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Searching For Ghost Towns In The East"Searching for ghost towns in the east is an exciting adventure."
The First Settlers
You can have a great time locating them. Add metal detecting in ghost towns to the fun, and your adventure is doubly rewarding. I never tire of the feelings of nostalgia when I’m standing on the site of ghost towns in the east. And if you love history, like I do, you’ll feel the same way when you search for and locate one of these old settlements. It’s not hard to do… Just be patient. We’ll begin our journey of searching for ghost towns in the east in a moment. You’ll also be glad to know that many of the ghost towns in the east have never been metal detected before. So there’s no telling what kind of treasures you’ll find.
Picking up an artifact that has been lying on the ground in an old ghost town in the US is a great discovery. Metal detecting for those lost relics is an added bonus. Weather you are a beginner in the metal detecting hobby, or you are a veteran treasure hunter, I’ll share with you the information to make your metal detecting and searching for adventure worthwhile.
I’ll show you how to search for the eastern ghost towns of America that were in existence during the 1800’s.
This was the time after the French and Indian War and the War of 1812 when most of the settlers began to literally dig out an existence for themselves in what was a very demanding and brutal land. Ghost towns in the east exist today as cellar holes. Searching for them is not difficult. Those first settlers were a hardy bunch. It amazes me when I look around the ghost towns in the east and realize how hard it must have been to live in the conditions of that time.
They had to deal with harsh winter months and hot, humid summers. Add to those conditions the wild animals that inhabited the lands, and disease and you get an idea of how difficult that life style had been. In your search for the eastern ghost towns you’ll recognize and appreciate the conditions under which the first settlers had lived. If you live in the east, you would be amazed at how many ghost towns and cellar holes you drive by each day. Don’t forget, there was no running water or electricity in those days. Everything was done by hand, including digging the cellars for the homes. This task alone was a real back breaker. Metal detecting inside the cellar holes can lead to some exciting discoveries. I’ll show you how. After digging the cellar, the foundations had to be laid. This meant clearing the area of rock and slate and then carrying them to the cellar where they would be laid on top of each other.
Everything you need to know to search for, and metal detect ghost towns in the east is right here. Even a beginner in the metal detecting hobby can enjoy this pastime. While the homes were being built, the land had to be cleared for farming. Gardens had to be planted so that food was available, especially for the long hard winter months. Metal detecting American ghost towns in the east can lead you to a Granny Cache.
The only transportation was by wooden wagons pulled by horses, mules or oxen.
Many time as we are searching for the old settlements we find the scattered remains of the old wagons. Some of the old roads leading to the ghost towns in the east are difficult to navigate with a 4-wheel drive vehicle. Imagine how hard it was back then to get home in a wagon? Raising a family was not easy either. Many young babies and children died from disease. This is confirmed by the fact that as I am searching for the ghost towns in the east, I often come upon an old tombstone erected on the property by the family… and often the grave is the burial site of a young child. I have so much respect for those pioneers.
After searching for and locating an American eastern ghost town, I try and visualize just how hard their lives were. Silently, I offer them the respect they deserve by appreciating what they did at that time. Often, I take a moment to reflect on how much easier it is for me to live from day to day than it was for those heroes’s of the past. Cellar Holes and Ghost Towns Ghost towns in the east exist in every state. You may know of a ghost town near you. Or perhaps, like many others, you are not aware that they also exist in the midwestern and southern states. Searching for these forgotten places can be enjoyed by anyone. Many times you have driven your car past a ghost town but were not aware of it being there.
Now, to make things a bit easier on me, when I refer to the eastern ghost towns, or ghost towns in the east… I am also talking about the old settlements that once occupied the midwestern and southern states. Thanks, now I don’t have to repeat the words midwestern and southern every time I make mention of ghost towns in the east. If you are a hiker, backpacker, or a hunter, you may have walked past or through a ghost town never realizing it.
I will act as your guide to help you search for the old towns that once dotted the eastern states. Much of the information that you will be reading here is based on my popular metal detecting TV series “Ghost Towns Of The East”.View the "Synopsis Show Intro" first...Then come on back.
The Search For Ghost Towns in the East
Eastern Ghost Towns vs Western Ghost Towns Before I begin to explain the ideas to help you search for those forgotten ghost towns in the east, I’ll explain what I mean by the term “ghost towns.”
Of course, the term “ghost town” does not mean that ghosts reside in them. Although, I must admit that during my years searching for these once-upon-a-time towns that there have been times when I’ve been spooked. Fortunately I have never seen a ghost, but John my metal detecting and ghost town hunting buddy swears that he has. I will often use the words cellar holes…when I use this term I am referring to a ghost town.
The terms ghost town and cellar hole will be used interchangeably; this is because for the purpose of this information they mean the same thing. Ghost towns in the east are nothing more than a hole in the ground…these empty holes are cellar holes. The cellar holes are what’s left of the houses that once sat on top of them. Searching for cellar holes, or ghost towns is an exciting adventure that can lead to some interesting experiences and treasures. Metal detecting the ghost towns of the east has uncovered some very exciting finds. Many times, in the areas surrounding the ghost towns, without ever metal detecting, I find pieces of history lying on the ground untouched for hundreds of years. Old bottles and pottery chards often lay scattered on the ground. However, I use a metal detector to search for relics. You’ll learn the same techniques that I use. Often times you can hike, or backpack into remote areas, or just drive the backcountry roads searching for the old American ghost towns. Perhaps in you’re quest to search for ghost towns in the east, you're interested in reading old history books, and looking through vintage maps, like old topo's of the state where you live.
I’ll show you how to research for the US ghost towns in your area. Topo's makes searching for eastern ghost towns much easier. Whatever you’re reason for stopping by this site. You’re sure to be rewarded with a new and exciting experience.
Searching For Ghost Towns In The East And Using A Topo
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