Perhaps the best tool available to a treasure hunter is their research. Locations very rarely look the same today as they did 100 years ago and it can be difficult to visualize it’s past state. I don’t think I can emphasize enough the importantance of good research, so here are some tips and tools for your own treasure hunting explorations.
1) Libraries – Your local public library is literally the best source of history for your area. Local libraries contain anthologies compiled by local historians that are most likely not available in any other place in the world. Many institutions also have local historical newspapers available on microfilm for some good in-depth research documenting all the important events in your area to include bank robberies of which the robber may have hid the loot, carnivals and fairs which may now be just a long lost forgotten field full of dropped coins, and many other interesting tidbits.
2) Maps – Old and new maps are both of equal importance and can be used to create overlays. An overlay is best done with software such as Adobe Photoshop where you take a modern map on one layer, and place an old map over it with enough transparency that you can see both maps. This will show things such as towns that used to exist on old maps, but no longer exist on the new map. The following is a compiled list of map resources online:
* Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection
* Hargrett Library Map Collection
* Library of Congress Map Collections
* David Rumsey Historical Map Collection
* University of Connecticut Historical Map Collection
* Historical Topographic Maps
* Florida Historical Map Collection
* Washington State University Historical Map Collection
* Historic Pittsburgh Maps Collection
* Texas State Library Map Collection
* Historic USGS Maps of New England & New York
* University of Delaware Historic Map Collection
* Alabama Historical Map Archive
* Wyoming State Archives Online Map Collection
* New York State Historical Maps
* California Historic Topographic Map Collection
* Gilmer Civil War Maps Collection
* University of Louisville Digital Map Collection
* University of North Carolina Historic Maps
* Rutgers Historical Maps of New Jersey
* Hotchkiss Confederate Army Map Collection
* West Point Civil War Maps Collection
That is just a small listing of the enormous amount of maps available on the internet. A special crafted Google search will help you return more specific results. For example, let’s say I am looking for historical maps from Oregon, I could use the following Google search string to get good quality results: oregon historical map inurl:”.edu”
Another useful map tool is the popular Google Earth or other satellite photography sources such as Bing, TerraServer, and one of the coolest ones I have ever seen, FlashEarth. These provide a top-down view of the area which is useful for figuring out if it is a location you may be able to treasure hunt at. See Battle of Belmont: Fields of Treasure to see an example of how I used Google Map’s Satellite View to look at a potential site as it exists now.
3) Documents – Historical documents such as letters, diaries, newspapers, and other sources can provide great treasure tips. I enjoy using the American Memory Collections in the Library of Congress to read manuscripts from the Civil War era. An interesting fact is that during the Civil War, Generals were required to frequently report their current locations, troop movements, etc and all of these documents have been compiled by the University of Ohio in their eHistory collection. To see the Official Records of the Civil War, go to http://ehistory.osu.edu.
4) People – Asking the older locals who have been around for quite some time may give you helpful tips about how life used to be in your town, locations of interesting buildings that don’t exist anymore, or maybe even where barn dances used to be held years ago. Don’t be afraid to have a chat with these people and learn from them!
Using all these sources, you will quickly discover hundreds of potential leads. I would recommend you keep a binder with all your research on various areas in case you later wish to go back and follow up on one. Oh and remember, not everybody is your friend. If you find a lead that could be a potential goldmine, keep it on the down-low. People will talk and you may show up in your new spot to find holes where the last treasure hunter came along using your research and is now admiring his new collection of coins and relics.
That being said, good luck with your research and feel free to comment any other good resources!
