from there.

So just picking an empty field may get you nothing, or an empty field that once had a nearby mine may have been the flat spot where a tent city once stood. DR
 
OK, hunting random Eastern US farm fields is completely different than random fields west of the Mississippi. Eastern fields have been worked/traveled/inhabited for over 300 years, old maps don't go back to the 1700's so many times you just have to get out there, detect and look for the subtle signs, unusual changes in topography or in many cases no signs at all. Just like Saker, I have found many, many colonial coppers, Reale's, hundreds of buttons from the late 1600's and up, shoe buckles and many more colonial relics.

Steve
 
But seriously : I bet that (unlike in Europe) there are still going to be random farmfields with absolutely nothing of interest in them.

Yes, completely true. The folks in Europe have a much better chance walking into any field and finding something good. Here on the east coast there are many places with nothing, and many with something, we just got to put the time in to find them. And when we do its well worth it!
 
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