The construction near downtown Mineola has provided the Wood County Metal Detecting Club with opportunities for new discoveries.

The club, which is based out of Quitman and led by club president Jerry Tinney, has been perusing the site for about a year. Members said the lot used to be the site of the Bailey Hotel and the McDonald House, among other businesses.

Interested parties from the club came to the lot Friday night, Feb. 27, as well as much of the day on Saturday, Feb. 28, to see what they could find. Armed with metal detectors, probes, and many sets of searching eyes, the group explored the area to see what may have been disturbed and brought to light by the recent dirt turns.

Club member Logan Thomas found several different items – among them, as pictured, a patterned glass flower vase estimated to be from the American Brilliant Period, between 1876 and 1917. He also found a crock manufactured at the Denby Pottery in Derbyshire, England between 1850 and 1916. The crock was used as a “master” ink bottle.

Other items found include a bottle from Dick Pendleton Druggist in Mineola (circa 1920), a suspender clasp from 1890, a bottle stop, and pieces of tile from the old hotel.

“You just never know what you’re gonna find when you go over there,” said Tinney about the hobby. “You just never know. It could be trash, or it could be treasure.”

This time, for some of the members, it was treasure.

Club member Joyce Williams is constructing a diorama of the old hotel, which will be surrounded by artifacts found on the property. When completed, the diorama will be housed at the train depot.

The Wood County Metal Detecting Club meets at the Quitman Public Library every 1st Monday of the month at 6:30 p.m. Tinney said “anybody is welcome