Cache Hunting Close To Home

Fact…buried caches exist not too far from where you live.

I learned this cache hunting treasure secret years ago from an old timer treasure hunter. He sold me my first metal detector. Old Man Dan we called him (I am not using his real name to protect his identity. Although we did call him “Old Man”.)

Old Man Dan told me that if I wanted to find buried treasure that I didn’t have to venture too far from where I lived. Of course, I thought Dan was full of it. He was a joker and a storyteller. I knew his adventures into the world of treasure hunting were true because his treasure hunting shop was filled with relics he had found from around the world. . His photo albums showing Dan holding gold nuggets, silver reales from Spanish wrecks, silver and gold jewelry from the 15th and 16th century, were testaments to his stories. However, Old Man Dan also has a penchant for exaggerating. So when he told me not to venture too far away from where I lived to find buried treasures, well, I didn’t believe him.

The Keys To Cache Hunting Near Home

The lost treasure stories I always read were located in other parts of America, or in another country. I never heard of anyone finding a treasure in the area where I lived. Nor could I even imagine one being anywhere near or in the town I called home. But that belief changed after I located my first mini-cache. That treasure was two mason jars filled with coins. The coins dated between 1856 and 1872. I found them not more than five miles from where I was living. If it had not been for Old Man Dan and his advice, and me following that advice, that cache and others would still  be hidden.

It’s human nature for people to hide their possessions. There are many reasons why.

In America, during the Spanish Inquisition, millions of dollars of gold and silver were buried.  The Spanish stole silver, gold, and precious jewels and then hid treasures for a variety of reasons.

When America was fighting during the French & Indian War, the colonists hid their personal items from the British and the French.

During the American Revolution, people buried their possessions from the British and the Tories. The Civil War caused many homeowners to bury their belongings from both the Union and Rebel soldiers.

Mobsters and today’s drug dealers have had a penchant for hiding their money.

Spouses hide money from their significant other.

Since the beginning of the banking system, people have distrusted banks. So hiding their money was an option. 

The above situations lead the way for the opportunity to take cache hunting seriously.

With family situations, after the death of the person burying, these opportunities exist because the buried possessions were never recovered. Many times the caches were left behind because the survivors were never told that money or valuables were hidden. So what happens when everyone in the family dies or moves away? Obviously, the treasure stays behind.

Homeowners remodeling their homes have found valuables hidden in secluded areas of the house. Places like behind walls, ceilings, and under floorboards have produced hidden treasures of all sorts. Homeowners have found caches buried in what used to be gardens. Gardens used to be, and still, are a popular burying site for treasures. The two mason jars full of coins I found were most likely buried in what used to be the garden of the homestead.

Begin in your own area. The best way to locate buried caches is to visit the historical society of the area you live in. Most of them have old newspapers on file. By reading through the old news you may be able to pick out a brief story that relates to a possible buried cache. Often times old newspapers gave accounts of a person that died leaving behind money or valuables unaccounted for.

This cache hunting information has worked for me. By reading old newspapers, many of the old newspapers are on microfilm now, you may be able to learn about a hermit, a miser, or a loner who lived the life of a recluse.  The characteristic of this type of individual has been known to hide their money. Their secluded lifestyle, living away from society, is a red flag. Chances are, they have secluded any valuables they have as well. And, if there were no family members to claim or search for any of that cache, then it's an opportunity to search for the treasure.

Also, concentrate your cache hunting around older homes, or farms. Always ask for permission. Search the garden areas, and around any old trees, and be sure to search around any old, fence posts. Often times the farmers would bury a small cache beneath a fence post. They would simply pull out the post, bury the valuable, and then replace the post. Privy‘s and outhouses were always a place where treasures were hidden.

You can locate hidden treasure near where you're living. You just need to do the research.

Cache hunting in eastern ghost towns.

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