M E T A L M A N 9

M E T A L M A N 9

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May 10, 2023 - Reconnaissance Trip and Surface Finds

May 10, 2023 - Reconnaissance Trip and Surface Finds

May 10, 2023 Reconnaissance Trip and Surface Finds. Let’s take a road trip. It’s a beautiful day out and the fields are calling. What do you think Tess. Oh and let’s bring the dogs too… and away we go. This reconnaissance trip involved scouting out 3 different locations. The main objective was on River Lot # 151 deep in the heart of the Red River Valley. All sites involve later metal detecting opportunities and of course new adventures, pictures, stories and posts so stay tuned to the Meatlman9.ca website for the latest. River Lot 151 is the second lot in, off of Road 12, the first correction line. (See References). It’s wedged in between Lot # 150 and 152 and it’s worked by the present day landowners all as one large field. My objective was to mark its boundaries with small flags in an effort to locate and mark the general area of two buildings that were shown to be here on the 1870 survey map. Lesson No.1 It looks small and manageable on the map and on Google Earth but man, when you actually get there and have boots on the ground and look around… this area is huge. I should know better. This is not the first time that I’ve done this to myself. So let’s call this a challenge and I’m calling in the troops. I’ll be back in two days with two detector friends and the three of us will have a go at this area and see what kind of history we can dig up. While scouting and planting flags, I also marked any surface finds. These are items that are simply seen without the use of a metal detector. I picked them up and ended up with quite an interesting haul. And, looking at where all of the flags are, it gives me a good idea as to where metal detecting will be at its best. Surprisingly, it doesn’t appear to be where the two buildings once stood although this is still preliminary. The surface finds do look quite promising and two pieces specifically look very old indeed. This is the pottery piece and the glass with the mottled look. I’m guessing mid to late 1800’s. It’s always nice to find glass and ceramic. It’s a telltale sign of habitation. The big square iron piece weighs in at 4 lbs plus. The odd grayish looking piece of metal had me puzzled. It’s not super old as there is some hard dry weathered black plastic tightly stuck to it. It’s non-magnetic. It’s only once cleaned that it gave up its secret. That’s when I saw the “Plus” sign. It’s a battery post and a piece of the battery case. Now that’s cool. I can’t wait till Friday to see what the day brings. Ref: https://laureenmarchand.com/2016/05/20/correction-line-principle/

May 12, 2023 - A Group Hunt on River Lot 151

May 12, 2023 - A Group Hunt on River Lot 151

May 12, 2023 A Group Hunt on River Lot 151 Good friends, good weather and a bit of organization made for a successful hunt. Randy, Monty and I all had a lot of fun. It doesn’t get any better than this. What peaks everyone’s interest with River Lot 151 was the discovery of 3 previously unknown buildings as seen on the 1870 survey map. There was no collective memory of their existence or any visible signs on the ground. Surveyed were 3 buildings, one we assume to be the living house, the other two probably barns. There was also a large parallelogram shape that is indexed as a “Cultivated Area”. Interestingly, one of the buildings actually sort of sits over top and in between two river lots. Remember that these buildings would have been built prior to any official survey. Talk about encroaching onto your neighbor’s land. The eastern end of these river lots are also home to the Pembina Trail that wound its way from the Red River Colony (Winnipeg) to Fort Pembina in what is now North Dakota. Now what became very interesting and revealing were the utility marking flags that we posted wherever we found an artifact. I planted some two days prior, where I picked up surface finds during a reconnaissance trip. See: ( May 10, 2023. Reconnaissance Trip and Surface Finds ). Now, with 3 detectorists on the go all at once, the flags eventually created what I think is a telling pattern. Also interesting was the complete lack of artifacts where the 3 buildings were shown to be standing. The concentration of iron, glass, ceramics, brass and other items were all in the first 100 feet west of what the locals refer to as the Old 14, a road that runs north and south along the Red River. Practically no artifacts were found on the land east of this road; between the Old 14 and the Red River. Whatever few items that were detected further west, 100 feet and onward were mostly more recent agricultural machine parts. Very few nails, square or otherwise were found anywhere unlike on homesteads. The flags mark the finds. They flanked the old highway from north to south direction and only on one side. My conclusion: these artifacts are remnants from years of human traffic along the original Pembina Trail. Most of the glass seems to have come from various bottles. None of the flat window pane glass that is often associated with homesteads was found. The ceramic came from dishware like cups and dishes, and a gorgeous piece of cast iron came from a cooking pot. Three hand tools were also found. I did get quite the laugh when I uncovered the big square shaped nut. Anyone familiar with the reality show “BattleBots” will immediately see the link... Yes, I won the Big Nut award that day. The gold colored aluminum “Cordoba” piece is the emblem found on a car made by Chrysler. And just for a second… one of the crew thought he’d struck it rich. Of even older origin was the one first nation’s hammer stone or stone axe found way out in the field, far from the road. The front end is badly damaged which is probably why it was left behind and abandoned, oh so many years and decades and maybe even centuries ago. These are the joys of metal detecting. It’s discovering a little bit of history every time you go out. Roger Reference: https://battlebots.com/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysler_Cordoba http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/sites/fortdaer.shtml

May 22, 2023 - A Site with a Lot of History

May 22, 2023 - A Site with a Lot of History

May 22, 2023 A Site with a Lot of History. Rivers and streams were the lifeblood of most all activity back in the days of the early explorers and voyagers and pioneers. The Red River was one of the highways to the Red River Colony (Winnipeg). The Red River had many tributaries, one of them being the Marais River. So named by the early French explorers signifying Marsh or Swamp. The original indigenous inhabitants lived nearby and the Marais provided water, food, wood and all of the necessities for life. The Marais can still be followed today all the way back to the Morden Hills; the escarpment that forms the west side of the Red River Valley. It’s near this river junction where the French explorer La Jemmeraye was buried in 1736. The area is rich with history. Metal detecting on the north side of the Marais at the river junction proved to be exceptional. Accompanying me today was seasoned detectorist Randy Gerylo. There is a point of land that is tucked away behind the Marais’s last meander. It starts a few feet above the river water line and rises up from there. There is a bit of high ground between the meander and the Red River and that is where we uncovered some rather rich and exciting historical artifacts. Here, listed in point form are some of the finds. These are some of the oldest that I have come across so far in Southern Manitoba. How many of these artifacts can you find and match with the pictures? • Cast iron stove leg. • Harmonica parts. • Pewter cutlery or flatware handle. • 16 lb. cast iron Steam Tractor identification plaque. Woodbridge Works No. 257. • Door lock mechanism and copper strike plate. • 2 US Pennies dated 1867 and 1917. • 4” Rose Head Spike. • Buttons and leather grommets. • 3 Tine fork shaft. • Religious Medallion dated 1850 • 22 gram and 1” long bullet plus multiple shell casings. • Copper spoon bowl, partial. • 7 ½ “ Chisel. • Large “Baninedgington” grommet. • Pork Hock bones. • Brass “Mickey Mouse” wing nut. • Iron buckle • Huge 4” flat washer. • 17 pcs. Lead. Usage unknown. • Fanciful Ceramic shards. A big heartfelt Thank You goes out to the land owner. By allowing a couple of metal detectorists onto your property you have opened a window into the past where interested people can see and appreciate pieces of history. Saved are a few remaining artifacts of daily life back in the mid to late 1800’s. These little treasures would have otherwise been forever lost to time. Now, a hundred years later, and then some, they resurface to live again and to bring joy and appreciation to a new generation of people. Thank you from Randy and I and the numerous followers of this website. Roger R e f e r e n c e s : h t t p s : / / w w w . c b c . c a / n e w s / c a n a d a / m a n i t o b a / l o s t - i d - bracelet-gimli-scotland-air-force-training-base-1.6375496 h t t p s : / / w i n n i p e g . c t v n e w s . c a / m a n i t o b a - m a n - f i n d s - l o n g - l o s t - m i l i t a r y - bracelet-on-beach-returns-to-family-of-scottish-pilot-1.5819194

May 28, 2023 - Following the Pembina Trail

May 28, 2023 Following the Pembina Trail. There it is, clear as day; on a survey map dated 1870. Right there between River Lots 153 and 160, heading south. From River Lot 160, the Pembina Trail divides into 3 clearly marked and documented branches that run southward yet somehow two of these end at River Lot 153. I say “ends” because this is where the one map ends. The next map starts at River Lot 152 and there is no continuation of these branches, just the one main trail. Monty, Randy and I had some success metal detecting between River Lots 152 and 150. (See: May 12, 2023 A Group Hunt on River Lot 151 ). I have a theory about the material and the surface finds what was collected there. My goal today is to see if I can’t replicate the same results along one or two of these three Pembina Trail Branches. I’ve often said how it just blows me away that I can detect and recover a bucket full of metal and various artifacts in a field where there has, to our best knowledge, never been any habitation or actual homestead. A great example of this was the finds from a hunt last year. (See: October 29, 2022 The Recipe ). The field looks plain, flat, boring even… So let’s find out what lurks below. Surface finds are easy in a tilled farm field. It’s relatively easy to spot ceramic shards, glass and yes, even metal pieces like nails and farm machinery parts. But the metal detector is the real gem here. Not only does it alert the user to the approximate depth of an item but the detector’s sound also alerts you to different metals. Aluminum and copper and iron all have distinct sounding tones. I just can’t help but get excited every time I hear one of those high pitch beeps. Today, I was on Red River Lot # 159, between the Old 14 Highway and the more recent # 75 Highway. I’d used a little bit of math by way of cross multiplication, measurements in both inches and centimeters, old maps and pictures from google earth and I mapped out, to the best of my ability, where the trail and its branches would be found on the ground today. Once on the field, I looked for the higher ground. Yes, land contours would have changed some from 153 years ago but not all that much. Low and wet areas now have drainage but they are still low areas. Trails to travel on would have followed the higher ground to avoid getting stuck in mud, the same high ground that I can see today. Well I have a theory, and today’s hunt went a little way to confirm it. I am hoping to locate and trace out the trails by following the artifacts left behind by travelers long ago. I did find the “Y” looking artifact on higher ground where I suspected the one of the trails to be. The item is definitely old and is hand forged. And unlike the finds two weeks ago, I only found one piece of glass and no ceramic shards. These always indicate human presence. The buckle is brass, is also old and was found on or near the original Pembina Trail. The find of the day along the main trail had to have been the silver plated piece of flatware complete with the Maker’s Marks: HB CO A I am guessing that these letters might stand for Hudson Bay Company. The “A” well I don’t know. This is going to be a research project. Last but not least is a piece of geological history. There are 3 rocks and a back bone to possibly a deer. Two of the rocks are sedimentary in nature; the other is a smoky quartz. All three are covered with a layer of what can only be called coral. If not coral, then whatever grew on rocks at the bottom of Lake Agassiz. One has to remember that long before anyone lived or travelled here, this entire region was covered by the Laurentide Ice Sheet, and then came Lake Agassiz. Remnants of the lake’s presence are quite common but this last picture is a great example and evidence of a long gone era. Roger

May 28, 2023 - Following the Pembina Trail

May 28, 2023 - Habitation on River Lot 159

May 28, 2023 - Habitation on River Lot 159

May 28, 2023 Habitation on River Lot 159. May 28 was a busy day. The preceding article is from the same outing. I took some time in the afternoon to see if I couldn’t find traveler artifacts on the opposite side of the Old 14 Highway just in case the Pembina Trail had run more on the east side than the west side of this road. I’m beginning to think that the Old Highway was built pretty much right on top of the trail. It would be a logical choice as it was more than likely the most direct route. Just like off of River Lot 149, I found nothing but a few modern round nails along the Old 14’s east side. The west side appears to be where it’s at. I will repeat this exercise in a few weeks on another river lot just south of here and we’ll see what that turns up. I then turned my metal detector towards the river. Last year, Monty and I had found plenty of evidence of habitation right up and along the river bank. See: October 22, 2022 - Monty, Myself , and the triangle field of River lot # 159. Wow… this area did not disappoint. In fact if I keep finding any more stove top parts, I might be able to reconstruct it. Well maybe not but clearly people lived here. I found more of these stove top parts the last time we were here. Much to my surprise, and it took my big shovel to dig this out, but laying upside down at about 8 inches in depth was a 7 lb clothes iron. It must have taken a lot of energy and strength to use this thing because it’s sooo heavy. I found more agricultural machine parts of course and a nice assortment of ceramic and yes, porcelain shards too. Two of the ceramic pieces show a pattern. Then there’s the 5 lb iron button. Well it looks like a button… The shotgun shell was an old one, the type that used paper/cardboard as packing in the bottom of the shell. It was marked No. 12 UMC Co. NEWCLUB . It dates Cir. 1896-1900. Square nails abound too. A great place to metal detect. Roger Reference: http://www.cartridge-corner.com/umc.htm

May 25, 2023 - A Paying Job

May 25, 2023 A Paying Job. Late in the evening of May 24, 2023, I received an email from a local contractor seeking my services as a metal detector. It would appear that a landscaping work crew got maybe a little over enthusiastic and inadvertently covered up a water sprinkler valve under 4 or 5 inches of topsoil and then rolled out the sod. Yes, that is a predicament. I contacted Chris and we worked out a fair deal. What I personally like to offer people when it comes to the recovery of lost items is as follows. There is a set dollar amount. A fee if you will for just going out and searching. This is meant to cover my gas, my time and the use of my metal detector. I am very comfortable spending an hour or so detecting. A second fee is then added if I am successful locating and recovering the said lost item. I feel that this is fair. The client then knows up front what the dollar amount is going to be in either scenario. Chris provided me with a street address and a location of where on the property this water valve should be. We both want to succeed in this endeavor so the more specific the location the better. I arrived on site. It is in a brand new neighborhood where many of the houses are not yet inhabited and many are in various stages of completion. I was quite surprised that Google earth even listed the street name. I posted my sign on the address lawn “Metal Man - Detectorist at Work by Permission”, took pictures for the record and went to work… or should I say “Went Detecting”. Three separate hits sounded on the front lawn. These were confirmed with the Pin Pointer. I did not dig them up as I did not want to damage the newly laid sod. Chris or one of his employees can do that. I marked the spots with utility flags, took pictures and precise measurements of these three locations, emailed Chris the information then packed up and went home. Payment arrived later by e-transfer. Ahhh… the beauty of modern technology. It’s a great way to fund my hobby and have fun at it too. Thank you Chris and Company for the work!!! Roger

May 25, 2023 - A Paying Job