Metal Detecting In South Texas Ghost Towns For Treasure

For metal detector hobbyists, the old ghost towns of South Texas are prime territory for treasure hunting. Treasure can mean many things to different people. For some it is an old silver coin or copper Indian head penny. For others treasure may mean a musket ball or old hand forged iron object such as a horseshoe.  As a metal detector enthusiast one of my favorite places to search is in South Texas. Here you can find many old South Texas ghost towns such as Woodward, Prince, Coughran, Fowlerton, Los Angeles and others.

All of these tiny communities are about to undergo dramatic change as one of the world's largest oil and gas fields is being developed. The Eagle Ford shale is located deep underground of all of these old "Wintergarden" communities. As pipelines are laid and well locations bladed off who knows what kinds of historical objects will show up.

History of the "Wintergarden" Towns

In the early 1900's land developers such as the Fowler Brothers, came south to Texas and began to purchase large parcels of land, which they in turn subdivided into small tracts and sold to farmers. They promoted the warm winter climate as the perfect "wintergarden", yet it was lack of water that prevented the many small towns from flourishing. A few good years, in which rainfall was plentiful, fooled land buyers into thinking the region was a new farming paradise. Now all that remains of many of these towns are a few fallen down buildings.  Towns such as Fowlerton even have the remains of old sidewalks, department stores, and even concrete bank vaults, which are overgrown with brush and cactus. These are prime spots for searching for coins, rings, and antiques with a metal detector.

To go metal detecting in any of these South Texas ghost towns you will usually need permission. There are a few small towns, such as Fowlerton, Woodward and Los Angeles that feature county roads that follow the same route as the original city streets. You usually can metal detect on these right of ways without permission, as long as you do no damage.

Many of these South Texas ghost towns offer the metal detector hobbyist the freedom to search for coins and treasure without having to ask for permission because of the fact that the old street right of ways are still open and unfenced. That being said however, you should always ask permission before crossing a fence to to metal detecting on private land in South Texas.

Precautions For South Texas Ghost Town Metal Detecting

Many of the old Wintergarden communities and ghost towns such as Prince are located on private land and you must locate the rancher and obtain permission first.

When treasure hunting with a metal detector in South Texas just remember to watch out for rattlesnakes. The region is home to some of the largest rattlers in the country. In addition, every thing there has thorns. Wear boots, jeans and gloves to protect you from cactus and to protect your hands from barbed wire when crossing fences.

Respect private property and wildlife and cover up all holes that you dig. Most ranchers are just as curious about what might lie below their property as you are and if you are willing to visit for a while and discuss your hobby, you just might get permission to go metal detecting in a place that has never been searched before.