The Lost Dutchman mine is far from the beginning of the legends of gold hidden in the Superstition Mountains. The conquistador ordered the men to stay close together so they weren't picked off, but this didn't help. What there is documentation to support is that the Dutchman may have been a con man. He even has a gravesite you can visit today in Arizona. Although the Lost Dutchman Mine has always remained a popular local story (which many people accept as fact), there is very little actual proof of the mines existence besides word of mouth. National ArchivesA band of Apache braves in Arizona. What happens if they discover the Spanish bullion? As the legend goes, prospector Jacob Waltz found a gold mine but went to his grave without sharing the secret of where that mine was located. Since James Reavis, "the Baron of Arizona", was convicted of fraud when the Peralta family genealogy and other documents to support the land grant (and a barony associated with that land) were determined to be forgeries it also raises questions about the original purchase of the land grant by Dr. George M. Willing Jr. (the transaction had supposedly occurred at a primitive campsite to the southeast of Prescott without the benefit of the typical documentation; instead of a notarized deed, the conveyance was recorded on a piece of greasy camp paper bearing signature of several witnesses). . This account is usually dated to about 1870. In most variants of the story, the family of a man called Miguel Peralta discovered the mine and began mining the gold there, only to be attacked or massacred by Apaches in about 1850 in the supposed Peralta massacre. As early as Sept 1, 1892, a local newspaper relates . [4], Robert Blair wrote "[t]here have been at least four legendary Lost Dutchman's gold mines in the American West, including the famed Superstition mine of Jacob Waltz". [17] Note that tombstone pictured shows birth year as 1808. While we are rather skeptical of the finding of the Lost Dutchman claim, if the new find is rich in gold it will do until the old discovery is really brought to light. All were unsuccessful; a few are said to have never left the mountains. Armed with a new clue that could unearth the location of the famed Lost Dutchman Mine, lifelong Dutch Hunter Wayne Tuttle, leads a team into Arizona's Superstition Mountains. "Waltz said it was a vein of gold surrounded by hematite in quartz," according to Tuttle. Indeed, there's yet another legend purporting to explain where the Dutchman might have acquired his gold. They found gold in the 1840s but were ambushed by a local tribe of Apaches. Hiking and camping are popular activities. When is the documentary goimg to start back up? For over a third of a century, he read stories and books about the Peralta Mines and the lost Spanish treasures hidden deep in the Superstitions, and he heard the tale of Jacob Waltzs famous Lost Dutchman Mine. This is considered to be the starting and gathering point for most Dutch Hunters. [29][clarification needed]. LIKELY TO SELL OUT*. The enigma of the LDGM is that it has been a puzzle with many pieces that, up until now, no one has been able to solve. Afterwards, Waltz fell ill (he was rumored to have contracted pneumonia during the flooding). He contracted it as a young child, when he was enthralled with books and stories of hidden treasures and lost gold. Famed Apache Geronimo is sometimes mentioned in relation to this story. Jack Humphrey Cameron, Texas The Dutchman, like most lost, Writers sometimes discover their muse on their own, but sometimes their muse finds them. Years later, a man called Dr. Thorne treats an ailing or wounded Apache (often alleged to be a chieftain) and is rewarded with a trip to a rich gold mine. In January 1932, human remains were discovered about three-quarters of a mile (1.21km) from where the skull had been found. In Lost Dutchman Mine 3D the player takes on the role of Fred Homestake. He was one of the few who were well-prepared to prospect in unpromising locations. This late 1800s ore chute is proof of mining activity in the Superstition Wilderness. Nevertheless, the lore has led to the publication of several books (and, in turn, a few movies), although they mostly just embellish off the basics of the existing oral legend one of the great tales of treasure in modern history. The average high temperature in June, July and August, is 104 degrees. 14 - 18 years. [12] Thorne related his claims to three U.S. soldiers in about 1858. One of the most professional and serious-minded efforts was led by Oklahoma City private detective Glen Magill, who organized multiple expeditions in the late 1960s and early '70s, and claimed on at least two occasions to have identified the location of the mine, later to concede he was either mistaken or the locations were "played out," or bereft of gold. There's even been a ban on mining in the Superstition Mountains since 1984 due to the number of people coming and getting killed in mining accidents searching for the Lost Dutchman's gold. He never returned, and months later, an archaeological expedition encountered his remains, which indicated he had been shot, and a hand-written note claiming he had found the entrance to the mine. And is that information relevant? The story of the missing mine started when the Peralta family moved to the area in the early 19th century to try their luck at mining. In subsequent years, the Dutchmanas Waltz was calledworked both placer and lode gold mines in the region. As the story goes, Waltz had some minor success drawing gold out of the mountains, and eventually, he started coming back to town with huge loads of high-grade gold ore. Now, he may be on the edge of finding it. He pursued mining and prospecting, but seems to have had little luck with either. Chances you could find the Lost Dutchman's Mine: It's probably not real, but don't let that stop you . The reason you can see Weavers Needle to the south is the same . The story of the Lost Dutchman Mine might have become just another obscure legend had it not been for an easterner named Dr. Adolph Ruth, an amateur treasure-seeker who ambled into the Superstitions in the summer of 1931. [26], Blair wrote that "the national wire services picked up the story [of Ruth's death] and ran it for more than it was worth", possibly seeing the mysterious story as a welcome reprieve from the bleak news that was otherwise typical of the Great Depression. Since fortune has thought fit to bestow it upon me, I have only to use it properly and I shall arrive at the gold.. Ron Feldman has it and has had it all of his adult life. 2217 KB. Day-use areas open from sunrise to 10 p.m. So far, they've filmed at locations that include the Treasure Hunter of the Year Awards, held at Apache Junction's Mammoth Saloon in March, and at Goldfield Ghost Town, an attraction that features a zip line and live staged gunfights. Arcana Exploration. Now wait a minute isnt the fabled Lost Dutchman Mine located in the Superstitions? After this look at the Lost Dutchman Mine, read up on historys most fascinating sunken ships, some of which went down with legendary treasures. If no one comes forth to rightfully claim the treasure, its anyones guess. In the next century, the Peralta family extracted gold from this mine. Web. It involves murder, secrets, and a whole lotta sweet, sweet gold. April Warnecke 4/11/2022. This is very interesting and both are true. An alternate view which better fits the lost mine legend is that he periodically appeared with large amounts of gold, The Sterling Legend by Estee Conatser reports that a Jacob Walzer sold $250,000 in gold to the U.S. Mint during the 1880s and had $1500 when he died in 1891. Humankind has been enthralled by lost treasure legends for ages. Lastly, the alleged mine directions Ruth had were from an 1895 newspaper account. However, the Peralta Mine eventually became unprofitable and after the money was gone Miguel Peralta turned to fraud. Thomas admitted she drew the map herself but claimed she based it on descriptions given by the Dutchman, according to Skeptoid. Thorne claimed that he was taken captive by Navajos in 1854, and that during his captivity he had discovered a rich gold vein. This bug is to make my fortune, he continued, with a triumphant smile, to reinstate me in my family possessions. For more than 120 years, the legend of the Lost Dutchman Mine has haunted the minds and souls of treasure seekers throughout the world. Dozens of prospectors in the Superstitions attempted to follow him to his secret mine. Peralta's Family. After the conquistadors and priests are purported to have come and gone from the Superstition Mountains, legend tells of another group who arrived sometime in the earlier half of the 1800s. During the miners escape to Mexico, Apaches attacked and 148 of the party were massacred. Now, Feldman and his team are on the prowl for the Lost Dutchman Mine. There May Be a Long-Lost Gold Mine in the Arizona Mountains By: Mae Rice For more than a century, adventurous souls have sought the Lost Dutchman Mine, and since 1891, more than a hundred people have claimed to find it. Grade level. Mon Oct 17, 2016 5:29 pm. Arizona's most notorious lost treasure story for both believers and otherwise takes place in the mysterious Superstition Mountains. In this series, forensic geologist Scott Wolter -- considered a real-life Indiana Jones by some -- travels across the country to uncover some of the hidden treasures and to reveal the history. He really did die in 1891 of pneumonia. Mine records show that one possibly two Peralta family members with possible links connecting them to the 1848 massacre, also worked at the Vulture mine during the same time period as Waltz. According to the tales, a Spanish conquistador (often said to be Francisco Vazquez de Coronado, but sometimes reported as any number of other explorers, real and fictional) came to the Superstition Mountains in the mid-1500s searching for a mythical city of gold, one of the legendary Seven Cities of Gold, somewhere in the mountains, according to Legends of America. The main shaft heads down to two tunnels. "[24], Authorities in Arizona did not convene a criminal inquest regarding Ruth's death. Where: 46109 N. Apache Trail, Apache Junction. When the townspeople went to look for them, they found nearly all of the family slaughtered. LOST DUTCHMAN MINE FOUND - FINALLY! Arcana Exploration has been there on four separate trips the first in October of 2015. Hola amigos - I am writing this post because of the continuing controversy over whether there is any real evidence of the famous Lost Dutchman's gold mine. Another detail which casts doubt on the story is the fact that, according to Blair, there was never any Dr. Thorne in the employ of the Army or indeed of the Federal Government in the 1860s. Then, she took the map that was either from Waltz's imagination or her own and made a whole lot of money selling copies of it. All of these elements can be found in the search for the Lost Dutchman Gold Mine, reportedly well hidden in Arizona's mysterious-looking (and aptly named) Superstition Mountains (pictured above). I feel the information on the Peralta stones is most likely from a very old map of Jesuit origin. The Lost Dutchman Gold Mine is the most famous lost mine in American history. Troubles with the Apaches made the family's mining operation dangerous. It seems likely there was no Dr. Thorne, but there was a doctor in New Mexico who told a similar tall tale, except he was kidnapped by the Navajo tribe in his story. 1:00. More please. The fabled Lost Dutchman Mine may be about to be discovered in the Supernatural. The name comes from a prominent local legend of the enigmatic . However, Ruth ignored Barkely's advice, and set out for a two-week stint in the mountains. The Superstition Mountains in Arizona are bound to be home to at least a few good stories by virtue of their name alone. After traveling to the region, Ruth stayed several days at the ranch of Tex Barkely to outfit his expedition. Kinos Mission San Xavier del Bac near Tucson unlike other missions in California was both massive and opulent, and still stands today. The lost Dutchman Gold mine is generally believed to be somewhere near or in the Superstition Mountains in Arizona. RaksyBH/Shutterstock Cravey said he would walk out of the mountains on June 28, 1947. None of this rules out that he simply found a cache of abandoned gold, of course, and when he died, he did have in his possessions some high-grade gold ore, though its value is unclear and it may have just been for attracting potential investors in his prospecting operations. ARKANSAS: Crescent Hotel, Eureka Springs Crescent Hotel in Arkansas. [7] A man named Miguel Peralta and his family did operate a successful mine in the 1860s but near Valencia, California, not in Arizona. Skeptoid Media, 29 Jan 2013. And the answer is absolutely yes! Both fabled and mythical, they have helped to drive the legend of the Lost Dutchman Mine. Even though some have said the stones story is much older (it is true the source information is likely much older) than the Dutchmans time and therefor there is no connection, they are going to be slapping themselves in the face trying to overcome their denial when they realize the stones leadto the same birds nest. That's not even counting those hunting the treasure in the ensuing years. In 1748, the area now known as Arizona (along with the Superstition Mountain) was given by Spain as a land grant to a Mexican cattle-baron by the name of Don Miguel Peralta of Sonora. After one hundred and twenty- five plus years incredibly, the Lost Dutchman Gold Mine has been found, proving that the legend is more than mere myth and as predicted by Jacob Waltz himself No miner will ever find my mine. The land contained parts of Arizona and New Mexico, including the Superstition Mountains. He gradually gained the respect of the old-timers who, in their later years, shared much of the knowledge they had gathered themselves. The exact location of the Lost Dutchmen's Mine remains a mystery. According to legends, a man named Jacob Waltz, the titular Dutchman (though he was actually German and not Dutch), came to America to seek out his fortune around the 1860s, according to Lost Dutchman State Park. It is an easy thing Take AZ-101 to U.S. 60 east of Scottsdale to approach the towering peaks of the Superstition Mountains looming large over the horizon. Instead, it captures mens minds and passions, and lingers with them forever. from. Reading age. Gold fever is infectious. A not-insignificant number of those Dutch hunters have gotten hurt or even killed. Recommended. Feldman and his partners in HEAT (Historical Exploration and Treasures) go daily into the Superstition Wilderness east of Apache Junction in Arizona, and with government permission, manually dig for a lost Spanish Mine. Some carved stones in the area are referred to as "Peralta Stones" and Spanish text and crude maps on them are considered by some to be clues to the location of a Peralta family gold mine in the Superstition Mountains, although others believe the stones to be modern fakes. As early as September 1, 1892, The Arizona Enterprise was reporting on the efforts of Thomas and several others to locate the lost mine whose location was told to her by Waltz. Three Aitons, father and two sons, are reported to have found what was known the past fifty years as the "Lost Dutchman" mine in the Bradshaw mountains. In 1891, German immigrant Jacob Waltz, nicknamed "the Dutchman," lay on his deathbed. The soldiers are alleged to have presented some of the gold, but to have been killed or to have vanished soon after. Here's the thing about the Julia Thomas map to the Lost Dutchman's gold mine, which is still sold and used today: Jacob Waltz didn't actually draw it. Also, there's no documentation showing he ever filed a claim for a mine in the Superstitions or any paperwork showing where he allegedly sold mass amounts of gold. Some have died on the search. (Right) Bob Schoose (owner of Goldfield, Arizona) designed this headframe, which the team hand carried from the base camp to the site for construction. Photo: Marine 69-71 / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0. [10] Trouble came after Willing learned that the deed was entirely bogus. Said to be the most famous lost mine of all time, it continues to draw prospectors to the Superstition Mountains of Arizona in search of its rich gold. After the land was ceded to the United States, the Peralta party was trespassing on U.S. soil. Despite his efforts, Willing was never able to recover the money he gave to Peralta. In the mountains east of Phoenix, a German prospector named Jacob Waltz began prospecting in the 1860s. There, he claimed to have. Even if the stories of soldiers looking specifically for the Lost Dutchman mine are true, there's no evidence they actually found anything at all and didn't just move on empty-handed, no mysterious deaths required. People have been seeking the Lost Dutchman's mine since at least 1892,[2] while according to one estimate, 9,000 people annually made some effort to locate the Lost Dutchman's mine. This seems to have been made up solely for the various legends, according to Tom Kollenborn Chronicles. Jumping ahead to the late 1860s, German prospector Jacob Waltz moved to Phoenix and began prospecting in the mountains east of the new city. He had metal pins in his leg, and used a cane to help him walk. In December, 1931, The Arizona Republic reported on the recent discovery of a human skull in the Superstition Mountains. It was supposedly discovered by a German prospector named Jacob Waltz in 1876. 1873. In yet another version of the tale, two (or more) U.S. Army soldiers are said to have discovered a vein of almost pure gold in or near the Superstition Mountains. [volume], October 11, 1933, Page NINE, Image 9, "Arizona desert searched for missing Denver man seeking gold mine", "Mother of missing treasure hunter holds onto hope", "Body of man who hunted legendary 'Lost Dutchman's' gold mine believed found in Arizona mountains", "3 Utah men still missing on Arizona treasure hunt", "3 Search for men looking for Lost Dutchman's gold suspended", "More remains found in Superstitions; may be hiker's", "Escape - When The Man Comes, Follow Him", "The Lost Dutchman's Mine History and Bibliography", Arizona Mining Scams and Unassayable Ore Projects of the Late 20th Century, "Skeptoid #347: The Lost Dutchman Gold Mine", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lost_Dutchman%27s_Gold_Mine&oldid=1137505190. First you drive to the outskirts of Phoenix and find Apache Junction, then pick up the old Apache Trail (route88) and go about 35 miles to Tortilla Flat, site of the old stage coach Pony express stop, along the Apache Trail. A note from Ruth saying he needed help and had discovered the mine was found in the Salt River. Ruth disappeared while searching for the mine in the summer of 1931. Arcadia Publishing. Clue 16 - Miliary Map. [3] Former Arizona Attorney General Robert K. Corbin is among those who have looked for the mine. Tales of these other Lost Dutchman's mines can be traced to at least the 1870s. The earliest Lost Dutchman Gold Mine in Arizona was said to be near Wickenburg, where in the 1870's a Dutchman was found dead in the desert, together with some saddlebags filled with gold. And importantly I have hard facts that the Stones are linked to other historical information. While Francisco Coronado did exist and did explore what is now the southwestern United States, there's nothing indicating he ever visited the Superstitions. The only thing slightly off the cuff, is that three of them do ride their Harleys from central Ohio to Sturgis and back on a regular basis, but more about them later. Granger wrote that "fact and fiction blend in the tales",[3] but that there are three main elements to the story: In 1977, Granger identified 62 variants of the Lost Dutchman's story some of the variations are minor, but others are substantial, casting the story in a very different light from the other versions. Because of poor health, Cox never returned to the mine, and it almost became forgotten. but their camera was. The Gold Rush was in full swing and Waltz wanted a piece of those potential fortunes. The legend then states that, sometime later, the last Peralta survivor(s) were helped out of some kind of bind by Jacob Waltz, and in his debt, they gave him the only thing they had of value: a map to the Peralta family mine in the Superstition Mountains, according to Cowboys and Indiansmagazine. It is believed that all were killed except for two Peralta family members who were severely wounded but managed to escape. 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