M E T A L M A N 9

M E T A L M A N 9

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January 1, 2025 Update: The Ridge Reveals it’s Secret

January 1, 2025 The Ridge Reveals it’s Secret

January 1, 2025 Update: The Ridge Reveals it’s Secret. I have exciting news to share. What a way to start off the New Year Eh ! For those of you who are new to the Metalman9.ca website, I’ll suggest that you start your “Ridge Journey”, by reading the first two original posts about this unique location. They are found in the 2024 portion of the calendar. You’ll draw much more enjoyment and appreciation for the grand reveal. They are as follows: September 25, 2024 - The Ridge and, September 29, October 24, October 27, 2024. - Returning to the Ridge. A Continuation. The second story offers some interesting and competing ideas as to what may have existed here at this specific location. It took a trip to the Manitoba Archives and a huge amount of luck to nail this down and to be able to put a pin on the map, and with certainty say: “This is it. This is the location”. This was the site of one of the 1873 surveyors’ camps. The early surveyors set up “Camp” at various locations across the prairies from where they would do their work. The debris field, as I like to call it, was the camp that they referred to as Two Little Points. The area was so named because the Red River does two huge bends that kind of looks like a huge W. before carrying on northward. The two bends are unique and have been called Two Little Points from very early onwards. The “Hinds” 1858 map refers to this feature by that name. A one room school built there in 1897, School # 936, was also called by that name and a local farm close by also boasts: Two Little Points Farm. The surveyors of 1873 kept a series of books with actual hand drawn maps of the River Lots and there is also a daily dairy. It’s in this dairy that the following notation was found: “Saturday, 30th August (1873) … moved camp to the Two Little Points.” The surveyors were working their way south. There is also a second reference to this camp when they worked their way back towards Winnipeg. In total, I found references to 5 such camps. Their exact locations remain unknown except now for the Two Little Points. The many clues found can be seen in the previous “Ridge” stories and pictures. 1) A copper Key Tag for Room 8 Albion Hotel Toronto. J. Mossop Prop. Mr. Mossop was the proprietor of the Albion for a period in the early 1870’s. 2) A button with a Patent date says: Pat Nov 26. 72 Pat Feb 11. 73 3) The bottom of a shotgun shell says: .EB. No 10 .London. These were manufactured between the 1860’s and 1874. 4) A Peephole Thimble. This item is a bit harder to date but it’s possibly a Stanhope Sewing Thimble. This one is without any markings. They were around between 1870 and 1875. These numerous clues all point towards 1873. Further to all this is the actual recorded surveying work and references that were notated in the dairy about this specific area. River lot 151, 152, 153, Township 2 - Section 1, the 1st Correction Line, etc. Now, the real challenge will be to try to locate some of the 1873 surveyors’ other camps and pin them to a map too. At least now, I have a better sense of what to look for and where. Every location that you metal detect on has a feel or flavor as I like to call it. Finding this site was pure luck. As well as this was the only field available to metal detect on at that time of year. And it was also at my brother’s suggestion and the idea of the ridge being a possible early travel route, that we stumbled upon this camp site. The next steps to find more 1873 Surveyors’ Camps will be obtaining new landowner permissions. Yes, it's a great way to start off a New Year at metal detecting. Roger