# Piles of Rocks, and Where They Come From



## Botiz (Oct 21, 2010)

On my property, I have multiple piles of rocks. I’ve always thought that they were piles of field stones that some farmer piled up many years ago while cleaning a field. But, the piles are well into the woods, to the tune of more than 100 yards and the the nearest fields were cleared in the last 50 years and I believe these piles were here prior to that. Regardless of the fact that they are not close to the field edges. It is worth noting that those fields do have a border made of stones and rocks, so rocks cleared out of the fields were obviously piled where it made the most sense, just off the field. 

Here’s the kicker. All of the piles (3, maybe 4 not sure off the top of my head) are at the top of a hill. If they were rocks from the fields, why in the world would someone carry each one to the top of a hill? 1-200 yards Passed the border of rocks at the edge of the field? 

So what do you think about these rock piles in my woods?


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## Martin Looker (Jul 16, 2015)

They were probably hauled on a stone bolt. Maybe the farmer planned to clear more ground.


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## Waif (Oct 27, 2013)

If you are convinced they were placed by humans, a stone boat/sled could have hauled them there .

Previous fields may have existed. Research of old maps could find out homesteads maybe.

One rock is squaredish. Glacial drops would be smooth , like most the others.


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## Botiz (Oct 21, 2010)

Martin Looker said:


> They were probably hauled on a stone bolt. Maybe the farmer planned to clear more ground.


Thanks for the input. The fields go to the edge of the hill, and further and you’re going up it. Would that be something a farmer would do? Make a field that goes up a decent sized hill?

What’s a stone bolt?


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## Waif (Oct 27, 2013)

Botiz said:


> Thanks for the input. The fields go to the edge of the hill, and further and you’re going up it. Would that be something a farmer would do? Make a field that goes up a decent sized hill?
> 
> What’s a stone bolt?


Stone boat.
A kind of sled pulled by oxen or mule or horse , or tractor.
Often made of wood , skids it rides on could be covered in metal to reduce wear.


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## BucksandDucks (May 25, 2010)

Botiz said:


> On my property, I have multiple piles of rocks. I’ve always thought that they were piles of field stones that some farmer piled up many years ago while cleaning a field. But, the piles are well into the woods, to the tune of more than 100 yards and the the nearest fields were cleared in the last 50 years and I believe these piles were here prior to that. Regardless of the fact that they are not close to the field edges. It is worth noting that those fields do have a border made of stones and rocks, so rocks cleared out of the fields were obviously piled where it made the most sense, just off the field.
> 
> Here’s the kicker. All of the piles (3, maybe 4 not sure off the top of my head) are at the top of a hill. If they were rocks from the fields, why in the world would someone carry each one to the top of a hill? 1-200 yards Passed the border of rocks at the edge of the field?
> 
> So what do you think about these rock piles in my woods?


Ever watch the Curse of Oak Island? 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


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## lazyike (Apr 20, 2006)

Are you in an area where they possibly could be Native American burial mounds?

There are some impressive burial mounds in the Cadillac area, mainly around
the airport.


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## Yankee#1 (Jun 3, 2015)

Hard for me to gauge size of these ‘piles’- but if on top of a hill - possible graves?


Sent from my iPhone using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


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## Luv2hunteup (Mar 22, 2003)

They could have easily been put there even prior to Michigan’s statehood. Search your property deed to get an idea how long your property has been in private hands.


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## lazyike (Apr 20, 2006)

Waif said:


> Stone boat.
> A kind of sled pulled by oxen or mule or horse , or tractor.
> Often made of wood , skids it rides on could be covered in metal to reduce wear.


Followed behind my Grandpa's tractor and stone boat many a mile
when I was a young lad. Had the pleasure of unloading the damn thing 
by hand too.


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## chrisjan (Feb 16, 2014)

We’ve got 2 piles in the middle of our woods. A good 200 yards from the nearest field. My guess is 150-200 years ago the ground looked a lot different. Heck, 35 years ago there were a couple odd shaped small fields, 2 acres max, that the previous owner had planted crops in, now they’re almost blended right into the woods.


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## Maple_Ridge (Mar 1, 2013)

As time progessed in our state, small fields farmed with horses and oxen became larger fields farmed with 40 HP tractors in the 1940's. Those fields got even bigger later years, the 1960's introduced tractors up to 100 HP and north from there into the 1970's.

Back in the 1910's I bet only rich farmers had tractors that were 5 HP and the farm Era started changing. Just like horses/tractors, landscapes and farm fields changed over time. It's possible those really hilly rocky areas, were abandoned from horses and flatter land was tilled in favor, allowing the timber to reclaim some ground. Just a thought. I have found some interesting farm/cabin items while I tilled up some hilly black field dirt, of years gone by. If only the items could talk! Cast iron clothing irons, model A axle, ceramic pottery, horse shoes, horse harness equipment.


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## Quack Addict (Aug 10, 2006)

150+ years ago, what better punishment than to have a misbehaving farmers kid haul fieldstones up a hill and dump them? Not like they could ground the kid from his Xbox or online games back then LOL.


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## Liver and Onions (Nov 24, 2000)

I think every woodlot in our township has small piles of rocks in them from many years ago. A horse and a stone bolt can maneuver quite well thru a woodlot. Makes sense to get them well into the woodlot if you think there is a chance that you might expand your ag field. 
You can probably sell(small $) those rocks if they bother you and you want them out of the woods.
As a kid we dumped the rocks we picked up each spring into a wet area in the middle of the field or into the edge of the woods or a fencerow.

L & O


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## sureshot006 (Sep 8, 2010)

I can tell you where not to bury any pets...


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## Botiz (Oct 21, 2010)

Thanks for the ideas guys. Here is a pic I just took at a different pile, with my pack on it to help you judge the size.


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## TheSteelDeal (Mar 6, 2019)

Where is your property located? I would think the local historical society would be a good place to start. They may be able to put you in touch with someone with experience that could go look at them. I personally am not superstitious so I’d start digging...


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## Botiz (Oct 21, 2010)

And here is a pic to help show the hill. Not easy to do. Best I could think of was a pic that shows one of the ridges. For southern Michigan ag country it’s a good sized hill.


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## Team Camo (Mar 11, 2014)

sureshot006 said:


> I can tell you where not to bury any pets...


Little Pet Sematary humor there? And that's how they spelled it...:lol:


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## retired dundo (Jul 21, 2015)

May be it was fields up to rocks back then and no trees than.I know where I live church in Richmond is made with rocks on side.All the farmers would pick rocks from fields and take them up to build the church with horse and wagons.And one guy would sort different sizes


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## TheSteelDeal (Mar 6, 2019)

Riverman does your land have a river/stream on it or nearby? You have a lot of history on your place. I was always under the impression our natives and original farmera settled near running water.

Botiz same question. With that hill you showed us I’d assume you have some water close??


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## riverman (Jan 9, 2002)

SteelDeal, yes right down the middle of it. Family lore is some native Americans were still on the property while the house was built, I have my doubts but a good many of the artifacts were found supposedly where they were camping if that is the correct way to say it!


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## TheSteelDeal (Mar 6, 2019)

Wow, I figured you did. Very cool. Man You could have field trips at your place. I’d go. I’m like a little kid when it comes to that stuff. Thanks for sharing.


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## riverman (Jan 9, 2002)

https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2017/08/revisit_the_university_of_mich.html For those that are interested read this article and later I will tell how the father of the man that built the house came to Michigan and played a role in the establishment of the university


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## riverman (Jan 9, 2002)

We also know he sold lumber that was used in those first university buildings. Our family name is very noticeable in the north east side of aa.


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## plugger (Aug 8, 2001)

riverman said:


> https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2017/08/revisit_the_university_of_mich.html For those that are interested read this article and later I will tell how the father of the man that built the house came to Michigan and played a role in the establishment of the university


 I find your home construction and family/farm history fascinating.


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## Botiz (Oct 21, 2010)

River man, thanks for sharing.


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## Botiz (Oct 21, 2010)

TheSteelDeal said:


> Riverman does your land have a river/stream on it or nearby? You have a lot of history on your place. I was always under the impression our natives and original farmera settled near running water.
> 
> Botiz same question. With that hill you showed us I’d assume you have some water close??


Not on my place but very close to a river and a creek. I walk to the river to fish from my house.


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## riverman (Jan 9, 2002)

Picture my parents found in the house after it sat empty for a couple of years. It was ripped and faded, but they had it touched up. The clipping is on the backside and from 1887 when the roof went on. A lot of love, labor, and money the last seventy years has ensured it will stand another hundred years


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## KingHingeCut (Oct 15, 2020)

Trunkslammer said:


> Wild Thing that is a huge pile of rocks. Tell me they aren’t just from the one food plot. Im a rock hound of sorts. Always picking up interesting looking rocks. I have rubbed off onto my children. We had to leave a secluded beach last year before we overloaded my boat with amazing rocks.


What's this one worth?


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## Lund Explorer (Jan 23, 2011)

KingHingeCut said:


> What's this one worth?
> View attachment 617897


That is one big looking pudding stone. What are it's measurements?


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## plugger (Aug 8, 2001)

riverman said:


> View attachment 617893
> View attachment 617895
> View attachment 617893
> Picture my parents found in the house after it sat empty for a couple of years. It was ripped and faded, but they had it touched up. The clipping is on the backside and from 1887 when the roof went on. A lot of love, labor, and money the last seventy years has ensured it will stand another hundred years


 I admire, and maybe a little jealous, of your long standing family roots. My family, going back at least several generations, has never lived their lives in one place, I am the first to always live in the same state. No extended family has ever lived in close proximity to each other. With soo few people involved in Ag we will probably see families and individuals become even more mobile.


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## KingHingeCut (Oct 15, 2020)

Lund Explorer said:


> That is one big looking pudding stone. What are it's measurements?


I'd say a good 3 footer


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## Anish (Mar 6, 2009)

Steve said:


> This whole topic and the mention of Indian mounds really fascinates me. Would like to see some of those Indian mounds some day but need to do some research on where to find them. I know there are some at Fort Wayne but I'd like to find some in a more remote location. I thought I read about some along the manistee maybe near high bridge and also near tunk hole.


Ogemaw County Earthworks.


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## 2stix-and-a-string (Feb 11, 2020)

Botiz said:


> On my property, I have multiple piles of rocks. I’ve always thought that they were piles of field stones that some farmer piled up many years ago while cleaning a field. But, the piles are well into the woods, to the tune of more than 100 yards and the the nearest fields were cleared in the last 50 years and I believe these piles were here prior to that. Regardless of the fact that they are not close to the field edges. It is worth noting that those fields do have a border made of stones and rocks, so rocks cleared out of the fields were obviously piled where it made the most sense, just off the field.
> 
> Here’s the kicker. All of the piles (3, maybe 4 not sure off the top of my head) are at the top of a hill. If they were rocks from the fields, why in the world would someone carry each one to the top of a hill? 1-200 yards Passed the border of rocks at the edge of the field?
> 
> So what do you think about these rock piles in my woods?


Definitely ballast weights off the millennium falcon that were purged during a dog fight.


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## POPPAJ (Mar 24, 2015)

Zombie per-emergence grave sites. I saw it on the internet!


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## Botiz (Oct 21, 2010)

I have the abstracts to both adjacent parcels that I own. One goes back to 1830’s. Pretty interesting history. 

I’m anxious now to get back there and dig into those rock piles and metal detect.


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