treasure hunt

[shaper]

Some of you might remember my post where I found a 357 revolver while helping a neighbor clean out a old house that was to be be torn down. I didn't get to keep it.
Well, Another neighbor just north of me passed away last fall. His wife could not bring herself to clean out his shop. He had been a tv repairman untill he retired. So she asked me to get rid of everything. The deal was, I can keep anything I wanted , just get it gone. It was a big job. I finally found a antique radio club to take all of his electronic items and books. I still have a tube tester if anyone is interested. While going through the mountain of boxes I found another pistol. Yeah, a great find. It was a 22 cal. revolver that cost every bit of $12.00 when sold new. So now I have a pair of them.
A couple weeks ago the same lady asked me to clean out the storage area, same deal. At first glance it looked like a lot of old furniture. Then I saw them. Not one but two of them. Two old Singer treaddle sewing machines. One was made in 1926 the other in 1892. Both units still had the original accessories stored in the drawers. The older one had the accessories in a wood box that unfolded to open. Yep, these are comeing home with me. Still more boxes to open. but the treasure hunt is on.

[carbine86]

Wow i wish i had luck like that. Great finds i'd say do something nice for her maybe take her to dinner or something.

[10x]

I would hope that if you sell any of the treasure you find, you split the profits with the fellows widow.

[s mac]

Great, your good response before paid off. Enjoy.

[shaper]

I forgot to mention. I already owned a Singer treaddle machine that was made in 1937. I use it when the wife and I make quilts together.

[10x]

I forgot to mention. I already owned a Singer treaddle machine that was made in 1937. I use it when the wife and I make quilts together.

It is of note that these sewing machines are still being manufactured and sold in China and Asia - but not labeled as Singer.

[MaryB]

I could use a tube tester, I repair older tube type ham rigs and resell them

[Ithaca Gunner]

Man, I love doing stuff like that! When I find an old building in the woods, the deer are safe...I'm root'in!

[10x]

Man, I love doing stuff like that! When I find an old building in the woods, the deer are safe...I'm root'in!

That may be considered looting by the person that owns the building. A great deal of stuff has been "collected" by persons unknown but recorded on game cams from the home on my family farm.
The other issue that folks forget is that buildings rot. Walking into an old house with a rotten floor, or going down a staircase that the stringer is rotten can be exciting, if not deadly.

[Ithaca Gunner]

That may be considered looting by the person that owns the building. A great deal of stuff has been "collected" by persons unknown but recorded on game cams from the home on my family farm.
The other issue that folks forget is that buildings rot. Walking into an old house with a rotten floor, or going down a staircase that the stringer is rotten can be exciting, if not deadly.

No worries, those places around here have been reduced to foundations, depressions, or at best a pile of rotting lumber on stones. One farmer welcomed me to explore and take anything in an old blacksmith shop in an orchard. Net gain was a large horse medicine bottle, a bear trap spring, and some forged chain. I showed my treasure to him and he thought it funny that I actually wanted the stuff! I'd like to go to those places with a metal detector, but just don't have the time or ambition to frag one through the woods with a rifle.

One real treasure I sometimes find are abandon cemeteries, far from the nearest building. I viewed the only grave of a Mexican War Veteran I've ever seen in these parts in one such place. That alone was worth the hunt.

[Blacksmith]

One real treasure I sometimes find are abandon cemeteries, far from the nearest building. I viewed the only grave of a Mexican War Veteran I've ever seen in these parts in one such place. That alone was worth the hunt.

When You find an abandoned Cemetery please note the location, GPS if you have one, and let the local Historical Society or genealogical groups know where it is. You could also look here on the Cemetery Search page to see if it is listed.
http://www.findagrave.com/

People doing genealogy and those interested in history are always looking for "Lost" cemeteries and often local groups will adopt abandoned ones to document the graves and provide a measure of upkeep to preserve the site.

[10x]

When You find an abandoned Cemetery please note the location, GPS if you have one, and let the local Historical Society or genealogical groups know where it is. You could also look here on the Cemetery Search page to see if it is listed.
http://www.findagrave.com/

People doing genealogy and those interested in history are always looking for "Lost" cemeteries and often local groups will adopt abandoned ones to document the graves and provide a measure of upkeep to preserve the site.

Good advice. I grew up in one of the last areas to be settled by farmers in Canada between 1900 and 1960. There were families with their own cemeteries and there was the occasional person buried on the trail during the migration to settle. Some of these folks have marked graves, some have been lost. Usually there are living descendants who are interested where great grandfather is buried, or other ancestors rest in peace.

And then there is the guy who engraved tombstones and took all of the misspellings, faulted stones, and mistakes to his hobby farm and set them up. When he died years later the farmer who bought that land had a fit when he found the tombstone graveyard.

In another instance a friend bought 150 year old hotel in the Bruce Peninsula in Ontario. The basement floor was paved in headstones - some with names and dates, some without. Turned out the speculator who built the hotel in the 1870s got a deal from the stone mason who built the foundations on his stock of never paid for, or damaged headstones.

I had to replace my parents headstone because of an error made by the stone carver. I got to keep the old stone with the error and it is in my back yard. When asked about it I tell folks it is for my parents. One guy asked "Do they know about this?" - My reply, "no it will be a surprize". I have been known to catch folks that I don't like (My wife invites them to social functions) standing close to the headstone and socializing. My standard line is "Excuse me, but you are standing on my mother..." while pointing out the stone. If I am lucky they decline the next invite....

[leeggen]

We have what appeaars to be a slave grave yard in an area of our farm. Only flat stone turned up on edge. to mark graves. Often wonder what they died from, plaege, fever,collora you know those deadly ones. Think I contact history club and see what they can find out, hadn't thought of that til now.
CD

[Wayne Smith]

We have what appeaars to be a slave grave yard in an area of our farm. Only flat stone turned up on edge. to mark graves. Often wonder what they died from, plaege, fever,collora you know those deadly ones. Think I contact history club and see what they can find out, hadn't thought of that til now.
CD

Ground penetrating radar can locate the locations of the graves. My wife has done a couple of these studies when she did contract work.

[MaryB]

One old farm I rented had a family grave yard. I made rubbings of all the stones and framed them for the family along with where they were in the plot. They didn't know who was in some of the graves until I did it.

[Blacksmith]

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&CRid=2241811&CScn=Gilpin&CScntry=4&CSst=40&

This is the Gilpin Family Cemetery In Wayne County Pennsylvania. We used to go there and clean things up when we had family get togethers in the area. The local Historic Society has adopted it and put up a nice sign. Support the historical and genealogical societies in the areas where your families are from. Even if you have no interest your children or grandchildren may want to know someday.

This is my Great Great Great Great Grandfathers Grave: Richard Gilpin
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GScid=2241811&GRid=27377972&

[unclogum bill]

Years back there was a story of a man who found and answered an ad for a for a Volvo for sale . The asking price was 50 bucks so he figured he was going to see junk but was surprised to fine woman selling it had a clean car in great shape. Before he could buy it he felt the need to tell her car was most likely worth 5 grand . She said her husband went to Alaska to work on the pipeline and met another , wasn't coming back. He instructed her to sell car and send him the money. She said "I'm doing just that, do you want it or not".
Sold.

[willie_pete]

Heck has no fury like a woman scorned.

WP

[starmac]

I'm thinking that there just might have been a reason besides the (other woman) for the guy to decide never to come back. It is likely he had made that decision before he left for Alaska to start with. lol From what I understand the pickins for available women were pretty slim, except for renting them for a few minutes at a time during the pipeline days. lol