Dig It Dan
@digitdan.bsky.social
Uncovering history across Maine. I detect properties for owners to showcase their history by finding items lost by past inhabitants. Credited with discovering a Militia/Civil War muster field in ME. Posts about Maine history and things that interest me.
Happy holidays to everyone! On this day in 1886 on the rocks right off the Portland Head Lighthouse the Annie C Maguire wrecked and the entire 18 person crew were rescued.
www.nelights.com/blog/wreck-o...
www.nelights.com/blog/wreck-o...
December 24, 2025 at 1:15 PM
Happy holidays to everyone! On this day in 1886 on the rocks right off the Portland Head Lighthouse the Annie C Maguire wrecked and the entire 18 person crew were rescued.
www.nelights.com/blog/wreck-o...
www.nelights.com/blog/wreck-o...
December 21st is National Maine Day! Here are some Maine Militia buttons, and Massachusetts Militia buttons that date to before Maine separated from Massachusetts and became its own state in 1820.
December 21, 2025 at 5:04 PM
December 21st is National Maine Day! Here are some Maine Militia buttons, and Massachusetts Militia buttons that date to before Maine separated from Massachusetts and became its own state in 1820.
Another of my favorite finds from this past season. A Revolutionary War related dandy button. These buttons date from 1770-1800. You can still see remnants of the silver plating, and the word UNITE.
December 17, 2025 at 2:32 PM
Another of my favorite finds from this past season. A Revolutionary War related dandy button. These buttons date from 1770-1800. You can still see remnants of the silver plating, and the word UNITE.
Revisiting some of my favorite sights and sounds from detecting this past season.
December 16, 2025 at 4:32 PM
Revisiting some of my favorite sights and sounds from detecting this past season.
Good morning from Maine! It's frosty out there.
December 13, 2025 at 12:02 PM
Good morning from Maine! It's frosty out there.
Here's a few more of my top finds from the 2025 season! A Vermont Militia cuff button(early 1800s), 1752 Spanish(Mexico City) 1/2 real, and an 1855 Seated Liberty dime. All found here in the great state of Maine.
December 9, 2025 at 1:59 PM
Here's a few more of my top finds from the 2025 season! A Vermont Militia cuff button(early 1800s), 1752 Spanish(Mexico City) 1/2 real, and an 1855 Seated Liberty dime. All found here in the great state of Maine.
Well, that's definitely a wrap for the 2025 season. It's frozen out there. For me, a season that was about 25% as productive as it should have been due to a herniated disc. Here are a few of my favorite finds from this year. 1899 Morgan silver dollar, Eagle Sword pommel, victorian sash buckle.
December 6, 2025 at 1:04 PM
Well, that's definitely a wrap for the 2025 season. It's frozen out there. For me, a season that was about 25% as productive as it should have been due to a herniated disc. Here are a few of my favorite finds from this year. 1899 Morgan silver dollar, Eagle Sword pommel, victorian sash buckle.
Its cold and windy out here, so I was just about to wrap it up(possibly for the year). This is a SUPER cool find. Anyone who's been following for a bit knows this is one of my favorite coins to find, and this one has been cut! So someone owed someone else 1.5cents of silver in the mid 1800's.
November 29, 2025 at 6:05 PM
Its cold and windy out here, so I was just about to wrap it up(possibly for the year). This is a SUPER cool find. Anyone who's been following for a bit knows this is one of my favorite coins to find, and this one has been cut! So someone owed someone else 1.5cents of silver in the mid 1800's.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! This photo is from the 1940 Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, which was the first time Superman made an appearance.
November 27, 2025 at 5:51 PM
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! This photo is from the 1940 Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, which was the first time Superman made an appearance.
A few finds from this weekend. It could he the last time before the ground is solid. The first photo has 4 musket balls, and the closing clasp for an old purse(unfortunately no money). The second photo has several buttons, the reed plate from an old whistle, and the attachment collar for a sickle.
November 16, 2025 at 5:44 PM
A few finds from this weekend. It could he the last time before the ground is solid. The first photo has 4 musket balls, and the closing clasp for an old purse(unfortunately no money). The second photo has several buttons, the reed plate from an old whistle, and the attachment collar for a sickle.
I was able to get out today for a bit and made a return to Wilde Kind Farm. It was a pleasure as always, and found a few interesting items. 1941 silver Mercury dime, a hat buckle(I believe), a broken lead bag seal, a peice of a broken crotal bell, and several pieces of a broken harmonica reed plate.
November 2, 2025 at 5:08 PM
I was able to get out today for a bit and made a return to Wilde Kind Farm. It was a pleasure as always, and found a few interesting items. 1941 silver Mercury dime, a hat buckle(I believe), a broken lead bag seal, a peice of a broken crotal bell, and several pieces of a broken harmonica reed plate.
It's looking nice out there!
October 23, 2025 at 4:45 PM
It's looking nice out there!
Here's a shot from Richmond Maine of Swan Island on the Kennebec River. I had a steroid injection this morning for the back&hip pain I've been dealing with for going on 4 months now. I'm hoping that this will do the trick, and I'll be able to finish the season with a bang before everything freezes
October 20, 2025 at 3:17 PM
Here's a shot from Richmond Maine of Swan Island on the Kennebec River. I had a steroid injection this morning for the back&hip pain I've been dealing with for going on 4 months now. I'm hoping that this will do the trick, and I'll be able to finish the season with a bang before everything freezes
Greetings from Maine, USA. Where we have no kings. Glad I decided to take a quick sunset walk. Found a 1752 silver Mexico 1/2 real. I have been across this whole field before. I like to do passes across fields I've already scanned that get tilled every year to see if anything deeper got kicked up.
October 18, 2025 at 10:08 PM
Greetings from Maine, USA. Where we have no kings. Glad I decided to take a quick sunset walk. Found a 1752 silver Mexico 1/2 real. I have been across this whole field before. I like to do passes across fields I've already scanned that get tilled every year to see if anything deeper got kicked up.
Good morning from Maine! The Eastern River is shrouded with thick fog once again.
October 18, 2025 at 11:40 AM
Good morning from Maine! The Eastern River is shrouded with thick fog once again.
I've been working a bit on cleaning up this half of a victorian(I believe) buckle featuring a flower in a pot that I found last weekend. It would be awesome to find the other half.
October 17, 2025 at 11:53 PM
I've been working a bit on cleaning up this half of a victorian(I believe) buckle featuring a flower in a pot that I found last weekend. It would be awesome to find the other half.
Tomorrow is the 250th anniversary of The Burning of Falmouth. 10/18/1775 A fleet of Royal Navy vessels bombarded the town of Falmouth, Massachusetts (modern day Portland, Maine)with incendiary shot, followed by a landing party to complete the town's destruction.
October 17, 2025 at 11:01 PM
Tomorrow is the 250th anniversary of The Burning of Falmouth. 10/18/1775 A fleet of Royal Navy vessels bombarded the town of Falmouth, Massachusetts (modern day Portland, Maine)with incendiary shot, followed by a landing party to complete the town's destruction.
I missed posting yesterday about Indigenous Peoples' Day. Did you know that there are still people in Bermuda who are descended from New England Native Americans who were sold into slavery after colonial conflicts like King Phillips War?
October 14, 2025 at 9:10 AM
I missed posting yesterday about Indigenous Peoples' Day. Did you know that there are still people in Bermuda who are descended from New England Native Americans who were sold into slavery after colonial conflicts like King Phillips War?
Finds from today's short outing. A nice ox shoe, a few rosehead nails/spike, and a few other bits. By far the coolest thing is one half of a belt or sash buckle. I believe it's from the late 1800s. Haven't been able to find a match yet.
October 12, 2025 at 4:49 PM
Finds from today's short outing. A nice ox shoe, a few rosehead nails/spike, and a few other bits. By far the coolest thing is one half of a belt or sash buckle. I believe it's from the late 1800s. Haven't been able to find a match yet.
Had a nice walk in the woods, found an old cellar hold, a partially collapsed well, and I found the bed of whoever used to live here. This is on a property I have permission to detect on that used to have a mill right on the Abadagassett River here in Maine.
October 12, 2025 at 2:46 PM
Had a nice walk in the woods, found an old cellar hold, a partially collapsed well, and I found the bed of whoever used to live here. This is on a property I have permission to detect on that used to have a mill right on the Abadagassett River here in Maine.
Maine Central Railroad was chartered in 1856 and began operations in 1862. By 1884, it was the longest railroad in New England. It was the merger of the Androscoggin and Kennebec Railroad and the Penobscot and Kennebec Railroad, resulting in a line from Danville (now Auburn) to Bangor.
October 12, 2025 at 12:25 PM
Maine Central Railroad was chartered in 1856 and began operations in 1862. By 1884, it was the longest railroad in New England. It was the merger of the Androscoggin and Kennebec Railroad and the Penobscot and Kennebec Railroad, resulting in a line from Danville (now Auburn) to Bangor.
Took a walk across this potato field that was just harvested. You can actually see them in the background finishing up the last variety. Found a rosehead spike, a small hinge, a couple buttons, and a coin that is too far gone to identify. I can tell that it's not a US coin based on the size.
October 11, 2025 at 4:24 PM
Took a walk across this potato field that was just harvested. You can actually see them in the background finishing up the last variety. Found a rosehead spike, a small hinge, a couple buttons, and a coin that is too far gone to identify. I can tell that it's not a US coin based on the size.
SUPER EARLY MORNING CAN'T SLEEP MAINE HISTORY POST:
I have a really cool bit of history for you today. 10/8/1841 Members of 17 different trade groups carried banners in a parade put on by the Maine Charitable Mechanic Association in Portland, Maine.
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I have a really cool bit of history for you today. 10/8/1841 Members of 17 different trade groups carried banners in a parade put on by the Maine Charitable Mechanic Association in Portland, Maine.
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October 8, 2025 at 6:19 AM
SUPER EARLY MORNING CAN'T SLEEP MAINE HISTORY POST:
I have a really cool bit of history for you today. 10/8/1841 Members of 17 different trade groups carried banners in a parade put on by the Maine Charitable Mechanic Association in Portland, Maine.
1/
I have a really cool bit of history for you today. 10/8/1841 Members of 17 different trade groups carried banners in a parade put on by the Maine Charitable Mechanic Association in Portland, Maine.
1/
Good morning from Maine! The Eastern River is covered in a thick blanket of fog again.
October 7, 2025 at 11:20 AM
Good morning from Maine! The Eastern River is covered in a thick blanket of fog again.
10/7/1947 The Maine wildfire was the worst natural disaster in state history. Over 200 fires across more than 200,000 acres and consuming nine towns. The fires destroyed over 1,200 homes, killed 16 people, and left 2,500 homeless before significant rainfall brought them under control in late October
October 6, 2025 at 10:38 PM
10/7/1947 The Maine wildfire was the worst natural disaster in state history. Over 200 fires across more than 200,000 acres and consuming nine towns. The fires destroyed over 1,200 homes, killed 16 people, and left 2,500 homeless before significant rainfall brought them under control in late October