History is not complete concerning the development of a nation except for the chapter on railroads. Early settlements were marked with a railroad depot and a loading platform where all people found themselves sooner or later. This was the center of activity in the early years. These people carried gold and silver coins and jewelry that could fall on the platform in a crowd and easily roll off in the grass or fall between the cracks in the platform. Over the years as automotive transportation replaced the railroad these depots were torn down or moved. The place where the depot was located is generally easy to find because it is almost always where the main street crossed the railroad and the lot for the depot was leveled off near the railroad. Also the steam engines had water stops which can be located often by the foundation which is sometimes cement. These water stops have been gone since the steam engine lost out to the diesel. These are about fifteen feet circles near the tracks. on level ground. Many people who have grown up in the last forty years missed all of this and it can be a great place to metal detect for coins and relics of the old times