Wow...they didn't have money when he was young...but he said he had a good childhood. Having a piece of homemade butterscotch candy was a big deal. Happy with what they did have regardless how little. Memories of his mom cooking and baking. He was a rich man back then....he had family and love....now he has warm, fond, memories. What great values those people had...almost unheard of today. So sad. Another great video, Todd. Well done. Thanks for the take along. Stay safe and healthy.
Thanks Allen and yes he is rich in many ways as were others like him and who lived simple lives. You see we rarely find coins but these poor mountain folk were the real deal and it is sad seeing them pass into history. He got to see the video and he has tears streaming down his face. It was very moving for me to watch him see it.
@@AppalachianHistoryDetectives So glad to see what you do for these people. I read another comment where he was offered $5m for the property but wouldn't sell. He has much respect from me...money isn't everything...and it doesn't buy happiness or peace of mind. He has much honor, dignity, respect,and pride. Those things can't be bought. He is truly rich in other ways. He found happiness.
@@allanwilkerson6426 yep and the offer was legit and covered by the media. Thoughts of home were more to him than money and I have a ton of respect for him.
I live near the appalachian trail in Maine. It's amazing & very emotional every time I step foot in there. I listened to my mom's (&her siblings, she's # 9 of 12) stories of her childhood. These young ones of today have no clue of what's up. They think they "have it rough". Lol thank you for your time and what you do for us. I'm enjoying history with you & the stealth diggers (N. H.) ❤️🙏😷
Thanks and Maine is gorgeous too. My wife’s family is from up there and we have visited them a time or two, Sabago Lake. Maine and WV are very much alike. I tell you the old timers had it rough, even walking everywhere, hand felling trees, collecting firewood, plowing and just everything was labor. Now it’s all woods. I bet your mom has a lot of fond memories to share.
Another good one ! I used to love the stories from the old folks when I was a kid in the blue ridge...I found a pair of scissors like that in the middle of nowhere.
The Blue Ridge is some beautiful country. I thought these scissors might have been associated with the school but Ralph said there was a barn there. The teacher tied his mare in the barn so they could have fallen out of his pocket.
That was a awesome adventure y'all had. Loved Ralph....when you asked about his youth you could tell he missed it. Sometimes money ain't the only thing to make a great childhood memories.
History Stories old foundation or Homestead and always Relics from our grandparents and Forgotten generations ago that have a story to tell unwritten in books very special to learn of Names and Places from where our Predecessors Lived out their Lives. Thank Y'all for caring enough to share and allow Us to tag along and try to imagine life From the early America. Great Videos Todd Beau and a few more who make this all possible.
Thanks Donald. Kids today have no interests in going to a library or book reading so much and what better way to bring history to them in a visual tangible way and provide them a story about the place with it....I wish more people would value the videos for what they are and not just as a form of entertainment or treasure hunting. You do and I have a lot of fans that do but 60% of my viewers never subscribe or comment and those that hit the dislike think I talk too much or never find treasure or my film quality is too bad. I admit I’m no expert at any of this and have only been at it a year but I appreciate your feedback and being a loyal fan.
I love watching your videos, and enjoy seeing West Virginia again. My family comes from Harrison, Taylor and Upshur counties. Would love to go back and detect some of the old home places someday.
Thanks for the really interesting story that Mr. Ralph told. Mr. Todd, it's great that you are always trying to find people who can pass on stories from the past. In this way, you and Mr. Beau will be able to find and examine old buildings or the remains of them, even with the help of old maps. What you document always pays off, even if you often have to walk a long way. It turned out to be a nice video again and I'm already looking forward to the second part☘️💫🤩
I love your adventures. The History you provide is very interesting. Love the interview of the inhabitants there who provide prospectives and actual real-life memories to provide real experiences where the searches take place.
Todd time to find a nice four wheel “mule” back country ride. Isn’t it amazing how many places no longer worked that kept families fed before their itchy feet led them on to Indiana, Nebraska, California and Oregon!
You got that right! Unfortunately I'm a father of three and adopting a 4th child so my money is very tight. I have a truck and a trailer, but just can't afford a 4 wheeler....
Lucky youngsters all four! I grew up going camping with my folks so my Dad and Brothers could go hunting and fishing. Mother says my first fishing trip was when I was 14 days old so I’d be seen as one of the family. I have some wonderful memories of playing in the woods and creeks of a weekend! Love to see you with your kids!
I thoroughly enjoyed this wonderful video. So sad to see a way of life disappearing from our great country. While listening to Ralph, I could almost envision my father sitting there talking and sharing his family's stories. Dad was born on 2 Feb1923 in Texas. His family migrated to Oklahoma about 4 years later which is where he grew up, met mom and, I was born. It is very interesting to listen to these Senior Citizens relate their life's circumstances, the hardships but, the closeness of family members. Thanks for sharing another great video and, taking us along for the ride. Stan
Thanks Stan. My dad was born in Faxon OK in 1927. It’s where his side of my family is from. My wife is from Texas. Small world. I wish he were alive so I could capture his stories.
Nice video , loved it. Todd on the lantern piece you found on the turn wheel for the wick adjustment a lot of them will have the patent date on the wheel, I've found several of them the best one I found was on a property near a civil war camp the date on the turn wheel was Sept. 24, 1863.I thought that was interesting considering Union troops were camped near by. Great Story about the area you and Beau were detecting . Thanks for sharing it with us.
I will take a look at it. I didn’t know this so I will have to see if something is on there. This one is i good shape so maybe....it was found in the old teachers house. I could imagine her there grading papers by the oil light.
I love watching and learning. I too live in WV. Only all the city's I live around tell me metal detecting is a no go!! But I sure have a "clean" yard!! lol I should join a club.
Live in Georgia about hour away (if that) from where the Appalachian trail begins. One day I'd love to hike it all the way up to Maine.....my bucket list item.
It is truly wonderful that you got to interview Ralph about the history of the place Todd. Too often it is too late and the information is lost. What a lovely and interesting place that was. So many things to see and enjoy. It seemed very peaceful there, a place where folks may have been poor in money but rich in family traditions, and living off the land. Sad that folks couldn't get a teacher, but that was often the case in rural area's like that. It was the same out here, which is why you can be out hiking and stumble across old ghost towns and remains of train trestle's and old logging cabins and camps. Folk come and folks go and life keeps moving ever onward. People have to move where they can survive and all too often that meant moving into the cities or bigger towns for work. I know in the case of my own paternal grandparents, they held on as long as they could in Oklahoma, (until 1936), but the dust bowl and depression took everything they had. All they had was a few blankets and the clothes on their back, so they packed all of their belongings and their two young sons, into their Model T Ford, and drove all the way to Washington state, where we have been ever since. Thanks for another wonderful adventure, they are always interesting and thought provoking.
Ralph is the real treasure. I could easily sit and talk with him for hours, and just as easily spend days exploring the properties. Thanks for bringing us along for the adventure, and telling the stories before they are forgotten.😎
Todd Great video Love that old cabin neat relics inside dont spend all your found wealth in 1 place. Wildcat hollow looks like the area we hunt in rocky and hilly. Thanks again
What a beautiful property. You're interview with Ralph, you're great storytelling and wonderful video really brought it to life for me. I love seeing new places but know I'll never get to see everything. I really appreciate the work you do in putting these videos together so thank you. See you on the next one.
Love that you tell the history of these places I’m always so curious who lived there what they did and why did they leave. America may be a young country but our history is pretty cool and pretty vast so I’m glad there are channels like this. They should show ur videos in schools kids would like history more if they saw this I know I would have. As I got older I appreciated it more as a kid not so much- this would help that.
Many others have said the same thing including my kids. My Bible verse at the end would override the educational value to them though and doubtful would get out of the gate, so I haven't bothered pursuing that.
Awesome tunes finds an history as always . Be good to get Ralph one last look at the old place from standining on or in it an not just from a video of it . You can tell thier army jeeps from the light as it got a shade on it an narrowed slot in the cover an thats to keep planes from seeing them , the iron thing with ball cup thing on one end an tweezer like ends is for measuring an making a particular sized musket ball .
Ralph has agreed for me to take him up there before Spring’s out. I showed him the video and ha sat there and cried. I felt the video had purpose if nothing more but to be a tribute to him. He wants to see the MeMiner Cave. As a kid he remembers fearing falling into it. He was so happy we dug it out.
@@AppalachianHistoryDetectives i knew he would cry with memories an the state of the places he once roamed an called home once he seen the videos . I bet he would be happy to see the cave an see folks animals etc wont get trapped in it . Make sure you capture everything said on video an make sure you have alot of batteries fully charged as can gaurantee thier goin to be alot of stories bieng told an a good lot of pen an paper as might be a good way to remap where things like rds places etc were .
Great location and finds. Ralph's narrative adds a first person addition to the rich history of Appalacia (sp?). An other awsome vid and history lesson Todd. "Dirty hands are happy hands" 👍✌
Thanks Frank. Yes Ralph’s story and memories trumped the history I found. It had been decades since he seen the place and I wanted him to see the video. He did and cried. Sometimes saving history is hearing their story.
Ralph was so excited to hear stories about the family I remember my grandmother make salt water taffy we in heaven Todd great information about your video stay blessed 👍❤🍺you guys might need a drink
Awesome video todd. You do an awesome/amazing job telling the story's an creating your videos. Thank you for taking us all along on another adventure with all the old home places an the old school. Sad to see it's almost gone but now it will never be forgotten thanks to you an the chigg an ralph. I hope ralph reply appreciateated you doing the video of a past time in his life an letting him go back in time an remembering the wonderful times that he spent with his family an friends growing up as a young lad. Like he said they were really great times but there just wasn't much money. Although they were happy as a family could be, in that time era at the old home place. I thank you again, for taking the time to do the work that it takes to put it all together. The story, the photos, an of course the relics that you all found on the old home place. It's all the little things you do that makes it so great. Todd your doing an awesome job with your videos, so pay no attention to any nay sayers. An the best part about it is that you an the chigg are having a great time together as true friends an that means more then most people can ever imagine, or even get to experience in life its self. So keep on keeping on my brother. You guys rock. Saving history one video/story at a time. As always safe an happy hunting/digging. See you guys soon, wishing you an your families a safe an happy/healthy halloween holiday together. 😁👍👍.👻🎃💀👺
Damn, it’s absolutely BEAUTIFUL out there!!! I want to go live out there!! That’s my idea of heaven!! I wonder if Mr. Ralph wants to sell me about 20 acres back by the old school, the meadow and the pond?? 🤔 I have a little bit of an idea where this is!! 😉 I started my Forestry career many moons ago working up on the George Washington National Forest up around Harrisonburg & often worked in WV. I absolutely ❤️ it up there!!! I adore Mr. Ralph!!! I could listen to his stories all day long!!! This is my favorite video so far that y’all have done!!!! And of course u ended it with my absolute favorite bluegrass tune!!!! Old Home Sweet Home!!! Great job!!
Its close to capon bridge. There was another town on the other side of the mountain called Little Egypt. It had a school and 2 churches. It was abandoned around the same time. One church still stands.
Love the history on this, and wonderful that Mr Ralph, could tell you about his family. No, people were poor, but there were children with imagination, and they were raised with values. The whole family had jobs on the farm, and kids didn't sit on there duffs, and complain they were bored. One thing about it, everywhere you put your shovel you came up with a piece of history. The found items Maybe not worth a lot in money, but brings back history, and the people of this land. By the by, I understand your language, {rotning away} we have ours too, I was born in Oklahoma, but raised mostly in California. I was teased about my accent for years, and about being born in Oklahoma. By the by, came from Grandma, I never heard anyone else say that before, she was a 4th generation Texan. I do prattle on, have a good one.
The community was so remote and the school could not get a teacher after the prior one left so the families eventually moved out leaving the family without small kids the owners of all the land. The school closed in 1922. By 1924 six of eight families moved off the mountain.
It seems the community could not get a school teacher to move to that very rural part of the mountains. What we are willing to do for our children 🎉grandchildren today, must have been the norm for parents back in the day. They wanted their children to have a better life than they did.
Great video Todd. I am going to try and get a new medal detector around the first of the year. My dream vacation is to leave Knoxville, Tennessee and head your way and get you and the Chigg to teach me a little. Now all I will need to do is talk my Wonderful Grandbabies out of going to the beach. Lol
Hey Todd the rotten ingredients Jeep was the highlight of the day! Just kidding, what a Beautiful piece of history and such a shame that something as simple as a teacher killed a village! Looks like you found a bullet mold as well and didn’t film it, that’s a relic on my short bucket list.... outstanding find!
Every time I see a home like that it makes want to roll up my sleeves and get busy restoring it. We compared to europe just don't put forth the effort to preserve the historic buildings that held the people who shaped this nation. I'd love to come down from Ohio and walk the land there just to see what's hidden in the ground and share in the stories of life there on farm. I do recall the story of the farmer who owned the bottom land and helped keep the community going and at the same time made his fortune. Always a pleasure to watch these videos. Many thanks guys!👍
Great video. I could almost hear the kids' voices. Thanks. Did the folks there basically hail from the same European country? (I guess it is European looking at Ralph). I bet a local tv channel would be interested in this video!
@@AppalachianHistoryDetectives Yes... that must have been quite a blow. "Pioneer children" and "Medical Care in ..." would be interesting themes. Visits to schools, teachers, hospitals etc would give nice overviews with the metal detecting taking viewers back to those days 'hands on'. This video is a great example of those elements.
When you are looking for these lost houses in the woods, try using the satellite images online to search for them. Winter time images when the leaves are off the trees and grass is dead works the best.
jam up video fellas . loved the history of the place an mr ralph. looks like your gettin in your work out. the rottening sounds like a horror movie. ha ha. im gonna go read some poe now. lookin forward to the next'n
I have spoken to my Ralph equivalents here on the Eastern Shore for years. Why I never thought of taking notes, I would never know, but it was one of the biggest mistakes I have made in my life. Please, you youngsters out there, please learn from my mistakes. I bet I can't remember a tenth of the fascinating stories and old folk tales I was told. Most were dealing with ancestors and neighbors long gone. Just a few of these old conversations have been turned into successful metal detecting hunts. The main thing I have missed out on is the history of a dig that assures you that every find will be a treasure.
Wait a minute.. so you're telling me you're not a supposed to eat the green apples 🍏🤔 then it seem someone has made a foolery out of me. I enjoyed you capturing Ralphs recollections, should have gave the old boy of butterscotch 🍬
Haha we aren’t talking Granny Smith type here. Not sure if it is an old wives tale but even I learned as a child not to eat green apples while they were small and unrippened. They produce intestinal gas and cramping. It could be true or false but what I was taught too. Now a Mayapple is poisonous if eaten before the frost soften and ripens it but it is found on a plant not a tree and looks like a green apple. Could be where the tale originated from.
Ralph was heartsick to see it in this condition. He and his brother both watched the video and commented on what needs to be done. Both are 80ish and in poor health so time is not on this houses side.
There you go! Get the jump on "Old Chigg"! 😆!Very interesting, that some of the descendents of the origonal pioneers can tell the history and pass it down!Most of the community moved out in 1922 due to not being able to keep a teacher up there! Man those mountain kids must of been rough on the school teachers! Lol!
Hehe. Were I retired but being a father my money has to go there first. Now if I had a Patreon or a wealthy fan.....or even a channel sponsor but I have none of those.
i love your videos, subscribed immediately. please, please can you see about getting that well covered? i am thinking of animals and children; the land owner may wish to avoid a lawsuit brought by a trespasser.
Thanks for the Sub!!! I hope you enjoy the videos....my early videos were learning curves with figuring out how to do videos...so...still to my newer ones....LOL
@@AppalachianHistoryDetectives i am certain that you know all this, however for those who don't, some may find this interesting: as regards arrowheads and stone tools, they can tell us much more than one might think. i used to work for an archeologist who, as he was teaching me about finding "points", was standing on one. i reached down and pulled it out from under his foot, and said "Like this?" it turned out to be an 8,000+ yr old Paleo Point, which he registered with the State of New Mexico. to me, it was just an arrowhead, but he recognized it right away. also, when one finds a potentially significant find, it's essential to register its provenance, without which historical meaning can be lost or compromised; GPS makes that so easy now! You have an excellent ability to "read" the land where you detect and dig, as does your kitten loving friend, The Chigg. as regards looking for First Nation's Artifacts, i have since moving to New Mexico learned to find a pleasant spot where i might like to sit and spend some time sitting and working, out here that might be a pleasant prairie hill top, mound or mesa, remembering that people lived in defensible areas. (i leave things as i find them, i don't collect) once i find a spot, i start looking around for bits of flake scatter, the detritus of chipping away on rock. my archeologist friend would get out and just walk for miles in the wide open spaces here, finding the stories the land was willing to tell him, such as, at what was a doorway of a cabin foundation which had a pile of bullet casings all around it, evidence of a homestead defense firefight. i know your geography is very different than that of the Desert Southwest, but the land always has a story to tell, doesn't it? i grew up in houston, tx, where everything in our neighborhood was houses, lawns and concrete, not much of an ancient story to tell, unless one looked at the street sign for the large boulevard, just two blocks from our house: Old Spanish Trail.
I do cover wells and did an episode on doing this very thing....it costs me about $16 for the wood and I lay it over the hole......Indian artifacts are very interesting to me. Check out the channel Coyote Arrowhead on UA-cam.
@@AppalachianHistoryDetectives thank you for covering wells. my brother fell into an open cistern fighting a prairie fire at night in north texas. he balanced on debris in water up to his neck for quite awhile, wasn't found until the fire fighters were all leaving, and his wife missed him; she thought his bellowing was a cow in the distance. those volunteer firefighters got to do a real rescue! i figured you already knew all that info about Indian artifacts, but a reader might not. good hunting!
Oh my goodness....it is a miracle he is alive!! I have come upon open wells no wider than your shoulders and deeper than 20 feet to the water. Dreadful thoughts...
First time I watched you. Very interesting. Tearing a hole in the ground Hahaha just kills me! You fill them up afterwards? You guy's mangle the spot like a 19 year old in prison!🏴☠️🎃
No worries. We have been doing this a long time. We try to “leave no trace behind” and smooth over the plug and replace in kind. In past videos you will see we explain this in the video.
Yes because of COVID I couldn’t interview him until late Summer. We shot this in April but I held it until I could interview him. Ralph has health issues so the timing had to be right. I hope it was worth the wait though.
Shame their logging the land- that’s a lot of wilderness gone. Hopefully some of it grows back or they’ll have wildlife in their houses. That’s why some areas have cougar issues. Hopefully these guys don’t have that issue scary when children around there and that happens 😳
The forest has reclaimed this area of "Egypt" as you will see in upcoming episodes all that is left of the community are chimney stacks in the woods along long forgotten paths.
Wade email me at Appalachianhistorydetectives@gmail.com. I will send you my personal address on there so it’s not here on the web. Thanks for getting back.
Hey Anthony I know exactly where you live. I used to own a 50 acre farm there between Proctorville and Chesapeake Ohio. I worked in Huntington. If you can find permissions in Guyandot, you might do well there. It was settled early and has some Civil War activity there too.
@@AppalachianHistoryDetectives YEP I'm here in proctorville...that's something that you use to have a Farm here. Where abouts was your farm. I have 46 acres out 775 .....
Damn, it’s absolutely BEAUTIFUL out there!!! I want to go live out there!! That’s my idea of heaven!! I wonder if Mr. Ralph wants to sell me about 20 acres back by the old school, the meadow and the pond?? 🤔 I have a little bit of an idea where this is!! 😉 I started my Forestry career many moons ago working up on the George Washington National Forest up around Harrisonburg & often worked in WV. I absolutely ❤️ it up there!!! I adore Mr. Ralph!!! I could listen to his stories all day long!!! This is my favorite video so far that y’all have done!!!! And of course u ended it with my absolute favorite bluegrass tune!!!! Old Home Sweet Home!!! Great job!!
We are real close to the George Washington National Forest and drive through it to get to the land. We have a place in Franklin WV and Harrisonburg is but an hour from me. Ralph has a lot of land. He has had so many offers for it but has it in a Conservative Trust. I have more videos with Ralph coming up. We found other homesteads up on that mountain he talks about. I showed Ralph the video and it touched him. He was wiping tears away. I was honored to feature him.
@@AppalachianHistoryDetectives Todd, you really are what people call "Salt of the earth" it shows in your words and what you put into the videos. Thank You in times like these it's a welcome sight.
Wow...they didn't have money when he was young...but he said he had a good childhood. Having a piece of homemade butterscotch candy was a big deal. Happy with what they did have regardless how little. Memories of his mom cooking and baking. He was a rich man back then....he had family and love....now he has warm, fond, memories. What great values those people had...almost unheard of today. So sad. Another great video, Todd. Well done. Thanks for the take along. Stay safe and healthy.
Thanks Allen and yes he is rich in many ways as were others like him and who lived simple lives. You see we rarely find coins but these poor mountain folk were the real deal and it is sad seeing them pass into history. He got to see the video and he has tears streaming down his face. It was very moving for me to watch him see it.
@@AppalachianHistoryDetectives So glad to see what you do for these people. I read another comment where he was offered $5m for the property but wouldn't sell. He has much respect from me...money isn't everything...and it doesn't buy happiness or peace of mind. He has much honor, dignity, respect,and pride. Those things can't be bought. He is truly rich in other ways. He found happiness.
@@allanwilkerson6426 yep and the offer was legit and covered by the media. Thoughts of home were more to him than money and I have a ton of respect for him.
@@AppalachianHistoryDetectives that's how great you are, now I'm having a we cry thanks Todd for sharing and caring 💛
Documentary style was absorbing. Nice work Todd!
Pretty neat video and gorgeous mountain retreat/ hunting lodge!😀👍
I live near the appalachian trail in Maine. It's amazing & very emotional every time I step foot in there. I listened to my mom's (&her siblings, she's # 9 of 12) stories of her childhood. These young ones of today have no clue of what's up. They think they "have it rough". Lol thank you for your time and what you do for us. I'm enjoying history with you & the stealth diggers (N. H.) ❤️🙏😷
Thanks and Maine is gorgeous too. My wife’s family is from up there and we have visited them a time or two, Sabago Lake. Maine and WV are very much alike. I tell you the old timers had it rough, even walking everywhere, hand felling trees, collecting firewood, plowing and just everything was labor. Now it’s all woods. I bet your mom has a lot of fond memories to share.
Nice ...Todd. A little bedtime episode. Thank you brother.
Thanks William.
Another good one ! I used to love the stories from the old folks when I was a kid in the blue ridge...I found a pair of scissors like that in the middle of nowhere.
The Blue Ridge is some beautiful country. I thought these scissors might have been associated with the school but Ralph said there was a barn there. The teacher tied his mare in the barn so they could have fallen out of his pocket.
Thanks for some fantastic history Todd. The way you tell those storys captures the heart. Your a good story teller my friend.
Thanks and I appreciate the comment.
Thanks for the great history!
Glad you enjoyed it
That was a awesome adventure y'all had. Loved Ralph....when you asked about his youth you could tell he missed it. Sometimes money ain't the only thing to make a great childhood memories.
Yep. I could sense it too and why I asked. I want to take him up there soon.
@@AppalachianHistoryDetectives that would be awesome 💗
History Stories old foundation or Homestead and always Relics from our grandparents and Forgotten generations ago that have a story to tell unwritten in books very special to learn of Names and Places from where our
Predecessors Lived out their Lives.
Thank Y'all for caring enough to share and allow Us to tag along and try to imagine life
From the early America.
Great Videos Todd Beau and a few more who make this all possible.
Thanks Donald. Kids today have no interests in going to a library or book reading so much and what better way to bring history to them in a visual tangible way and provide them a story about the place with it....I wish more people would value the videos for what they are and not just as a form of entertainment or treasure hunting. You do and I have a lot of fans that do but 60% of my viewers never subscribe or comment and those that hit the dislike think I talk too much or never find treasure or my film quality is too bad. I admit I’m no expert at any of this and have only been at it a year but I appreciate your feedback and being a loyal fan.
I love seeing coins and valuable stuff, but history is way more cool! The story tells us how they lived, way to go
I like it a lot, good to see the fued is done. Great to see you both together again.
Hey Ron thanks for the comment. Time will tell....
Good timing thanks for the video .EA did t haven one tonight. So glad to see yours
Thanx Todd and Chigg really enjoyed it
What an awesome video! Well done!
I love watching your videos, and enjoy seeing West Virginia again. My family comes from Harrison, Taylor and Upshur counties. Would love to go back and detect some of the old home places someday.
Thanks for the really interesting story that Mr. Ralph told. Mr. Todd, it's great that you are always trying to find people who can pass on stories from the past. In this way, you and Mr. Beau will be able to find and examine old buildings or the remains of them, even with the help of old maps. What you document always pays off, even if you often have to walk a long way. It turned out to be a nice video again and I'm already looking forward to the second part☘️💫🤩
Great video Todd that's some beautiful property you were on. I love the history of our great state. 👍
I love your adventures. The History you provide is very interesting. Love the interview of the inhabitants there who provide prospectives and actual real-life memories to provide real experiences where the searches take place.
Thanks Clovis. Check out “The last resident of LaFollettesville” if not already. I have many others like that too but that was the first one.
Love when your videos have the interviews. Those “old timers” are the best finds!
Todd my prayer to you is that you find more coins than old junk in "21". Love your channel
Todd time to find a nice four wheel “mule” back country ride. Isn’t it amazing how many places no longer worked that kept families fed before their itchy feet led them on to Indiana, Nebraska, California and Oregon!
You got that right! Unfortunately I'm a father of three and adopting a 4th child so my money is very tight. I have a truck and a trailer, but just can't afford a 4 wheeler....
Lucky youngsters all four! I grew up going camping with my folks so my Dad and Brothers could go hunting and fishing. Mother says my first fishing trip was when I was 14 days old so I’d be seen as one of the family. I have some wonderful memories of playing in the woods and creeks of a weekend! Love to see you with your kids!
Enjoyed Ralph’s stories of his family and the area. Looking forward to Part II
I really love seeing old historical places like that and hearing there stories Lena from Missouri
Awesome finds Todd and chiggers always love you two s videos like to hear Ralph tell some good stuff thank you both for these vids
Fantastic show really enjoyed it
Thanks Tom
I thoroughly enjoyed this wonderful video. So sad to see a way of life disappearing from our great country. While listening to Ralph, I could almost envision my father sitting there talking and sharing his family's stories. Dad was born on 2 Feb1923 in Texas. His family migrated to Oklahoma about 4 years later which is where he grew up, met mom and, I was born.
It is very interesting to listen to these Senior Citizens relate their life's circumstances, the hardships but, the closeness of family members.
Thanks for sharing another great video and, taking us along for the ride.
Stan
Thanks Stan. My dad was born in Faxon OK in 1927. It’s where his side of my family is from. My wife is from Texas. Small world. I wish he were alive so I could capture his stories.
Enjoyed the video. Always a great adventure. Y'all make s wonderful team. Keep up the awesome job.
Thanks
Nice video , loved it. Todd on the lantern piece you found on the turn wheel for the wick adjustment a lot of them will have the patent date on the wheel, I've found several of them the best one I found was on a property near a civil war camp the date on the turn wheel was Sept. 24, 1863.I thought that was interesting considering Union troops were camped near by. Great Story about the area you and Beau were detecting .
Thanks for sharing it with us.
I will take a look at it. I didn’t know this so I will have to see if something is on there. This one is i good shape so maybe....it was found in the old teachers house. I could imagine her there grading papers by the oil light.
I love watching and learning. I too live in WV. Only all the city's I live around tell me metal detecting is a no go!! But I sure have a "clean" yard!! lol I should join a club.
Tell them you are history hunting and Metal Detecting is just part of it. That’s what I do. Hehe.
Awesome video, beautiful place and I love the history. Keep up the great work Todd. I can't wait to see the next part of the story.
Thanks Sarah.
Another great video. Thank you.
Excellent, well done, man!
Thanks friend!
Live in Georgia about hour away (if that) from where the Appalachian trail begins. One day I'd love to hike it all the way up to Maine.....my bucket list item.
My best friend did it. You can too. Never too old to try.
Nice bit of history!
Thanks George.
It is truly wonderful that you got to interview Ralph about the history of the place Todd. Too often it is too late and the information is lost. What a lovely and interesting place that was. So many things to see and enjoy. It seemed very peaceful there, a place where folks may have been poor in money but rich in family traditions, and living off the land. Sad that folks couldn't get a teacher, but that was often the case in rural area's like that. It was the same out here, which is why you can be out hiking and stumble across old ghost towns and remains of train trestle's and old logging cabins and camps. Folk come and folks go and life keeps moving ever onward. People have to move where they can survive and all too often that meant moving into the cities or bigger towns for work.
I know in the case of my own paternal grandparents, they held on as long as they could in Oklahoma, (until 1936), but the dust bowl and depression took everything they had. All they had was a few blankets and the clothes on their back, so they packed all of their belongings and their two young sons, into their Model T Ford, and drove all the way to Washington state, where we have been ever since.
Thanks for another wonderful adventure, they are always interesting and thought provoking.
Ralph is the real treasure. I could easily sit and talk with him for hours, and just as easily spend days exploring the properties. Thanks for bringing us along for the adventure, and telling the stories before they are forgotten.😎
Fascinating
Todd Great video Love that old cabin neat relics inside dont spend all your found wealth in 1 place. Wildcat hollow looks like the area we hunt in rocky and hilly. Thanks again
We go back. I have several videos up in that Hollow. It’s so far back there and tough to get too. I would like to go back again for sure.
My Night just got lot better always love your videos thank you for taking us along take care
Always Mary
Another great adventure. Too bad there are no pictures from before. Still, the little things you find tell a lot of stories. Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it
Good video you guys Keep up the good work You will be rewarded in heaven
Thanks Dwelly.
I Loved Hearing Ralph’s Story About His Family
What a beautiful property. You're interview with Ralph, you're great storytelling and wonderful video really brought it to life for me. I love seeing new places but know I'll never get to see everything. I really appreciate the work you do in putting these videos together so thank you. See you on the next one.
Thanks Roelf. Never say never. You get something there I will come down and meet you.
Love that you tell the history of these places I’m always so curious who lived there what they did and why did they leave. America may be a young country but our history is pretty cool and pretty vast so I’m glad there are channels like this. They should show ur videos in schools kids would like history more if they saw this I know I would have. As I got older I appreciated it more as a kid not so much- this would help that.
Many others have said the same thing including my kids. My Bible verse at the end would override the educational value to them though and doubtful would get out of the gate, so I haven't bothered pursuing that.
Hello you too!!! Great hunt! Enjoy you both!!!
Thanks
I enjoyed that takes me back to grandmas place in wva
This was in WV but very remote. We loved discovering it. Chigg and I are both West Virginians
Another great adventure from you two great job . One of you two should look into a ATV to get to some of these hard to get to places
Yep got one now. This property has no roads in but one and it’s well gated. We do get the key after this video but ATVs a must.
Awesome tunes finds an history as always . Be good to get Ralph one last look at the old place from standining on or in it an not just from a video of it . You can tell thier army jeeps from the light as it got a shade on it an narrowed slot in the cover an thats to keep planes from seeing them , the iron thing with ball cup thing on one end an tweezer like ends is for measuring an making a particular sized musket ball .
Ralph has agreed for me to take him up there before Spring’s out. I showed him the video and ha sat there and cried. I felt the video had purpose if nothing more but to be a tribute to him. He wants to see the MeMiner Cave. As a kid he remembers fearing falling into it. He was so happy we dug it out.
@@AppalachianHistoryDetectives i knew he would cry with memories an the state of the places he once roamed an called home once he seen the videos . I bet he would be happy to see the cave an see folks animals etc wont get trapped in it . Make sure you capture everything said on video an make sure you have alot of batteries fully charged as can gaurantee thier goin to be alot of stories bieng told an a good lot of pen an paper as might be a good way to remap where things like rds places etc were .
Great location and finds. Ralph's narrative adds a first person addition to the rich history of Appalacia (sp?). An other awsome vid and history lesson Todd. "Dirty hands are happy hands" 👍✌
Thanks Frank. Yes Ralph’s story and memories trumped the history I found. It had been decades since he seen the place and I wanted him to see the video. He did and cried. Sometimes saving history is hearing their story.
Ralph was so excited to hear stories about the family I remember my grandmother make salt water taffy we in heaven Todd great information about your video stay blessed 👍❤🍺you guys might need a drink
Yep that day we ran out of water early. It was such a long and hard hike in there.
Awesome video todd. You do an awesome/amazing job telling the story's an creating your videos. Thank you for taking us all along on another adventure with all the old home places an the old school. Sad to see it's almost gone but now it will never be forgotten thanks to you an the chigg an ralph. I hope ralph reply appreciateated you doing the video of a past time in his life an letting him go back in time an remembering the wonderful times that he spent with his family an friends growing up as a young lad. Like he said they were really great times but there just wasn't much money. Although they were happy as a family could be, in that time era at the old home place. I thank you again, for taking the time to do the work that it takes to put it all together. The story, the photos, an of course the relics that you all found on the old home place. It's all the little things you do that makes it so great. Todd your doing an awesome job with your videos, so pay no attention to any nay sayers. An the best part about it is that you an the chigg are having a great time together as true friends an that means more then most people can ever imagine, or even get to experience in life its self. So keep on keeping on my brother. You guys rock. Saving history one video/story at a time. As always safe an happy hunting/digging. See you guys soon, wishing you an your families a safe an happy/healthy halloween holiday together. 😁👍👍.👻🎃💀👺
Damn, it’s absolutely BEAUTIFUL out there!!! I want to go live out there!! That’s my idea of heaven!! I wonder if Mr. Ralph wants to sell me about 20 acres back by the old school, the meadow and the pond?? 🤔 I have a little bit of an idea where this is!! 😉 I started my Forestry career many moons ago working up on the George Washington National Forest up around Harrisonburg & often worked in WV. I absolutely ❤️ it up there!!! I adore Mr. Ralph!!! I could listen to his stories all day long!!! This is my favorite video so far that y’all have done!!!! And of course u ended it with my absolute favorite bluegrass tune!!!! Old Home Sweet Home!!! Great job!!
Oh he has been offered $5M for all of it....and wouldn't sell. It is beautiful up there and I thank you for the comment....
Its close to capon bridge. There was another town on the other side of the mountain called Little Egypt. It had a school and 2 churches. It was abandoned around the same time. One church still stands.
Love the history on this, and wonderful that Mr Ralph, could tell you about his family. No, people were poor, but there were children with imagination, and they were raised with values. The whole family had jobs on the farm, and kids didn't sit on there duffs, and complain they were bored. One thing about it, everywhere you put your shovel you came up with a piece of history. The found items Maybe not worth a lot in money, but brings back history, and the people of this land. By the by, I understand your language, {rotning away} we have ours too, I was born in Oklahoma, but raised mostly in California. I was teased about my accent for years, and about being born in Oklahoma. By the by, came from Grandma, I never heard anyone else say that before, she was a 4th generation Texan. I do prattle on, have a good one.
@
Appalachian History Detectives So what happened here? Why was everything (including the neighborhood) left behind?
The community was so remote and the school could not get a teacher after the prior one left so the families eventually moved out leaving the family without small kids the owners of all the land. The school closed in 1922. By 1924 six of eight families moved off the mountain.
@@AppalachianHistoryDetectives Wow. What a crazy history. I guess one can be TOO self sufficient, I'm coming to believe.
It seems the community could not get a school teacher to move to that very rural part of the mountains. What we are willing to do for our children 🎉grandchildren today, must have been the norm for parents back in the day. They wanted their children to have a better life than they did.
Great video Todd. I am going to try and get a new medal detector around the first of the year. My dream vacation is to leave Knoxville, Tennessee and head your way and get you and the Chigg to teach me a little. Now all I will need to do is talk my Wonderful Grandbabies out of going to the beach. Lol
That is exactly what I was planning on. Thank You for the Great stories and relics videos.
Hey Todd the rotten ingredients Jeep was the highlight of the day! Just kidding, what a Beautiful piece of history and such a shame that something as simple as a teacher killed a village! Looks like you found a bullet mold as well and didn’t film it, that’s a relic on my short bucket list.... outstanding find!
Every time I see a home like that it makes want to roll up my sleeves and get busy restoring it. We compared to europe just don't put forth the effort to preserve the historic buildings that held the people who shaped this nation. I'd love to come down from Ohio and walk the land there just to see what's hidden in the ground and share in the stories of life there on farm.
I do recall the story of the farmer who owned the bottom land and helped keep the community going and at the same time made his fortune.
Always a pleasure to watch these videos. Many thanks guys!👍
@@AppalachianHistoryDetectives I'm on the north coast, but I'd definitely load up the van and head south!.
When you gonna get to them old Moon Shine spots ?
There’s several up near these houses but it is at least a 5 mile hike to get into. No roads.
Great video. I could almost hear the kids' voices. Thanks.
Did the folks there basically hail from the same European country? (I guess it is European looking at Ralph).
I bet a local tv channel would be interested in this video!
Most were from England up here in this community but not all. There were some Irish and German families too. Sad about the 2 year old huh?
@@AppalachianHistoryDetectives Yes... that must have been quite a blow.
"Pioneer children" and "Medical Care in ..." would be interesting themes. Visits to schools, teachers, hospitals etc would give nice overviews with the metal detecting taking viewers back to those days 'hands on'. This video is a great example of those elements.
When you are looking for these lost houses in the woods, try using the satellite images online to search for them. Winter time images when the leaves are off the trees and grass is dead works the best.
Any idea what the item is at 27:47?
Hey Gordon no idea. I have found one of these before a few videos back. Hopefully someone will know.
jam up video fellas . loved the history of the place an mr ralph. looks like your gettin in your work out. the rottening sounds like a horror movie. ha ha. im gonna go read some poe now. lookin forward to the next'n
I was tired for sure. Rottening still sounds right to me...😂
First item looks like a whistle?
I have spoken to my Ralph equivalents here on the Eastern Shore for years. Why I never thought of taking notes, I would never know, but it was one of the biggest mistakes I have made in my life. Please, you youngsters out there, please learn from my mistakes. I bet I can't remember a tenth of the fascinating stories and old folk tales I was told. Most were dealing with ancestors and neighbors long gone. Just a few of these old conversations have been turned into successful metal detecting hunts. The main thing I have missed out on is the history of a dig that assures you that every find will be a treasure.
We are losing their history and they have a lot to say but that generation is passing quickly.
Wait a minute.. so you're telling me you're not a supposed to eat the green apples 🍏🤔 then it seem someone has made a foolery out of me. I enjoyed you capturing Ralphs recollections, should have gave the old boy of butterscotch 🍬
Haha we aren’t talking Granny Smith type here. Not sure if it is an old wives tale but even I learned as a child not to eat green apples while they were small and unrippened. They produce intestinal gas and cramping. It could be true or false but what I was taught too. Now a Mayapple is poisonous if eaten before the frost soften and ripens it but it is found on a plant not a tree and looks like a green apple. Could be where the tale originated from.
The house looks like it could use some of those old square nails used in it.
Ralph was heartsick to see it in this condition. He and his brother both watched the video and commented on what needs to be done. Both are 80ish and in poor health so time is not on this houses side.
Followed you over from the Aquachigger channel! Garnered a new sub!
Thanks for subbing
There you go! Get the jump on "Old Chigg"! 😆!Very interesting, that some of the descendents of the origonal pioneers can tell the history and pass it down!Most of the community moved out in 1922 due to not being able to keep a teacher up there! Man those mountain kids must of been rough on the school teachers! Lol!
Haha yep! There is actually a newspaper article on this community back in the day and how hard it was keeping teachers due to its remoteness.
It's a float from a carburetor. Love the show.
Why do you not have 4 wheelers to travel around in?
Hehe. Were I retired but being a father my money has to go there first. Now if I had a Patreon or a wealthy fan.....or even a channel sponsor but I have none of those.
i love your videos, subscribed immediately.
please, please can you see about getting that well covered? i am thinking of animals and children; the land owner may wish to avoid a lawsuit brought by a trespasser.
Thanks for the Sub!!! I hope you enjoy the videos....my early videos were learning curves with figuring out how to do videos...so...still to my newer ones....LOL
@@AppalachianHistoryDetectives i am certain that you know all this, however for those who don't, some may find this interesting: as regards arrowheads and stone tools, they can tell us much more than one might think. i used to work for an archeologist who, as he was teaching me about finding "points", was standing on one. i reached down and pulled it out from under his foot, and said "Like this?" it turned out to be an 8,000+ yr old Paleo Point, which he registered with the State of New Mexico. to me, it was just an arrowhead, but he recognized it right away. also, when one finds a potentially significant find, it's essential to register its provenance, without which historical meaning can be lost or compromised; GPS makes that so easy now!
You have an excellent ability to "read" the land where you detect and dig, as does your kitten loving friend, The Chigg. as regards looking for First Nation's Artifacts, i have since moving to New Mexico learned to find a pleasant spot where i might like to sit and spend some time sitting and working, out here that might be a pleasant prairie hill top, mound or mesa, remembering that people lived in defensible areas. (i leave things as i find them, i don't collect) once i find a spot, i start looking around for bits of flake scatter, the detritus of chipping away on rock.
my archeologist friend would get out and just walk for miles in the wide open spaces here, finding the stories the land was willing to tell him, such as, at what was a doorway of a cabin foundation which had a pile of bullet casings all around it, evidence of a homestead defense firefight. i know your geography is very different than that of the Desert Southwest, but the land always has a story to tell, doesn't it? i grew up in houston, tx, where everything in our neighborhood was houses, lawns and concrete, not much of an ancient story to tell, unless one looked at the street sign for the large boulevard, just two blocks from our house: Old Spanish Trail.
I do cover wells and did an episode on doing this very thing....it costs me about $16 for the wood and I lay it over the hole......Indian artifacts are very interesting to me. Check out the channel Coyote Arrowhead on UA-cam.
@@AppalachianHistoryDetectives thank you for covering wells. my brother fell into an open cistern fighting a prairie fire at night in north texas. he balanced on debris in water up to his neck for quite awhile, wasn't found until the fire fighters were all leaving, and his wife missed him; she thought his bellowing was a cow in the distance. those volunteer firefighters got to do a real rescue!
i figured you already knew all that info about Indian artifacts, but a reader might not. good hunting!
Oh my goodness....it is a miracle he is alive!! I have come upon open wells no wider than your shoulders and deeper than 20 feet to the water. Dreadful thoughts...
I think the first item you found was a bull's nose ring.
Who owns that area today....
The original landowner.....he inherited and is featured in many of my videos from this period.
First time I watched you. Very interesting. Tearing a hole in the ground Hahaha just kills me! You fill them up afterwards? You guy's mangle the spot like a 19 year old in prison!🏴☠️🎃
No worries. We have been doing this a long time. We try to “leave no trace behind” and smooth over the plug and replace in kind. In past videos you will see we explain this in the video.
Dang this was almost from last year, lol.
Yes because of COVID I couldn’t interview him until late Summer. We shot this in April but I held it until I could interview him. Ralph has health issues so the timing had to be right. I hope it was worth the wait though.
@@AppalachianHistoryDetectives I knew it looked familiar. It's a beautiful piece of land. I hope it never gets developed.
Oh and yes the spot with Ralph epic! I'd have gone nuts! So cool man stopped me from taking a shower!🏴☠️🎃
Shame their logging the land- that’s a lot of wilderness gone. Hopefully some of it grows back or they’ll have wildlife in their houses. That’s why some areas have cougar issues. Hopefully these guys don’t have that issue scary when children around there and that happens 😳
The forest has reclaimed this area of "Egypt" as you will see in upcoming episodes all that is left of the community are chimney stacks in the woods along long forgotten paths.
Black smith made them old Scissors .
I believe it. Less than 100 yards from this find is the Blacksmith Shop ruins. I couldn't detect that area due to the bramble briars.
Any ginsengers cross your path.
Ring might be a bull ring
Let me get your address somehow and I'll get those books sent to you. Unless you decide you don't want them. Stay safe.
Wade email me at Appalachianhistorydetectives@gmail.com. I will send you my personal address on there so it’s not here on the web. Thanks for getting back.
its fun to go back and look but i DO NOT want to go back and live it .
Nope me either. I like my hot showers...and electricity
I would love to Detect. Old places like you find. I'm in ohio. Just across the river of Guyandot WV
Hey Anthony I know exactly where you live. I used to own a 50 acre farm there between Proctorville and Chesapeake Ohio. I worked in Huntington. If you can find permissions in Guyandot, you might do well there. It was settled early and has some Civil War activity there too.
@@AppalachianHistoryDetectives YEP I'm here in proctorville...that's something that you use to have a Farm here. Where abouts was your farm. I have 46 acres out 775 .....
@@anthonylewis9572 County Road 104 I believe. It’s been decades ago.
always a great adventure with you guys stay safe and cant wait to see the next one
Damn, it’s absolutely BEAUTIFUL out there!!! I want to go live out there!! That’s my idea of heaven!! I wonder if Mr. Ralph wants to sell me about 20 acres back by the old school, the meadow and the pond?? 🤔 I have a little bit of an idea where this is!! 😉 I started my Forestry career many moons ago working up on the George Washington National Forest up around Harrisonburg & often worked in WV. I absolutely ❤️ it up there!!! I adore Mr. Ralph!!! I could listen to his stories all day long!!! This is my favorite video so far that y’all have done!!!! And of course u ended it with my absolute favorite bluegrass tune!!!! Old Home Sweet Home!!! Great job!!
We are real close to the George Washington National Forest and drive through it to get to the land. We have a place in Franklin WV and Harrisonburg is but an hour from me.
Ralph has a lot of land. He has had so many offers for it but has it in a Conservative Trust. I have more videos with Ralph coming up. We found other homesteads up on that mountain he talks about. I showed Ralph the video and it touched him. He was wiping tears away. I was honored to feature him.
@@AppalachianHistoryDetectives Todd, you really are what people call "Salt of the earth" it shows in your words and what you put into the videos.
Thank You in times like these it's a welcome sight.