Long time since I posted here. Much of the "exploring" I do now involves vanished towns, and archaeological type sites. Some don't even qualify as ghost towns now. Yes I own a GPS receiver or two. Yes I know how to use them. I find most of the map overlays to be useful only for finding the most obvious locations, highways, active communities, but Hell who needs a GPS for that? I still use U.S.G.S. 7.5 minute quadrant topographical maps but more interestingly, I like to use "historical" maps to compare them to. These are often available on the Internet, local libraries or historical societies. I live near a couple of "vanished towns" that don't show up on any modern 20th century maps. Only foundations of the buildings, bricks, adobes and random artifacts remain. What you have to remember is a lot of old maps were not drawn completely correct or accurate. I have found some locations to be as far as a mile from where some person drew it on the 1890s map from their recollection. I know of a couple of members here that use old maps to find stuff, even modern maps to find things like airplane crash sites. Tell us about how you find rural / abandoned locations, historical sites etc. Anyone still here LOL ? Once it cools down and the rattlesnakes cool down, Im going to explore a dug out I have researched. Thats a temporary shelter from the 1870s built into the ground, supported by rocks and timbers, the timbers are probably gone but Im not getting any interior shots or peeling paint photos anyway. I will post what I can photograph though. Sometimes there is very little left at these sites but I find great pleasure in finding even the smallest artifact from the past. Knowing that somebody used it over 100yrs ago.
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