This was the first hunt at a site that was supposedly a stagecoach inn between 1790 and 1850 in South-Central Kentucky.  It was well positioned between the Kentucky river and more populated areas along a now-defunct route for wagons and stagecoaches.   The owners were wonderful folks, offering me generous access and incredible hospitality.  I love it when detecting trips result in new friends – genuinely interested in the history of their property.

But I approached it with little precise knowledge.  The 1960s aerial image was fuzzy and the 1870s map was vague.  So I began digging some nails to try to date the site.  Within 15 minutes, I pulled several hand-wrought nails where the servant’s quarters supposedly stood.  That puts the date right in the middle of the estimate.   But the nails were scattered widely, only vague patterns emerged and I never really located things that well.  An older barn was rather obvious – an impenetrable blanket of iron – even with the best E-trac Two-Tone Ferrous with 6″ coil approach.  Live dig videos will be online soon on my Youtube channel!

In my follow up, I located what I think is an old beer or whisky tap near the ubiquitous harmonica reed.  The tap is pictured below – working on identification!

Push Key Padlock – gave to homeowner

Unusual large tag marked #92 – attached to old rusty chain that crumbled…

1826 Large Cent – As Dug – my oldest coin to date – was in the hole with a hand-wrought nail.

Brass item – some kind of valve wrench or tap? Whisky barrel tool?

[finds were left with property owner with notes]