They often find interesting things, and sometimes uncover an object of historical value.
Recently, artifact hunter Axel Macon and two of his friends fired up their metal detectors at a site near Spring Street in Charleston and aimed their electromagnetic bursts at a promising area in the backyard of the property.
After a while the two friends called it quits, but Macon was persistent. He had a hunch something was there — something interesting, something valuable. As soon as he was alone, his Minelab Equinox 800 metal detector beeped confidently. With his hands, he dug down 2 or 3 inches and pulled out a badge shaped like a shield and made of coin silver. On its face was inscribed:
Niagara
F.Co.
No.8
1861
W.P.P.
This was significant. The Niagara Fire Company was a brigade of black volunteers, one of many active in the city at the time of the Civil War.