This is what brought him to the Superstition Mountains (yes, that's their real name) near what is today the city of Phoenix, Arizona. The story tells of a man who stumbled upon a goldmine in Arizonas Superstition Mountains. Waltz was a mysterious figure, and he never revealed the exact location of the mine. Finally - The Lost Dutchman Gold Mine Is Found! For one, the desert area bears remnants of the cliff dwellings of an ancient people whose identity is still unknown. Even today, despite the fact mineral prospecting was outlawed in 1983, people head to the Superstition Mountains on the off-chance they might stumble upon the Dutchmans treasure. On the other hand, the Apache refused to assist them, informing them that if they dared to trespass on sacred ground, the Thunder God would retaliate, causing enormous anguish and horrible deaths. Was Waltz dancing around the truth? Let the prospector keep on finding the old lost mine and he is made, no matter it is not the original.. Arizona Lost Mines. by Marshall Trimble | Jan 26, 2021 | True West Blog. Has anyone found the Lost Dutchmans gold? In 1931, the two sought the Lost Dutchman's gold mine, but Adolph Ruth, against his son's wishes, went looking alone, according to Skeptoid. He was in a tight spot and thats why it took so long to find this young man.. And now we get to the real problem with these legends there's basically zero evidence any of them ever happened. Waltz did claim to have a treasure, but he really didn't and was simply telling tall tales to make his life seem more interesting, then Julia Thomas believed him. The Lost Dutchman mine is far from the beginning of the legends of gold hidden in the Superstition Mountains. Dozens of prospectors in the Superstitions attempted to follow him to his secret mine. The main shaft heads down to two tunnels. (Above) In early October, before digging, the crew monitored the surface irregularities with a Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR). However, despite bankrupting herself and spending a very long time in the mountains, she and her search party never found any evidence of a hidden gold cache, per Arizona Report. Even though scavengers had spread the remains, they were unmistakably Ruths. Jacob Waltz was a German immigrant, the Dutchman of the eponymous mine (dutch being a corruption of deutsch, the German word for German). The Superstitions offer a great many surprises, including petroglyphs, old farm equipment, and various remnants of the gold mining era. Gina Dimuro is a New York-based writer and translator. During those dying days, Waltz whispered clues to Julia but not to Rhinehart. Peralta had gold claims in the vicinity of todays Rock Springs, along Interstate 17. Don Miguel Peralta of Sonora, a Mexican cattle baron, received the Superstitions, as well as 3,750 square miles of what is now Arizona, in a land grant in 1748. Legend of the Superstition Mountains (TV Series 2015- ) - IMDb After the land was ceded to the United States, the Peralta party was trespassing on U.S. soil. It's not a threat. In the years that followed, neither she nor dozens of other seekers could locate the Lost Dutchmans Mine. Subsequent seekers have occasionally encountered foul play or even death, adding to these mountains superstition and legend. 12 People Who Vanished Looking for the Lost Dutchman Treasure - Ranker Winds SE at 10 to 20 mph. I'd pay good money to see "HwyRover" trip and fall into that mine. To access the trail, take the mostly unpaved Peralta Road about 7 miles off of highway 60 near Gold Canyon. This, of course, is how the Dutchman is supposed to havereally found his treasure. That's not even counting those hunting the treasure in the ensuing years. We'd love to hear eyewitness While searching for the lost Pegleg mine in California, the elder Ruth had fallen and badly fractured several bones. He was taken to the home of a friend named Julia Thomas who tried in vain to nurse him back to health. One man found it in the Four Peaks and extracted several thousand dollars of ore back when gold was $20 an ounce. He found that even a neophyte like himself could pick up nuggets of information from other Dutch hunters who virtually inhabited the Superstitions. The Symposium is co-sponsored by the Sharlot Hall Museum and the Prescott Corral and is open to the public free of charge. Strangely, he never filed any claims in Pinal, Maricopa or Gila Counties. He was offered the chance to be escorted to the gold mine in the Superstition mountains in 1870. If he had, we still wouldnt know where the mine is, but we would know where it isnt a useful piece of information, since the mine has been found multiple times in at least five counties. Almost every prospector, professional or tenderfoot, had his pet "lost mine" that he looked for. Perhaps this is why many of the legends involve people bringing gold to the mountain and leaving it hidden there. Further legends claim the conquistador and his men were bearing their own reserves of gold, looted from previous expeditions, but ended up leaving it behind when they escaped whatever was killing them. Lost Dutchman Goldmine Clues - Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine Eventually, the conquistador ordered his men to flee and he never returned to the mountains, which they called Monte Supersticin, thus giving the mountains the name of Superstition. The permit allows Feldmans group to re-excavate the main shaft and drifts under strict controls and government supervision. The Superstition Mountains in Arizona cover 160,000 acres of desolate, rugged terrain. Wikimedia Commons The Weavers Needle rock column of Arizona's Superstition Mountains is often said to mark the location of the Lost Dutchman Mine. The man said Dr. Thorne could take as much as he could carry, at which point he was blindfolded again and led out. Get an email notification whenever someone contributes to the discussion. The path to these riches is paved in mystery and doom. Men who claimed to have discovered the Peralta mine could not return to it or died before filing a claim, leading to the legend of a lost mine.. #1 Here`s a link to some of the clues to Jake`s mine. Lyndon Graves 140 subscribers Subscribe 10K views 4 years ago After 15 Long Years, and long battles with Government agencies , we have decided to reveal the. Thorne gained the respect of tribal elders by caring for the sick and injured and after healing several Apache of an eye condition. Jacob Walzer and Heidelberg (Germany) were punched in the edges of the tintype, leading Ron Feldman to think it could be of Jacob Waltz. Please contact SHM Library & Archives reference desk at 928-445-3122 Ext. There's another story that supposedly took place three centuries earlier also involving a treasure stashed away in the area. Enrico, Pedro, Ramon, and Manuel Peralta, four descendants of the original grant, resolved to return to Arizona in 1846, risking not only the curse but also the fury of the Apache. Dr. Abraham Thorne was the next person to visit the lost Dutchmans gold mine. In the 20 years following Waltzs death in October of 1891, the possible discovery of the mine was reported multiple times in newspapers from Bisbee to Tombstone to Phoenix. What there is documentation to support is that the Dutchman may have been a con man. Theres an enduring legend in Arizona that says the engineers surveying the new boundary, Enter the Frontier Fiction Giveaway Head into the bold frontier with this rip-roaring book bundle, The fabulous Silver King Mine was first discovered in 1873, at a time when conflicts. However, they eventually disappeared after a trip into the Superstitions. Neither Thomas nor anyone since has been able to find the now legendary gold of the Lost Dutchman Mine, although that has not discouraged people from trying (one widely-circulated estimate from the 1970s claimed that 8,000 people a year search for it). We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners. Indeed, there's yet another legend purporting to explain where the Dutchman might have acquired his gold. Many of Ruths personal belongings were found at the site, including a revolver (complete with ammunition) and the metal pins used to repair his shattered bones. Arizona. But there's no evidence he was any sort of engineering or mining genius like some legends claim. Pack Your Bags and Pack a Bookor Two or Three or More! During this time, the Apache Indians had turned their hatred against the Arizona settlers and the US Army. The conquistadors, led by Francisco Vasquez de Coronado, were unconcerned about Apache customs or beliefs, just desiring to uncover the famous Seven Golden Cities of Cibola.. Later, the Turkey Creek Mining District was carved out of the Walker District, and Waltz et al. Not only that, but some legends claim there were a number of shrines in the mountains filled with gold meant to be an offering to the Thunder God. accounts, the history behind an article. In the 1840s, according to the Denver Post, the Peralta family of Mexico mined gold out of the mountains, but Apaches attacked and killed all but one or two family members as they took the gold back to Mexico. They started to Phoenix after filling their saddlebags with as much gold as they could carry, but they never lived to enjoy the prosperity. The Most Famous Sunken Ships and Shipwrecks Ever Discovered. Also, as previously mentioned, no Native American tribes in the region seem to have any history of treating the mountains as anything other than regular mountains. The Mystery of the Lost Dutchman Goldmine - Discovery UK You take the first gorge on the south side from the west end of the range. 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. Jacob Waltz does appear to have been a real person; whether he was simply used as the basis for the story or actually found the lost gold is another story. Generally considered a, Second Water Trail Superstition Mountains, The orchards offer plenty of grass and greenery for your dog to enjoy. The Story of The Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine - Any Mystery 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. 1873. On the other hand, Ruth disregarded Barkleys advice and headed out for a two-week stay in the mountains. All rights reserved. Jacob Waltz was born in the kingdom of Wurttemberg, Germany, circa 1810. Fearful, the conquistadors eventually departed, refusing to return to the mountain they christened Monte Superstition. It involves murder, secrets, and a whole lotta sweet, sweet gold. So what about Jacob Waltz? Jumping ahead to the late 1860s, German prospector Jacob Waltz moved to Phoenix and began prospecting in the mountains east of the new city. Troubles with the Apaches made the familys mining operation dangerous. In the 20 years following Waltzs death in October 1891, the possible discovery of the mine was reported multiple times in newspapers from Bisbee to Tombstone to Phoenix. A group found the Lost Dutchman Mine in the Eastern Superstitions and extracted a considerable amount of rich gold ore. Mining records show that Jacob Waltz did file claims, two claims with others. 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. You bet! Capen, who had worked at the Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel for more than a decade, had ventured to the area at least two other times in the past decade in search of the mine. who spent days and months searching for the lost gold. You bet! What Happened to the Merchant Royal Treasure Ship? While a few versions have Waltz outright stealing the gold, in other versions, he either rescued or fell in love with an Apache woman who shared the secret of a gold vein her people had been mining for centuries, but as punishment for sharing the knowledge with an outsider, her tongue was cut out, ensuring she could never speak again. Waltz died in 1891 of pneumonia, but before he passed, he gave a few final clues to the location of his mine and even provided a crude map to it. But, Ongoing discoveries of the Lost Dutchman Mine have continued for well over a hundred years. For more than 120 years, the legend of the Lost Dutchman Mine has haunted the minds and souls of treasure seekers throughout the world. Then, see some astonishing photos taken at the height of the Klondike Gold Rush. Waltz, now the sole possessor of all the gold, eventually moved to Phoenix where he died in 1891, but not before relaying his story to his neighbor, Julia Thomas. Hrdlicka positively identified Adolph Ruths skull. Yet after leaving the Bradshaw Mountains, Waltz never filed a claim again. Because of poor health, Cox never returned to the mine, and it almost became forgotten. It's very possible the clues are also unverifiable legends people have clung on to in hopes of finding riches. This was the mines first official record of its existence. Feldman absorbed every bit of information he could find on the history of mining in the region. The Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine (also known by similar names) is, according to legend, a rich gold mine hidden in the southwestern United States. One man found it in the Four Peaks and extracted several thousand dollars of ore back when gold was $20 an ounce. Local legend says he dug a hole six feet deep at the mines entrance and laid in two solid layers of ironwood logs. Another found it in the Western Superstitions. This image was made from a tintype found in the Superstition Mountains by Bud Dunn, circa 1960. During the miners escape to Mexico, Apaches attacked and 148 of the party were massacred. There is a trick in the trail of my mine., My mine is located in a north-trending canyon. Keep it Clean. 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. The body, Cooper said, was found in a crevice roughly 35 feet up a cliff face in the southern portion of the Superstition Mountains, near the 4,892-foot Tortilla Mountain. Waltz and his colleague, Jacob Weiser, allegedly worked the mine and buried one or more gold caches in the Superstitions. At least a dozen Lost Dutchman mines are found yearly and, strange to relate, many of them turn out to be remarkably good producers. The informant noted that it was really only high school boys who went to try and find the mine as a coming of age process. This bug is to make my fortune, he continued, with a triumphant smile, to reinstate me in my family possessions. He vanished into the mountains in 2009 and his body was not discovered until three years later, hidden in a crevasse 35 feet up a cliff, and destined to become yet another chapter in the continuing story of the lost mine. Arizona's Lost Dutchman Mine - Unsolved Mysteries This was a brutal land where life could be cheap: here be dragons, and here be treasure too. In early 1891, Jacob Waltz, now living on a 160 acre homestead near Phoenix decided to hide his mine. 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. I've, Was the Lost Dutchman Mine real? A camp in search of the Lost Dutchman Gold Mine, 1938 (Photo: Historical / Contributor via Getty Images). Legal Statement. In some versions, he's not just a man but the chieftain of the Apache tribe. and a place of doom to luckless others. We call em Dutch hunters out here, said Superstition Search and Rescue Director Robert Cooper. While the Jesuits were eventually allowed to return to the area, it seems they either forgot the treasure or couldn't find it, and so it was still in the mountains when it was perhaps discovered by none other than the Dutchman himself, Jacob Waltz. Let the prospector keep on finding the old lost mine and he is made, no matter it is not the original.. If no one comes forth to rightfully claim the treasure, its anyones guess. Legend of the Superstition Mountains - HISTORY 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 Lost Dutchman Mine - True West Magazine In the 1870s, Jacob Waltz, known as the Dutchman (a German native), was reported to have discovered the mine with the help of a Peralta descendant. It appears no one ever bothered to just ask the Native Americans in the area if the mountains were sacred. The Lost Dutchman Mine: Fact or Fiction - True West Magazine As Curt Gentry put it, Dr. Soon, fact and fiction became easier to sort. The Lost Dutchman Mine: The Story is Real, and It's Spectacular Ruth concluded his letter with the words Veni, Vidi, Vici.. All these guys think they found it or know the answer.. According to legend, somewhere hidden in these mountains lie the richest deposits of gold in Americathe Lost Dutchmen's Gold Mine. Threats of harming another He was born around 1810 and in the 1860s, one version of the story suggests he relocated to Arizona to try his luck as a miner and prospector. 2023 Discovery Networks International. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism Unfortunately, when a group followed the clues given in Ruth's letter, they found nothing. The Lost Dutchmans Gold Mine is hidden in the United States southwest. Only one (sometimes two) could not be accounted for. After growing up on the East Coast and California, Feldman moved in 1968 to Arizona where he established a successful stable offering trail rides and pack trips into the rugged mountains that were once home to the Apaches. Ruth did not return on time, and after a quick search, no trace of him could be found. Post Views: 1,637 . There are lots of similar tales of gold-hunting soldiers, too, from all over the southwest. Legend of the Lost Dutchman | Lost Dutchman State Park In 2009, Denver bellhop Jesse Capen, obsessed with finding the Lost Dutchman gold mine, took a month's vacation into the Superstition Mountains outside Phoenix to . The Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine is one of the most famous legends in Phoenix history. According to legend, a family by the name of Peralta moved north from Mexico in the early 19th century to try their luck at mining in the American West and their efforts were rewarded when they struck gold in the 1840s. Only the materials differ. Erwin informed about this to his father, who had a long-standing interest in lost mines. An autopsy took place on Tuesday, she said, and the results are expected to take weeks. Is there a better way forward? The Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine and Jacob Waltz. Solar sprawl is tearing up the Mojave Desert. Still, more soldiers went missing, only to be discovered dead later. Documentation suggests that only two young boys survived and made it to Mexico. Did Adolph Ruth Find the Lost Dutchmans Gold Mine? Three years ago, a Denver bellhop ventured into Arizona's Superstition Mountains determined to find the Lost Dutchman's Mine, a vast gold reserve that has lured prospectors since the 19th century. The Superstition Mountains in Arizona are bound to be home to at least a few good stories by virtue of their name alone. Be Nice. Later, the Turkey Creek Mining District was carved out of the Walker District, and Waltz et al. Another found it in the Western Superstitions. 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. All Rights Reserved. For over a century, treasure hunters have sought the treasures supposedly lost in the Superstition Mountains of Arizona, but what do we really know about the events surrounding this tale? After additional examination of the two holes [in the skull], he claimed that it appeared like a shotgun or high-powered rifle had been fired through the head at approximately point-blank range, creating the little hole when the bullet entered and the massive hole when it departed . Mostly due to Indian attacks, Peralta quit the mining business and went back to being a prosperous merchant in Wickenburg. Market data provided by Factset. "Don't Threaten. The mystery is shrouded in history, lore and several curious deaths. :: Ghost Towns and Legends of Lost Treasure :: Care2 Groups S Somero Hero Member Sep 10, 2012 680 497 Primary Interest: All Treasure Hunting Jun 17, 2013 #2 By 1864, Waltz was prospecting in Arizona and is reputed to have found a gold deposit near the Superstition mountain, known now as the legendary Lost Dutchman Mine. Waltz and his partner, Jacob Weiser worked the mine and allegedly hid one or more caches of gold in the Superstitions. Share with Us. I Found the Lost Dutchmans Mine : u/Delicious-Youth757 - Reddit Peralta Trail is one of the most popular hikes in the Superstition Mountains. Named after the fabled lost gold mine, Lost Dutchman State Park is located, In June 2009, they were to go on extended display at the Superstition Mountain Museum, 4087 N. Apache Trail, in Apache Junction, Arizona. When challenged, hed give contradictory stories about where it came from and impossible directions to its location. A book published in 1972 called The Sterling Legend: The Facts Behind the Lost Dutchman Mine by Estee Conatser tells of a Jacob Walzer selling $250,000 worth of gold to the US Mint in the 1880s, but no-one is sure if its the same man, or indeed if the story is true at all. Notifications from this discussion will be disabled. On the other hand, Thorne had to accept being blindfolded for the 20-mile journey. by Bob Willis | Apr 1, 2005 | Travel & Preservation. The rays of the setting sun shine into the entrance of my mine and glitters on the gold. When the Peralta miners learned that the Apache were planning an attack, they packed up, covered the mine entrance, and began making their way back to Mexico during the winter of 1847-1848 with mules and wagons laden with gold. The load mules dispersed in all directions, spreading the gold everywhere.
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