Finding your first significant relic is one of those moments that stays with you forever. Ron D. discovered this axe head on property with a fascinating backstory - land once owned by a German immigrant who arrived in America in the 1860s.
The Historic Property
The German immigrant purchased this land in the 1880s and built five homes on the property for himself and his children. He worked as a night watchman for the Ypsilanti Railroad Round House, and his sons followed in his footsteps, also working for the railroad. Of those five original homes, only one remains standing today.
Ron found the axe head in the area behind where the main house once stood, using his Garrett AT Pro metal detector. This spot likely saw decades of daily activity - chopping firewood, clearing land, and general homestead maintenance.
Why the Garrett AT Pro Works for Relic Hunting
The AT Pro's discrimination capabilities really shine when you're hunting around old homesteads. These sites are usually littered with iron debris - nails, horseshoes, farm implements - but the AT Pro lets you filter out most of the junk while still picking up good targets like this axe head.
The detector's 15 kHz frequency hits a sweet spot for relics. It's high enough to catch smaller items but not so high that it becomes unstable in mineralized soil. For sites with a mix of targets like this German immigrant property, that balance is crucial.
Professional Restoration Results
During the winter months, Ron began working to remove the rust and corrosion from his find. Without the proper equipment or knowledge for the finishing touches, he made the smart decision to send the axe head out to an expert craftsman for professional restoration.
The results speak for themselves - the craftsman did an excellent job bringing this piece of railroad history back to life. Sometimes it's worth investing in professional restoration, especially for historically significant finds like this one.
Tips for Hunting Railroad Properties
Railroad properties and the homes of railroad workers often produce interesting finds. Workers would lose buttons, coins, and personal items around their homes. The constant foot traffic and activity around these properties created ideal conditions for dropping and losing items.
When hunting these sites, focus on areas where people would have spent time - behind houses where work was done, near outbuildings, and along pathways between structures. Ron's find location behind the main house is a perfect example of this strategy paying off.
By: Ron D.
Get Your Own Garrett AT Pro
Ready to start finding your own historic relics? The Garrett AT Pro continues to be one of the best values in the treasure and relic detecting category. It's waterproof to 10 feet, has excellent discrimination, and the build quality to handle years of hunting.
Check out our complete selection of beginner and intermediate metal detectors if you're just getting started, or browse our full range of metal detectors for sale to find the perfect detector for your hunting style.
For more customer success stories and tips, visit our Garrett metal detector collection and see what other detectorists are finding with their machines.
