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agates
Live in Mississippi, those pictures of the agates are very beautiful. Was wondering if you can suggest any places or if you know any places I can hunt for agates here.
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Posted:
Jan 16 2009, 11:02 PM EST by
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arrowheads
I live on the Mississippi GulfCoast and was wondering if anyone can tell me if they know of any place to hunt for arrowheads or maybe in Alabama
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Posted:
Jan 16 2009, 10:26 PM EST by
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Anywhere in Illinois
The banks of the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers.
That is allot of terrain to cover, but then again there
were allot of homes washed away back in the
flood of 1993.
Pick a spot.... any spot..... and try your luck.
Sand bars, islands, river banks, shallows.
Just be careful and take a few friends along.
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Posted:
Jan 10 2008, 7:43 AM EST by
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Patagonianstar
"Dear Bill :
Weis Museum agate Show was amazing! We met old and new friends there. And people in Menasha made ua feel at home , although we were thousands of miles away.
Of course , you may post our pictures! Please , let us know how to find the web-site later.
And ... may we take a look at your Cumberland Plateau Agates?
All our best!
Ricardo & Claudia Birnie" Yes I will show some of my agates. A have a wide variety of agates but I have one of the better collections of the Cumberland Agates. They include Kentucky Agate, Tennessee Paint Rock, and Alabama Paint Rock. The agate are sedimentary agate of the late Mississippi Era in the Pennington formation. The Cumberland is a wide Plateau that is hundreds of miles long. Its sides are steep slopes and cliffs that blocked early pioneers moving west until Daniel Boone discovered the Gap in the Cumberland. It is one of the most wild and beautiful regions in the eastern United States. The agate are found between the sandstone Bluffs and the limestone . The interface forms a bench where the agate can be found, I have written an article on the agates.
Bill
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Posted:
Jul 29 2008, 11:26 PM EDT by
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hunting locations near st. louis?
Often times treasure hunters and prospectors don't like to share
notes because it increases competition in the field. But in my case
my knowledge of such places involves allot of walking, and more
area to cover than I could ever hope to cover by myself. So I don't
mind helping out other people that are interested in it.
1.) Forrest Park
2.) Shodoe Island
(I-270 crosses it, It is the area between the Mississippi
and the canal bridge before you reach the Route 3 exit.
in Illinois.) This entire area used to be populated by
homes and trailer parks before the flood of 1993 which
pretty much whiped them all out. Good place to look
if you know where the towns and houses used to be.
3.) West Alton
Also ravaged by flooding in 1993, the slou areas back by the river
are good places to look as well. Just follow Hwy 94 off of 367 through
West Alton over the levy and around the curve to the stop sign and
make a right turn, followit to the river and you will see a boat ramp
and a parking area. It is safe to park there and go for a walk with
your metal detector. Just don't offend the locals of the Brickhouse
Slou Association which live in that area. They grow pot back there
in the Spring and early Summer. The stuff grows like... well, weeds.
Stick to the water's edge and display your metal detector to anyone
that drives by looking at you funny... and you should be alright.
4.) Royal Landing
Across Brussel's Ferry on the Great River Road. Used to be a
popular party spot. Good place to look.
In case you haven't noticed, I'm from the Bi-State region myself, .
I sold my last Metal detector when money got tight, but I am looking
to get back into it again. Maybe we should form a club?
Posted:
Dec 28 2007, 3:45 AM EST by
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9/11 remembrances and all things patriotic
i saw some of the services for 9/11 yesterday. i remember exactly where i was, and the first few things that i did after that.
i thought that maybe this thread could be for several reasons, but NO POLITICS, please.
1. a list of those family members that are in the service, were in the service, went to war, etc.
2. stories you've heard from those who have been in the service, like parents, sisters, brothers, friends.
ok. i'll go first.
my 18, soon to be 19 year old nephew, Evan Beuk, was in the civil air patrol as a junior member all through high school, and rotc in his senior year. last summer he joined the air force, knowing that a few weeks after he graduated from high school, he was going to basic. He's finished, i think, now finished at Lackland AFB, and is or will be off to a base in mississippi. what are his future plans? to be an air traffic controller!!
my dad joined the navy 9 months before the end of the war. Because he had a master's degree in biochemistry, they made him a pharmacists mate. dad used to tell us, as children, about sailing the high seas, being in huge waves, and being in such a big ship, that he never felt them. we sure believed that for years, until mom FINALLY spilled the beans, he trained at great lakes, and was stationed at every land-locked base in the US.
as a 30+ year old, we had a neighbor who was a lifer in the navy, and was out for at least 15 years. when i told him what dad did while in the service, he literally doubled over with laughter!!! i couldn't understand the laughter until he told me that dad was a p---er-checker!!! at the time, i was mortified! Bill, our neighbor, told us that i turned every colour red, and then turned absolutely white. when dad came to visit us the next time, i asked him about it. apparently it was just part of his duties. he also gave baths, passed out medications, took out stitches and things like that in the base hospital.
nan
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Putting a group together in the St. Louis, MO. bi-state area.
Also, I have done some research on what
I am preparing to do and I have discovered
that another good tool to have for hunting
treasure besides a metal detector is a
good light weight aluminum or fiberglass
canoe, to reach sand bars and islands on
rivers that would otherwise be inaccessible.
There were allot of homes washed away
in the Floor of 1993 by the Missouri, Illinois,
and Mississippi Rivers.
There is allot of terrain to cover, and allot
of things that were never recovered.
Finders keepers.
Yep.....I'm thinking big. This will be a serious effort
to recover any and all metal objects that may be of
value even as a raw material.
Think of all the silver plateware, jewelry, and other such
items that could be just waiting to be found out there
either on the river banks or other areas.
That is why I am putting the people and resources
together to go check these areas out. Because as
an enterprising entrepreneur I am almost positive
that there is quite allot out there to be found.
Posted:
Jan 6 2008, 4:30 AM EST by
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Brining out the big boys..April NFMS/LGMC rock & mineral show tomorrow
My great grandfather Wison Wallace fought in a number of battles. He was shot through the thigh at Corinth Mississippi but recovered to fight again. He was taken prisoner at Port Hudson Louisiana but after being released in a prisoner exchanger joined the cavalry. I am surrounded by battles. Just 15 miles north of my home is the Pea Ridge National Battlefield Park where 26000 men fought for control of Missouri. The losses were 3400 men. Eighteen miles west of my home is the battle of Prairie Grove where Federal forces suffered 1,251 casualties and Confederate forces suffered 1,317 casualties. My great grandfather Hartwell Reynolds is buried just south of here in a unmarked soldier's grave. If I was into relic collecting, I guess I could have a load of artifacts. But out of respect for the men who fought on both sides I refrain from plundering the spots were thousands fought and died. My great grandfather Wilson Wallace (whom I am named for) died in 1938 returning from the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg.At the reunion Union and Confederate soldiers gathered together to remember the brave comrades and as men who have fought in battle; both sides stood together in respect for each other and as one nation. The big event was the dedication of the Eternal Light Peace Memorial (on Oak Hill), a ceremony highlighted by President Franklin Roosevelt’s speech and a joint Union/Confederate undraping of the memorial and lighting of its eternal flame. A sense of closure or finality pervaded the 1938 reunion. Everyone realized that the advanced age and frailty of the veterans would make further reunions of any decent size impractical, and that most of the old vets would soon be dead. The following link has rare film footage of the reunion.
http://www.nationalparkstraveler.com/2009/02/rare-motion-pictures-show-civil-war-veterans-75th-gettysburg-battle-anniversary
Db I thank you for your service in Nam. What branch of the service?
Bill
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Posted:
Apr 20 2009, 10:54 AM EDT by
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sunstones
I am an avid viewer of the Cash and Treasure series because it has revitalized
my long held interest in prospecting and gold mining in particular. From what I
have gathered from watching the show and doing a bit of research on my own
is that "Sunstones" are a rare form of vulcanic rock that is only found in a certain
part of the state of Oregon here in the United States. That is why they are so valuable
and rare... because they are found nowhere else in country or the World for that matter.
If your interested in huntin for some there was a place located approximately in the
center of the state of Oregon that was featured on Cash and Treasure that is open
to the public... but I think it costs so much a day to hunt for all you want or all you
can find. People were pulling out 5 gallon buckets of the things.
It seems that the problem is not finding the stones themselves but
buyers that are willing to pay the going rate for them by the karrat.
The stones themselves and jewelry made with them tend to set
on store shelves for quite some time before being bought compaired
to other precious stones... or so I hear.
I stick to the basics, gold, silver, gem stones like Turmoline, diamonds,
ruby, specimens of petrified wood, Mammoth Tusk Ivory.
That last one is pretty controversial... but highly prized by wealthy collectors.
And it can be found all over North America if you know where to look.
Mammoths were big heavy animals, that often sank in mud along a river's
edge. As a river changed course, the mud solidified into thickly packed clay
or dirt. They are often found in flood plains of large rivers like the Mississippi.
Happy Hunting.
Posted:
Dec 28 2007, 2:47 AM EST by
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Arkansas Diamond Trip March the 21st
"Bill you are ruthless! I am sitting here reading about a great southern breakfast and I am eating a stinky green salad! ewwww you mean! lol ;-) Breakfast sounds like it would be worth the trip alone.
But a couple of diamonds would put the icing on the cake for ya. OK.. Back to my salad. lol
Paul
" Notice I did not say GRITS. I am not that Southern. Arkansas is west of the Mississippi. Nor did I mention boiled peanuts or chitlings.(which are Pig guts) I also left out possum which is a greasy big rat. O I am sorry Paul I forget you are eating. Billie Ann is packing a Cajun lunch but I will refrain from describing the unbelievably Great food she is bringing. There are plenty of picnic tables under bottom land hardwoods. If I find the BIG ONE I will come to Washington and take the WIKI bunch for a steak diner.
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Posted:
Mar 17 2009, 7:23 PM EDT by
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Agate Anouncement
Swamp water logic - Thunderstorm thoughts & Rocky reasons , all are symptoms of brain swelling due to measurable amounts of nonsence associated with wet climate living. AKA - Brain Drain.
Rockhound geography 101 states if you reside West of the Mississippi - HERE'S YOUR SIGN - YOUR A WESTERNER
Posted:
May 13 2008, 8:56 AM EDT by
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Tips for Newbees places to collect
Great tip. The old gold prospectors knew that gold settles in pockets. In streams so does agates, other gems and gemstones. Steams sort by specific gravity. In a mountain creek there will be a mother load up stream at the host rock where the gems where formed. All the gem float in the stream came from that source. One can follow the trail and hopefully find the source. It is not always found; do to landslides, lava flows or other changes to the land. But I do not know how many agate sites I have found by following a stream to the source of the float. When the source is found a prospector can zero in on the very best material. When the mother load is found stay with it. Of course this does not work on a large river because the float could come from hundreds of miles away. Lake Superior agates can be found in Louisiana along the Mississippi.
Bill
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Posted:
Feb 22 2009, 2:06 PM EST by
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Hope all you Washington Folks are Safe
It was been an unusual winter in the Midwest. I normally do a lot of prospecting in the winter but the same storms that hit you are sweeping into the Midwest and north east. The upper Midwest and North East are being hit with heavy snow and blizzards. Here in Arkansas it is a wild roller coaster. We will have a few days of record warmth as the Gulf winds pour in ahead of the PNW fronts you guys are sending this way. In a matter of a few hours the temperatures will plunge 30 to 50 degrees. Yesterday was 68F and a Canadian clipper came through at 10:00 PM and this morning the lows were in the twenties. The weather bureau says that the jet steam is looping deep into the south setting up this roller coaster. In the south they are having winter tornadoes. We had a front come through with 70 mile per hour winds that took down trees and sent me hunting for my lawn furniture and garbage cans. Where I live it has not been near as bad as other parts of the country. What we dread in Arkansas is an Ice Storm. The state is one of the nation's major producer of forest products. An Ice Storm can cripple the state. The Mississippi Delta region of Arkansas is usual not hit hard but the forest lands can take a beating. We still have January and February left but we have not had an Ice Storm. New England has been devastated by a major Ice Storm. Tim and Sharron a moving to the southern part of the state which is timber lands and oil wells. It is a very mild climate in Southern Arkansas compared to the Ozark Mountains where I live. I guess most Northerners would say the same about where I live.Tom what we need is a ceremony to get the jet stream off your and our backs. I say this not flippantly but with respect. Our church has you all on or prayer list.
Bill
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Posted:
Jan 10 2009, 2:08 PM EST by
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saddle mnt wa
Great pic's! We are looking into moving to Yakima,Wa soon.Wondered how far itisto Saddle Mtn from there? If you could let me know of any rock places near Yakima I would love it. Is there a rock club in that area? Really looking foreward to getting back to the west as we have been east of the Mississippi river for the last 18 years. We ahve really missed the wide open spaces. As I said great pics and keep them comming. Tim
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Plate Tectonics of the Pacific Northwest
"One question i would like to ask. With so much contact metamorphic mineralization, why is there not more metals mining, and gems (emeralds, sapphires, zircons, large garnets, tourmaline etc)
Bill " That is a good question. WA has diverse geology, but fairly young orogeny. Of the N American metal mines I've worked in/around, all are in considerably older terranes. Our meta areas are high T, continental collision stuff ... lots of deformation, but very little infiltration of metals, and almost no void development. We have very little contact meta, and virtually no limestone, so little skarn. Denny Mt. is a notable exception, but that deposit is tiny. There are very few pegs, no complex pegs, no lithium. And, WA is the smallest state west of the Mississippi. Half of WA is covered in young flood basalt ... hardly a good place to look for gems or metals. The western half is dominated by young batholiths and recent volcanics. The batholiths host hydrothermal deposits and breccia zones which could concentrate metals, but the deposits found so far are small. the breccia deposits are rich in crystals, but only wierdos like those, LOL.
An interesting area to look at is in NE WA. The Republic graben is our best gold mining area ... more than 20 million ounces of gold recovered so far, and the largest WA mine ever, Crown Jewel, just starting up. The area, Okanogan Highlands, contains the oldest rocks in the state (pre-Cambrian). The second largest magnesium mine in the US is mining dolomite there. A good overview: http://www.dnr.wa.gov/ResearchScience/Topics/GeologyofWashington/Pages/okanogan.aspx
Bob
One question I have; what happened to all the black smoker material from the Juan de Fuca Ridge that would have been subducted? Those smokers analysed today are depositing Au, Pt and REE. Where did it go?
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Wet in Washington
I have noticed that there has been allot of rerun
episodes of Cash and Treasure on lately.
This means they are out filming and producing.
I made a comment on this site a while back about
drift wood and Petrified Wood, and a few weeks
later there was a killer episode about Petrified
Wood with specimens larger than I had ever seen.
I pick mine off the banks of the Mississippi River,
but they were using track hoes to dig these whole
petrified tree trunks out of a field... it was awsome.
The stuff is worth money.
And you could tell Kirsten was having
a blast on that episode. I could clearly
tell that she was surprized that Wood
turned into Stone is as valuable as it is.
I don't want to take credit for the episode
because her and her crew did the research
and foot work to produce it... I just threw
the idea into the air for them to grab on to
and run with it.
I thought that it was cool that it wound up
as an episode. You guys might try to do
the same thing......just make a suggestion
here on the site that the show hasn't
touched on yet (That doesn't involve digging
up old out house pits, or climbing in dumpsters)
And I am sure it might wind up on the show.
Posted:
Jan 26 2008, 8:51 AM EST by
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