New York Treasure Hunting Deluxe - The Oriskany Patent

A map of the vast Oriskany Patent, drawn in 1789, provides a very detailed look at the extreme Upper Mohawk Valley at the close of the Revolutionary War. This is also an excellent resource for the sharp eyed detectorist ...

At the west end of the patent (top of the map) one can see the portage between the Mohawk River and Wood Creek, with the fort guarding this portage (then called "Fort Schuyler" and later "Fort Stanwix") being passed closely by the river road.

At the eastern end of the patent (bottom of the map), the relationship of the patent boundary to Oriskany Creek can be seen (see detail above). At this spot the river road branches with one segment crossing the river to the north. A modern highway follows this same alignment today. These maps are never going to have the proverbial "X marks the spot" but for those of you that already know the area or have done some research, they can be a wealth of information.
 Both myself and Treasure Dave are big believers in canoes for treasure hunting. Most of the old water routes are the best and ONLY way to access a ton of virgin spots, a canoe can help you cover a good bit of stream and this is also the reason I recommend owning "amphibious" metal detectors. I know that the Fisher CZ-21 or the MineLab Excalibur's are expensive but you really need a waterproof machine if you want to do any serious hunting and they are worth the extra cash, it's not uncommon for Dave and I to be in three feet of water one minute and high up on a creek bank the next. We could never use a land machine to do this kind of hunting.
Here is another map of the patent of Oriskany for closer examination .... Just Click Here!
Good Hunting!