From this book, you can see which lots were developed with buildings, and even see where the buildings stood. They have all of the one room schools marked, as well as cemeteries and churches. Another good research tool is the Sanborn maps. These maps were to protect the land owner and the insurance companies, as well as firefighters. Fire was a great fear in those days. I have the one for Kalamazoo and it was drawn up in 1887.

These maps are really detailed! They not only show you the all the buildings, but they name the businesses, and show the entryways and exits. They show you where a flight of stairs would have been, and they show the location of any firefighting equipment, like water buckets, axes and shovels. They also show all of the outbuildings.

Another important tool is to learn about 1800's architecture. The most popular building style from 1820 to 1850 in our area is known as 'Greek Revival.' If the house you are researching has gables that run down the roof line, then at the end of the roof the gable turns in for a few feet, that is likely a Greek revival. Here are things to look for:

1. Consider the age of the building. Was it built in the 1800s?

2. Examine the shape of the building. Is it symmetrical?

3. Check for a "pediment." Do you see a low-pitched triangular gable at the front of the building?

4. Study the eaves. Do you see a cornice (a heavy molding) just below the edge of the roof?

Many diggers go by the house foundations. Most of the very early buildings were built on foundations of fieldstone, but that doesn't always stay the same. My grandmother owned a house on Sherwood Street in Plainwell on the east side of the Kalamazoo River. This house was built just a few doors down from the oldest house in Plainwell and, for all I know, it could be one of the ten oldest houses in town. But if you judged it by the foundation, you would guess that it is a modern poured-wall foundation. It is not.

If you know what to look for, you will notice the foundation sticks out an inch or two and seems wider that the house itself. That is because, at one point, the very old fieldstone foundation started to crumble, so the owner put a concrete cap over the stones. Cinder block foundations usually put you into the very late 1800's or early 1900's. I talked to a couple diggers who never considered digging in the oldest part of the ancient city of Allegan because of the molded cinder block foundations. They should have done their homework! The original city was destroyed by fire in March of 1884; 40 building were destroyed in 2 hours! Many of these newer-looking buildings are built where the old ones once stood. The bottles and the outhouse pits should be still there!

Consider this: one of the local accountants who goes to church where we do, has a very big family and they needed more space. They liked the house they live in, so they decided to expand it. It is a rather large 2-story farmhouse. They actually lifted the big house up and replaced the basement, while at the same time, they extended the foundation for the new addition. If you look at that house today you would see a modern poured concrete foundation. After the house was finished, Tim decided to restore the barn. He started to remove some old siding that had been added over the original and he found a hidden door with the symbol of the Underground Railroad!

About 2 miles south, as the crow flies, is another house that has a hidden tunnel. It was also used to hide slaves. I had a friend who used to live there when I was in school, and I slept there a few times.

This trail follows a creek that some call the Alamo Drain and Pine Creek. This creek is dammed, just before it spills into the Kalamazoo River -- that body of water is called Pine Creek Lake. Under the waters of Pine Creek Lake lies the ghost town that was called Pine Creek. My mother's house is on that lake and next to her house is the Pine Creek cemetery. There are headstones which date the deaths to the 1820's.

A big part about successful bottle digging, or metal detecting, is to study your local history. A couple weeks ago, Jack Short sent me one of his awesome pictures. It was a very old building-- one that I recognized right away. It is the only building left after they flooded Pine Creek, around 1907. For 55 years, I have been going by this building every time I went to visit either of my grandparents. Here is Jack's picture of the old Pine Creek blacksmith's shop. I cannot imagine how they moved this building up the hill in 1907. The current owner has had this building up for sale to a group and the price is $1.00 but you have they have to agree to restore the building and make a museum.  Here is an example of a super old building on a much more modern foundation.