Metal Detecting

[Eugene]

Previous permission. Yesterday I stopped by the neighbor, the property manager, daughter of the owner, to tell her I was going metal detecting around a house built in the 1930s that her mother lived in. It's a 360 acre farm, mostly pasture.

End of metal detecting stopped in to show the property manager what I found. Property owner, in her 90's was at the daughter's house. Property owner said that I should go detecting up the bottom, north, to the end of her property. There use to be an old cabin there that Indian's lived in. They found a lot of arrow heads in that area.

Bit later in the conversation the property owner said that when she and her husband purchased the property they lived in a cabin near the stream on the south west corner of the property until they build the current house. Another neighbor had previously told me about the general location of this cabin.

Two cabin sites on the property. Wow, great, permission granted.

Told the property owner that I would contact the property leesee, grand son in-law, that I would be metal detecting both sites.

Winter research time. Contour maps, google earth photos, and another visit with the property owner to closer nail down the location of the cabins.

Something else to research this winter. Confederate General Price's army attacked Jefferson City, Mo. during the civil war. There would have been quite a number of Union and Confederate camp sites in the general area of Linn, Mo. Metal detecting in the Linn, Mo. area I have found round balls and minn-balls.

[ricky racer]

That's cool! Let us know how you make out!

[Stanton]

Glad you got permission. Could turn up some interesting finds.

Like Ricky said, let us know what happens.

[Urbish]

I've never been metal detecting in an area that may contain historic relics. Do you basically dig up everything that beeps?

[Eugene]

I've never been metal detecting in an area that may contain historic relics. Do you basically dig up everything that beeps?

Generally no when looking for arifacts. No when coin shooting. Metal detector can set to notch out, eliminate, any set of signals such as pull tabs and nails.

Have found horse tack, horse drawn implement parts, grub hoes, and a very heavy 4 foot length of log chain.

Getting permission to metal detect private property is frequently a problem. Missouri has "The Missouri Recreational Land Use Act" which creates tort immunity for farm land owners who let the public use their property free of charge. Still, the land owner can say no for any reason.

I only go metal detecting for an hour or so a day, usually after working at the acreage and then until my back hurts.

Pretty good hobby for an old guy; light exercise, not that expensive, fun playing/digging in the dirt.

[Eugene]

Went to acreage today to pick up a saw. To cold to work in the shop so stopped by the acreage neighbor that granted metal detecting permission.

The property owner was up and about. Provided more information on the property. Ask me to bring back my contour maps of the area. We did go over a 1913 plat book page of the township, talked about the past neighbors, and incidents in the area.

During the conversation she said that she will 100 years old next month, February. She also said that she had coronavirus and spent 3 weeks in the hospital.

Wow, for just short of 100 years old she is mentally sharp, appears to be quite healthy, uses a walker to get around. Said the bout with the virus slowed her down quite a bit. Up until about 9 months ago she was living alone and taking care of herself.