A Quarterly

Publication
Of
The Dayton
Diggers

Volume 1 This Quarter’s Feature:

Issue 3
1ST Dayton Diggers Group Hunt
Summer 2009
 The Digger’s Gazette is a quarterly publication for and by the members of the Dayton
Diggers. We are a locally based organization specializing in historical research and recovery in
and around Dayton, Ohio. The Digger’s Gazette is the property of and, copyrighted by the Dayton
Diggers. All requests for reprint must be accompanied by the written permission of the author and
approval by the Editor of the Digger’s Gazette Copyright 2009 Volume 1 Issue 4 Fall

1305 Arbor Avenue, Dayton OH 45420

Chairman---------------------Steven Lee Greene

Treasurer--------------------Brandon Dixon

Secretary---------------------Phil Townsend

http://www.daytondigger.com

Calendar of Upcoming Events

November 8th, 2009------------------Dayton Diggers Fall Invitational Hunt

November 22nd, 2009-------------Dayton Diggers Regular Meeting @6:00 PM

Chairman’s Sounding Board
Diggers,
please join me in welcoming three new members. Cindy
Carver, clcarver@woh.rr.com from Ludlow Falls has **NEWS FLASH** The group hunt plans are nearing
recently developed an interest in metal detecting and has completion, we hope for the 8th, but the property owner
been learning her machine, Carol Bartley, has the flu, and that may set us back. We wish him a
BBartley3@yahoo.com from West Milton became speedy recovery........not just because we want to hunt that
interested in metal detecting along with Cindy, Jeff day. LOL
Landis,LandisDebbieLANDIS@yahoo.com list's history as Thanks, Steve
his hobby, an admirable interest. He first swung a coil in
the early seventies and has some very good stories.
Look for more info on our newest members in the winter
edition of Diggers' Gazette.

Editor’s Corner
This edition of your Digger’s Gazette includes a story about a trip to Kentucky and a write up about our first ever Dayton
Diggers Group Hunt. This cornerstone of development for the club should be used as a guide in formatting future group
outings. Everyone who came enjoyed themselves and that was the goal. I am proud to say there are a lot of submissions and
input from the membership in our 4th edition and I could not be more pleased from behind
Catch it now on PBS! the editor’s desk. Keep up the good work you guys (and gals) and keep the storyboard
growing!!!! Ron Fulcher
Antiques INDEX
Roadshow Pg.2 News and updates
Pg.3 Quick Hunt With Doug Schilling and Son
Everday Collectors bring Pg. 4 In the “Hart” of Cave Country
in their “treasures” for Pg.6 Tony Turns Up Silver
identification and Pg.6 Dayton Diggers August Hunt
appraisal…. Channel 16 Pg.8 The Background
in Dayton, Ohio Pg.9 New Member Roundup
Pg.11 Finds to Remember

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 Treasurer’s Report
The account balance is $175.04 and $40.00 cash on hand from new members.

Three new members,Cindy Carver,Carol Bartley and Jeff Landis paid their 2010 dues, everyone else is current through the end
of the year.

Diggers Treasurer,
Brandon Dixon

Meeting News & Notes

August 15 2009 1st Dayton Diggers Group Hunt and Meeting!!! The Summer Editon of the Newsletter
was handed out and we enjoyed the best meeting and hunt attendance to date.
September 21, 2009 No report received

October 14, 2009 We enjoyed the company of three new members and quite a few more “seasoned”
members for a great overall attendance! Tony Mnatia provided a nice selection of brownies and Steve
opened up the Dayton Diggers Cooler and provided the beverages. Steve showed off the all new Dayton
Diggers brochure (print work and layout donated by Nick Arnold) and a great you tube video from down
south about locating a CSA cover. New members Cindy and Carol told us how they have been checking
over the family properties and have found a few small items of interest. New member Jeff Landis told us
about his earlier days of hunting on his farm and is looking forward to doing so again real soon!

Quick Hunt with Doug Schilling and Son

I had about 1 hour to hunt so my son and I ran up to a spot we know and had a
quick hunt. With about 10 min to go I got a good
semi deep quarter
signal on the e-trac
16-47 as I recall.
Dug down about 5
inches and found this
sweet coin looking up
at me, I was very
careful about
handling and cleaning
this one. This is my
new current old coin,
it’s one of the best I have ever seen come out of
the ground so I thought I would share. I will be posting on Coinhunting.net and
have been meaning to join buckeyetreasurehunter.com for awhile. This gives me
a good reason. Enjoy
Doug

Very Nice Doug, Keep up the Good Work! Editor

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 In the “Hart” of Cave Country
October 16th through the 18th, 2009
Sometime during our not so distant
past some 157 years and 9 days
prior to our visit, Kentucky was the
Civil War battlefield near the quiet
little town of Perryville. In the fall
of 1862 the Southern armies of
Braxton Bragg and the Northern
armies under the command of Don
Buell engaged each other in violent
combat and with considerable loss
suffered by both. The end result was
the Confederate victory at Perryville
and the rapid withdrawal of the their
forces to Tennessee. Our objective
for this weekend would be to try
and authenticate an old story about
a local Confederate General holding
Union prisoners in a sinkhole near
his home.
Steve Greene had met a member of
the family of that now owns the
sinkhole we would be exploring on
a cave clean up effort five years
before and had been waiting that
long to follow up on the local
legend of the sinkhole prison. Rose
had related the story originally and
gave us permission to visit the sight
now. Into the back of Steve’s trusty
Jeep we loaded metal detectors,
GPS, shovels, cave gear, and an
assortment of other bags. It was
hard to tell what we might need to
really effect an artifact recovery
from the sinkhole but we felt
confident it was somewhere in that
pile of gear.
A chilly wind chased us down the
highway Friday night until the
distant sign for Horse Cave,
Kentucky was in view. Manny had
reserved us a great room at the
Hearthside with an all to convenient
restaurant next door. Our
By: Ron Fulcher
conversations swirled about the relatively easy to guard many men
events and the soldiers involved in with just a few.
the Kentucky Campaign. General
Simon Buckner served in many
positions during the war but his
home near Munfordville known as
Glen Lily afforded him a unique
knowledge of the battlefield and in
particular the sinkhole. Looking
over the map it is clearly possible
that Buckner made use of this
geological oddity directly north and
Eagerly the detectors began
in the hills surrounding his farm.
swinging through the few spots that
afforded a clear shot at the ground.
Once we reached the private
The ground is littered with giant
driveway owned by Rose’s family it
boulders, trees and limbs and a
was clear why the 4X 4 would be a
generous amount of old leaves. I
necessity. The recent rains had
followed the path into the cave
turned our graveled and rutted road
located at the very bottom of the
into a, clay slickened, mudhole
Sink depression that marks the
interrupted, path where few, at least
contact between the sandstone and
with any sense, might tread. Our
cave forming limestone beds
luck held though and Steve
famous to the area. The
carefully picked our way through
Mississippian age beds compare
the woods and overgrowth until we
favorably to the Union limestone
reached the once cleared fields near
beds found in the Cave belt of West
the sinkhole. Today our research
Virginia and the Upper Newman
subject is in a remote location and
formation we find in Rockcastle
the forest have replaced once active
County, Kentucky.
farms and homesteads and may
have been much easier to reach by
foot and horseback in the 1860s.
At the bottom of the horizontal and
winding passage, a 50-foot plus pit
may be the final resting-place of
Steve and Manny grabbed their
artifacts but, we did not have the
respective metal detectors and I
vertical gear with us. The sand-
grabbed the camera and gear bag.
floored rooms that we could reach
After hiking for a terribly
had been scoured during the clean
exhausting few hundred feet we
up efforts and the passage of time
found ourselves in the high walled
itself. Steve and Manny joined me
sides of the sinkhole and cave
later and found it just as precarious
complex. It is easy to see why it
near the shear drop off so we all
could have been used as a short
backed out of the cave and worked
term holding pen, with only one
our way out of the sinkhole.
easy way in or out and the sheer
walls some 100 feet distant from
On top we continued looking for
each other, it would have been
any evidence of Civil War
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occupation. The coils were singing
in and around the trees but the many
items that were dug all proved to be
twentieth century in origin. Next to
the parking area is an abandoned
building with a large wooden porch
and all the haunting noises one can
expect. We sent Manny to the door
but there was no answer and as he
neared the half-open screen the
boards around him seemed to “sing”
a haunted creaking tune. We soon
loaded the equipment and decided
to visit some of the Civil war
battlefields in the neighborhood.
The roads quickly took us to
Munfordville and the old Louisville
& Nashville Bridge famous for not
only the fight but the surrender as
well. We parked at the Anthony
Woodson House and walked down
to the battlefield. Surrounding the
sinkhole plain field is a mowed path
with markers describing the
September 1862 actions. Visiting
these once blood stained fields
commands reverence and silent
repose. It is easy to see how the
Union troops were able to repulse
four advances of the superior
Confederate forces.
Very prominently on display are
signs saying, “Relic hunting is
forbidden.” Understandably so, the
private property owners and local
historical society have preserved
these areas for all to visit and enjoy
in an undisturbed fashion. We
followed the path and read all of the
markers detailing the fight for this
very strategic railroad bridge. We
are reminded of how important a
crossing this is when a CSX freight
train rolled out of the hills and
across a newer span just a 1/2-mile
away. This “Battle For the Bridge”
and the impromptu victory set the
stage for the coming “Battle of
Perryville.”
General Simon Bolivar Buckner
played a key part in the surrender of
the Union troops at Munfordville
and is the closest documentation of
his involvement with prisoners in
the vicinity of our still unproven
sinkhole prison sight. On Sunday
our trip continued north and to
Bardstown where Confederate
General Kirby Smith bivouacked
his troops for nearly a month. Near
the center of Bardstown Steve
stopped at an antique store. A local
metal detectorist owns one of the
more prominent booths and had
several finds on display for sale.
5
Manny got a call into him and he
brought down a whole bag of minie
balls he had found. He had detected
them at a picket post on the Salt
River where guards on the opposite
sides of this river and the war fired
at each other. What a find! Manny
bought the bag and we quickly
drove on towards Perryville while
enjoying the roadways the troops
would have relied on so long ago.
Just past the small-town we are in
the Battle of Perryville State Park.
The gently rolling green hills
surrounding Doctors Creek do well
to hide the evidence of the bloody
carnage on October 8th, 1862.
The marker for the Confederate
mass grave bears silent testimony to
the aftermath of the brilliant and
shortly enjoyed victory for the
south. After having matched and
beaten back the northern armies, the
outnumbered confederates moved
away during the night on an well-
orchestrated retreat to Tennessee.
Manny toured the Museum while
Steve and I toured the battlefield by
jeep.
Although our opportunity to explore
the boundless caves and detect the
many fields had been few we all had
a great time on our visit in the
“Hart” of Cave Country. Until the
next time, keep your powder dry
and your discrimination on low.
 Tony Turns Up Silver!!
By Tony Mantia
A beautiful day for a hunt so a small group from the Dayton Diggers made a road trip to one of
Steve’s favorite places, the crew was Steve, Mark and Tony. The weather was a bit cool but it soon
warmed up along with Steve’s machine he had a nickle trifecta today including a 1912 V nickle
which matched the one Mark showed us on the drive to the hunt site. I thought it was funny that
they both found 1912 V nickels within a few days of each other. I was a bit slow starting but I found
some clad including 4 nickles, which doubled my previous
nickle, finds ever. I also
found a square nail.
Mark found a bunch of
wheats and a silver
Roosevelt and then just
before we had to go I got
a good signal and dug a
beautiful Merc dime.
A very nice 1930

Thanks to Steve for providing much encouragement and providing a wonderful site to hunt.
Thanks to Mark as we had a blast!

Dayton Diggers August Group Hunt

by Mike Haer (buckeyetreasurehunter)
Reprinted with permission from OHIO METAL DETECTING • OCTOBER 2009 • pages 16 &17

The farm of Ron Fulcher in historic Greene County electric and propane lines ran on the grounds and
was the location of the Dayton Diggers first group giving us a brief history.
hunt on August 15th. About a dozen detectorists and After we toured the grounds
diggers converged on the farm located near one of Steve had us each introduce
the early routes through the area. The history of this ourselves and talk for a
property was well researched, Ron’s home was built minute about our recent and
of brick in 1849 and before that there was a log cabin best finds and how we got
dating back to circa 1815. into metal detecting.
Everyone showed up around 9 a.m. at the site on the We soon got down to
business and detectors and equipment quickly hit the
ground. It wasn’t long before Tab
McBlane (tabdog) found a 1929-
S Standing Liberty quarter that
got everyone excited and
swinging their coils a little faster.
A few finds started coming in,
wheat pennies, relics and Terry
Everly (teverly) found a
Mercury dime. Steve took time
from taking pictures and
running the video camera to
swing his detector for a while.
He hadn’t been hunting long
when he found an 1876 Carson
outskirts of Washington Court House. Ron and Steve
City Seated Liberty dime! We all stood around waiting
walked us through the property showing us where

6
 for our chance to take a peek. As Steve tells it,
Once again we us all forgot how “Mike, Ron and
hot it was and we were back to Ronny checked
swinging hoping we would be out an area
the next to make a great find. around some old
Manny Carillo dug the prize oaks while Terry
token which awarded him items and I hit the
donated by Steve and myself. Doug Schilling found middle and right
the “Mystery” coin which won him a trip with Steve to side of the field. I
a special site he has exclusive permission to hunt swung quietly until I suddenly started hearing the low
and where many older coins have been found. tone of iron, the iron targets increased and I began to
think we were coming up on some-
thing. As the bright sun was beating
down on my blood shot, sweat
burned eyes, I heard Terry yell
something, I’m not sure what, but I
knew it was good. I pulled my
headphones off and heard Spanish
silver. Holy cow! I’d been talking all
week about Spanish silver and here
it was. Not long after I heard a nice
solid sweet coin signal. Could it be
more Spanish silver? I knew it
would be a larger coin by the sound
of it and was not surprised to see a
large copper. Cleaning revealed an
1825 large cent.”
Steve really captured the
excitement of the find. By the time
Ronald Dean Fulcher (back to camera, center), then Ron and I made it over where
clockwise, Bill Baeker, Mike Haer, Manny Carillo, Steve they were hunting we were
Greene, Doug Schilling, Tab McBlane, Tony Mantia, Bob amazed to see the large cent,
Brigeman. flat buttons and the Spanish 4
reales! Once I started hunting in
We took a nice lunch break while Ron made this area I found two flat buttons
hamburgers and brats; we all sat around showing our and some new bullets and
finds, talking about the hobby and getting to know Terry had managed a few more
each other a little better. After we all got our bellies buttons. Nick later identified the 4 reales as having an
full and were re-hydrated we split up into two NG (Neuva Guatemala)
separate groups, one group going with Tony Mantia mint mark which means it
to an old school house while myself and others was minted in Guatemala
stayed behind with hopes of making it to another site City, Guatemala and dates
that had been planned. Unfortunately that site was between 1773 and 1821.
not available and we continued to search at the farm. The whole day was just
Tony and the group got back from the school house great; it was nice to hunt
hunt with not much in the way of good finds and and meet fellow Dayton
showing us the proof that it was very trashy. They Diggers club members, a
joined back in the hunt around the farm, but the heat really good group of folks
had gotten to us all and most everyone was ready to and a club that you can say
head home. you’re proud to be a member
Terry, Steve, Ron and I were sitting around after of. Thanks to Steve and Ron
everyone else had left, talking detecting and I was for putting on a great hunt
waiting for my fiancé to show up. A few of us had and giving us all the
tried to go in the field behind the house earlier but the opportunity to hunt such a
heat was just to much, now that it was slowly starting great and historical site!
to cool off somebody suggested that we try to hunt
the freshly cut alfalfa field.
7
 The Background
By: Ron Fulcher
The 1874 Atlas of Greene County shows the area James Mahan, another brother, lived near the
where the silver was found as a sizable orchard campground; I think where George Shigley
on a small rise.
.
resided SOURCE: Robinson’s History of Greene
The 1855 Atlas of Greene County shows the County Page 229
current home that
replaced the original log The Deeper
cabin homestead. History
He (George Shigley) Just down the street from the
and his wife were Shigley-Franklin house is a
Methodists and the first marker commemorating the
services conducted in campground used by General
that community were Benjamin Logan on his raids
held in their house. against the Shawnee Towns
SOURCE: "History of
Greene Co., Ohio: Its People, in 1786. St. Rt. 72 (the old
Industries and Institutions: Limestone Rd.) is known as
Vol II (Hon. M. A. the Simon Kenton Trace. It
Broadstone--Indianapolis: Bowen & Co., 1918), page 585 followed a well worn buffalo trail through this
part of Ohio and is less then 600 feet from the
Charles Mahan lived on the Limstone Road
house. Where was the campground? That is a
South (Should say North!) of Jamestown. yearly
very tantilizing question and one we might have
camp-meetings were held on his farm. SOURCE:
Robinson’s History of Greene County Page 228
shed a little more light on.

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8
Manny Carrillo
Where are you from originally ie your hometown.?
I am from Amarillo, Texas. I have been stationed at WPAFB, OH now for
two years, and sure glad I got to come.
What is your area of interest in treasure hunting or metal detecting?
My area of intrest is Civil War Artifacts. Unfortuntaley, I have not had the
oppurtunity yet to unearth any relics from that era, but I cant wait to get my
chance. I would say my area of expertise would be clad, and trash lol. On the serious note I would say
anything that has to do with the Military.
What was your best find, before you were 18 and what was your best find as an adult?
I just recently started Metal Detecting in Jan. of 2009, so I would have to say so far my best find being
over the age of 18 was two wheat pennies and a 1943 Mercury dime in one hole (my second silver). As a
kid I always loved finding Indian Arrow Heads in the cotton fields, but my favorite find was a fozzilized
dinosour tooth found at Palo Duro Canyon State Park..
Do you belong to, or have you been a member of any similar organizations?
No, I have never been a member of a similar organization. Sure glad I am now! This club has some great
guys in it.
How did you hear about the Dayton Diggers?
I heard about Dayton Diggers through google. I was on kellyco's website and I noticed they had a club
forum from several different cities. I did not find any from Dayton, Ohio so I just googled Metal
Detecting clubs in Dayton. Sure glad I did!

Dan Szonnell
Where are you from originally ie your hometown.?
Born in Dayton, lived here most of my life.
What is your area of interest in treasure hunting or
metal detecting?
I will dig for most anything, but haven't done any in a
few years.
What was your best find, before you were 18 and
what was your best find as an adult?
Probably being the first to hunt Philipps Aquatic Club,
even being a complete novice and not really tuning a
Coinmaster 2, I found literally pockets full of coins and
quite a bit of jewelry.
Do you belong to, or have you been a member of any similar organizations?
Back in the 70s I belonged to Trove Hunters, Prospectors Club International, and a few others.
How did you hear about the Dayton Diggers?
I Heard about it at the Riverside Historical Society.

9
Mike Notarvicola
Where are you from originally ie your hometown.?
I was born and lived the 1st 40 yrs of my life in Catskill N.Y.. From there I moved to Colorado and spent
10 years. I've been here 1 1/2 yrs.
What was your best find, before you were 18 and what was your best find as an adult? Oh, that's a
hard one. In 30+ years detecting there have been so many. One that will always stick in my head was a
spill of 5 large cents on Rogers Island on the Hudson River in Catskill. I didn't start detecting until I was
about 20 but the very 1st thing I found even before a bottle cap or piece of foil was a man's gold high
school class ring.
Do you belong to, or have you been a member of any similar organizations?
Yes one. The club had over 100 active members. The 1st meeting I attended only 1 person bothered to
talk to me. I never went back.
What is your area of interest in treasure hunting or metal detecting?
I'm a coin shooter 1st. Old coins. No new crap. I can get that out of the ash tray in my car. I love finding
old buttons and of course Civil War relic hunting which I got to do a lot of in upstate N.Y..
How did you hear about the Dayton Diggers?
Treasure net
Anything Else you would like to add?
Sunday night meetings are very hard for me. It's the one night we get together with my daughter, son-in-
law and grandkids. My daughter is a captain in the A.F. stationed in Afghanistan right now and has made
us promise to keep it up while she's gone. That's a promise I can't break. 9 days of a 6 month tour left.
Then 1 Sunday a month won't matter. Its a great group of people and I look forward to spending more
time with them and getting to know them better.

A hats off salute to your daughter and all who are seving with her…….Editor’s note

Mark Ferguson
Where are you from originally ie your hometown.?
I was born in Dayton. I lived in Rochelle Illinois from age 14-17. I
lived in Boulder Colorado from age 22-31., Have lived in Dayton
ever since.
What was your best find, before you were 18 and what was your
best find as an adult?
I did not metal detect before 18, but as an adult I would have to say I
have had many good finds. Anytime you detect and find anything of
interest it is a good find.
Do you belong to, or have you been a member of any similar organizations?
No.
What is your area of interest in treasure hunting or metal detecting?
I am a coin shooter of course, but I like to recover anything interesting.
How did you hear about the Dayton Diggers?
Via the internet.

10
 FINDS TO REMEMBER
This is where we record our best finds during the past few months and the awards are determined by anonymous
ballots cast by an equally mysterious group of concerned coin and bottle experts.

Best Silver Coin….. 1833-Matron Head Dime found by Nick

Arnold on August 1st at Goodale Park in
Columbus.. Should be all clear for the hunt on
Saturday. The 1833 dime will be my best find for the
previous 3 months. Will keep you posted. Nick

Best “FIRST “ Silver Coin! ….. 1930

Dime found by Tony Mantia (Please see
accompanying story in this edition)

Best “OLDEST” Coin…. 1852

Matron Head Large Cent found by Doug Schilling and son (please see accompanying story for details)
Best “SECOND OLDEST “ Coin ….. 1825 Matron Head Large Cent found by Steve
Greene on 1st Dayton Diggers Group Hunt (please see accompanying story for details)
Best Historical Artifact…. Spanish Silver Coins found by Terry Everly on 1st Dayton
Diggers Group Hunt (please see accompanying story for details)
Best Iron Artifact …….. 19th Century Chisel found by Tony Mantia in August. My only
significant find and I guess my best is the 19th century chisel found on the site of the carpentry and
furniture manufacturing site established in 1850 by John M. Stake of Bellbrook. It is 14.5 inches long,
1.25 wide. It is hand forged where the shank joins the blade. Tony

Best “FIRST SILVER OF THE DAY” Coin….. 1929 S Standing Liberty Quarter found
by Tab McBlane on the 1st Dayton Diggers Group Hunt (please see accompanying story for details)

Best Can….. 8 Oz. Country Club beercan lighter conversion purchased by Chuck Cannon,
this is a rarer can and a lucky find for his massive collection.

Best Token Purchase…. Louisville Railroad Co. traction token purchased by Ron
Fulcher in Bardstown, KY. I bought this from the same detectorist in the Hart Co. story and Manny
bought a bag full of shot minie balls found near the Salt River and from the Civil War.

Thanks again for your submissions!!!!

COMING SOON: The Dayton Diggers Winter

Invitational Hunt so mark your calendars and get
ready for our next historical recovery.
11
The Digger’s Gazette Editor
1305 Arbor Ave.
Dayton, Ohio 45420

12