Gold Prospecting, Treasure Hunting, Mining, Relic Hunting, and Metal Detecting in Illinois

Treasure Hunting

Illinois

Treasure Hunting in Illinois - Read or Post a Message / Question

Illinois Metal Detecting Clubs - On Lost Treasure Online^©!

The Prairie State

GEMS

The fluorite mines in Hardin and Pope Counties produce a variety of different colors of facet-grade fluorite. A mine in the State furnished the material from which the world's largest, faceted yellow fluorite was cut.

RELICS, COINS, & JEWELRY

Illinois offers many incredible opportunities. If this is your interest, here's a few ideas to get you started:

Schools and College Campuses
Parks / Playgrounds / Picnic Areas
Foundations, Wells, and Cellar Holes of Old Churches or Houses
Downtown Construction Sites
Swimming Holes, Beaches, and Natural Springs
Camp Grounds, Boy Scout Camps, WPA Camps, and Mining Camps
Sports Facilities
Ghost Towns
Rodeo Arenas, Riding Stables, and Race Tracks
Old Fair and Carnival Locations
Old Town Dumpsites

LOST TREASURE

As in other areas of the US, there are several tales of lost treasure in Illinois concerning caches buried for safety. In many of these stories, people either died or forgot where they buried the stash. Contributing factors include:

1. Federal laws making possession of gold illegal in the early 1900s

2. Distrust of banks during the Great Depression.

During the late 1860s, within the 1200 block of North State Street in Chicago, $250,000 in gold coins were buried and remain undiscovered to this day.
Cave In Rock in Hardin County was long used as a hideaway by many robbers and other unsavory characters. A whole hierarchy of piracy had arisen to prey on boaters from Red Bank down to the town of Smithland on the Ohio River.
Near old John Hill's Fort at Carlyle, Clinton County, a buried fortune remains for the lucky finder.

These excerpts are a sampling from American Coin Treasures and Hoards

References to Find More Treasure in Illinois

Illinois Atlas & Gazetteer - All about history and geology
Historical Atlas 1788-1980 - Know history, find relics!
John A. Logan and Southern Illinois in the Civil War - Good read!
The Era of the Civil War, 1848-1870 (History of Illinois) - Find good relics
Illinois in the Civil War - Where they camped, and where they traveled.
Compilation of Illinois Civil War Weapons - Discover what they used
The Illinois Central Railroad in Peace and War, 1858-1868
Rally 'Round the Flag - Chicago and the Civil War - Great reference!
Documentary History of the Mormon War in Illinois - Interesting relics
Democracy and Slavery in Frontier Illinois - Find any slave tags recently?
The Black Hawk War, 1831-1832 - History goes way back around here!

Illinois Metal Detecting Leads

Ghost Towns.com - Illinois Ghost Town Directory
Illinois Ghost Towns - Another Good Resource
Ghost Towns of Illinois - There's a lot of ghosts out there!
Peoria Area Treasure Hunters - Live near Peoria? This is your site!
Online Maps of Illinois - Collection Index
State Website - Discover new hunting sites or research mining / metal detecting laws and regulations on state-owned property
More State Tales - On Lost Treasure USA!!