Or, he never made any such claims at all and Thomas made up the whole story based on some gold ore she found in Waltz's possessions. Silver King Mine The Pit Mine is located close to the Randolph Mining District, which is historically well known and produced vast amounts of silver. The 500-year-old mines of Bolivia's Cerro Rico mountain produced the silver that once made the Spanish empire rich. Another well-known Dutch Hunter, Jack San Felice, boldly made the case for the Pit Mine in his bookThe Lost El Dorado of Jacob Waltz. It is here were you will reach areas that are barely penetrable, this is where most trails stop abruptly for safety reasons. According to their folklore, the mountain guards an ancient storehouse of precious metals and treasures, and anyone who ventures forth to get the treasure is likely to die. These steep, jagged volcanic mountains were formed over 29 million years ago and they cover an area of 160,000 acres. The praying hands formation at the Superstition Mountains range. Thorne claimed that he was taken captive by Navajos in 1854, and that during his captivity he had discovered a rich gold vein. One day he travelled to the fabled site of the mother lode, Superstition Mountains near Phoenix, Arizona, and never came back. "Jesse James Feldman has uncovered compelling new evidence of a chain of events that link pre-Anglo mining in Arizona's famed Superstition Mountains with Jacob Waltz and the Peralta miners. I will make a statement in the near future that will surprise a lot of Dutch Hunters it surprised me. The Pit Mine IS the Silver Chief Mine. That, in and of itself, is a separate legend. Here amongst this vast maize of volcanic interior, fixed and clinging to the mountain side, flanked on one side by a very small almost invisible ledge is the Lost Dutchman Gold Mine, like a small birds nest perched in the middle of a forest of giant oaks, concealed by the natural elements it obscures itself from all beasts of prey, especially man. The Superstition Mountains, with a name like that you might as well give away fancy proton-backs, of the Ghostbuster variety, at the visitor's center, is a series of jagger tooth mountains in Arizona just the east of Phoenix. Is it possible he took his own life? Indeed, there's yet another legend purporting to explain where the Dutchman might have acquired his gold. (However, in some versions,[14] the 'mine' is actually a cache put there by the Peraltas.). For more. And importantly I have hard facts that the Stones are linked to other historical information. Some of you reading this may know a lot, about the Lost Dutchman Goldmine, others may be new to the story of the Lost Dutchman Mine, so before going much further, I will do a very quick overview. Other storytellers claim that the Peralta Family escaped with gold, but another family died in the massacre. He even has a gravesite you can visit today in Arizona. 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. When they immigrated to Pennsylvania from Deutschland (Germany), the locals mistook Deutsch for Dutch. Join us as we explore the Mysteries, Legends and stories of the Superstition Mountains. Apache Junction, AZ 85119-8409, Phone options: But what they actually found has been a hidden secret that people have been trying to piece together for last 125 years. These Native American legends aren't the only tales involving religion and gold stores in the area. Skeptoid Podcast. Dr. George M. Willing Jr. paid Peralta $20,000 for the mining rights for an enormous swath of land about 3,000,000 acres (12,000km2) in southern Arizona and New Mexico based on a deed originally granted by the Spanish Empire in the 18th century. In 1875, James Rogers made a claim there and dubbed it The Silver Chief. As the mountains have a desert climate and few water resources, there is not much vegetation here. [5] One Lost Dutchman's mine is said to be in Colorado, another in California; two are said to be located in Arizona. 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. What there is documentation to support is that the Dutchman may have been a con man. Director: Earl Bellamy | Stars: Dale Robertson, John Litel, Myron Healey, John Dennis. Through the years, truth and fiction about . each. If these conditions do not exist, gold will not exist. I understand that it has been filled in recently and the surrounding area may have been hit by recent wildfires. This also fits Waltzs description. Since Jacob Waltz's death, thousands of people have searched all throughout the Superstition Mountains for the location of the Lost Dutchman's gold mine, to no avail, according to USA Today. The legend of the lost gold continued to attract people, and, in 1932, a veterinarian in the Park Service, Adolph Ruth, decided to go treasure hunting. They planned to return, but once they left, they were never seen again. Later, he remarked that he had noticed a towering rock formation nearby, but otherwise remained clueless about the whereabouts of the place. Arcana Exploration has been there on four separate trips the first in October of 2015. None of the tribes in the area ever considered the mountains to be sacred, and while the Apache tribe does have a thunder deity in their religious beliefs, they don't claim he lives in the Superstitions. Now riddled with tunnels, the mountain is a death trap for the . It's an entire genre all its own, from pirate maps to all the stuff Nicolas Cage got up to in the National Treasure movies. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. The search, nevertheless, still continues. According to Thomas, it was on his deathbed that Jacob Waltz shared the story of his secret mine, and even provided a map to it filled with clues. 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. Now the Last Similarities There is a Company that claims there millions of tons of copper under a Area in the Superstition's. They tested that area, it just so happens to be a Area the Mexicans mined back in the day. 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. Sometimes, this discarded cache of gold is said to be the origin of Jacob Waltz's treasure. It is my understanding that the results, while not conclusive, state that there is about a seventy-five percent chance that they came from the same source. Blindbowman Bronze Member. "The Lost Dutchman Gold Mine." There, his blindfold was removed and he saw a cave full of gold. 5: Museum Administration and Membership matters, E-MAILVolunteering questions: [emailprotected]Site rentals: [emailprotected]Membership questions: [emailprotected]Retail and event issues: [emailprotected]Accounting issues: [emailprotected]Administrative and other issues: [emailprotected]FAX(480) 288-6524, Closed: Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years Day and Easter. No, were not really a mining company. Certainly, do not expect it to be an open space you can pop into and have a look around. Apparently, Waltz began to hint he knew of a secret gold vein hidden in the mountains, even giving out a few clues to its location. When you visit, follow the hard rock mining process from mine to bullion. Arcana Exploration. If these conditions do not exist, gold will not exist. [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". The mountain is also frequented with mysterious sounds that many people have claimed to have heard. 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. Silver prices plummeted around the turn of the century, causing most silver mines, including The Silver Chief, to shut down and be abandoned. [3] Former Arizona Attorney General Robert K. Corbin is among those who have looked for the mine. This is very important! This is their turf and only the highly experienced and prepared should venture forward. It was the fifth-largest fire in Arizonas history, it raged for over a month, despite the strenuous containment efforts of over 600 firefighters. Additionally, there is a partial tunnel, or drift, in the canyon below that moves in the direction of the main shaft and was crudely walled up. [29][clarification needed]. In fact, the Dutchman lies on the eastern edge of the Superstitions, a few miles southwest of Iron Mountain. When I was a young buck, I used to always visit my dad in Arizona. Since Ruth's death, there have been several other deaths or disappearances in the Superstition Mountains. Sign up for exclusive updates, previews and special content: So, where is it then? The Lost Dutchman Mine, and the Superstition Mountain In some versions of this story, Waltz was actually plundering these shrines for his own gold. Lastly, the alleged mine directions Ruth had were from an 1895 newspaper account. Keep in mind for security reasons for now I have to be selective on what we divulge. Closer than ever to the $200 million payday, Wayne and the team head into the heart of darkness where a cryptic find weaves an even bigger mystery, in Season. The neighboursJulia Thomas, Rhinehart Petrasch, and Hermann Petraschspent weeks looking for the gold, but failed to find it. Magill's adventures were chronicled in the book The Killer Mountains, by Curt Gentry. More questions about the Silver Chief Mine - TreasureNet The [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=1148479290, All articles with bare URLs for citations, Articles with bare URLs for citations from April 2023, Wikipedia articles needing clarification from July 2022, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. A man named Harry LaFrance was said to have been hiking in the Superstitions, and when he took refuge in a cave from a sudden storm, he found a very large pile of gold bars. The Superstition Mountains to the east of Phoenix, AZ reportedly hold a legendary motherlode of gold known as the Lost Dutchman Gold Mine. These are tall, volcanic formations in the wilderness and are popular as hiking destinations. On 8 June 2019, a fire broke out in the Superstitions Wilderness area and soon spread across 26,000 acres. There is a Superstition Mountain Museum at 4087 N. Apache Trail, Highway 88 in Apache Junction. In this story (actually two interconnected stories), members of the Apache tribe are said to have a very rich gold mine located in the Superstition Mountains. Some have died on the search. Image property of Arcana Exploration, photo taken at the Lost Dutchman Museum Apache Junction, Arizona. He is blindfolded and taken there by a circuitous route, and is allowed to take as much gold ore as he can carry before again being escorted blindfolded from the site by the Apaches. Blair cited evidence of the historical Jacob Waltz and suggested that additional evidence supports the core elements of the story that Waltz claimed to have discovered (or at least heard the story of) a rich gold vein or cache. It is generally accepted that the Peraltas and roughly 400 peon miners were massacred by the Apaches sometime around 1848. When I started this series on the Lost Dutchman Mine, I opened with the claim that the mine had been located, which I believe to be true. Admission He had acquired maps that he was sure would lead him straight to the gold. The Chief Silver mine is completely dry except for one area. Ask any prospector and they will tell. 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. "Dutchman's Gold" was the season 4, episode 19 of, This page was last edited on 6 April 2023, at 12:08. The record high temperature is 128 degrees. The highest peak of the range is Keeper Hill or Slievekimalta at 694 metres (2,277 ft) high. Dec 18, 2016 #6 JFDIAFF: Allegedly, Dr. Thorne tried to find the cave again but was unsuccessful, or found it and was killed. There was indeed a Jacob Waltz who emigrated to the U.S. from Germany. C. Colt1911 Tenderfoot. This is trails end; this is the domain of the Dutch Hunters. The beginning and end of the tale will be told with ore. Gold ore has its own fingerprint, discernible from other gold ore. It does not matter if Tomlinson engraved them or someone else did, exactly when they were made is not important, what matters is what is on them. It is common knowledge that someone was working the mine in the late 1990s, though what exactly they extracted varies between tellers. That's not even counting those hunting the treasure in the ensuing years. It's not even out of the question the expedition was a misdirect to make it seem like she and her cohorts were looking for something to bolster the legend. Finally - The Lost Dutchman Gold Mine Is Found! To paraphrase an old Dutch Hunter, I dont know where the Dutchman is, but I know a thousand places it isnt! The meaning here is that gold can only exist in a prerequisite set of geological conditions. [21], Were it not for the death of amateur explorer and treasure hunter Adolph Ruth, the story of the Lost Dutchman's mine would probably have been little more than a footnote in Arizona history as one of hundreds of "lost mines" rumored to be in the American West. We will share as much as we can for now, but as I stated earlier we are preparing for a return trip, and the location has to remain secret. 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? The Superstition Mountains and the Legend of the Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine It's also worth noting the mountains aren't known to have gotten their ironic name from any of the above legends. Just to connect some dots, Mason was the fellow who staked the two soldiers who turned up dead while seeking their lost bonanza. [9] As of 1975, ruins of the Peralta mine were standing.[9]. Here he worked at the Vulture Mine as a paid miner. While walking thru the shaft holding a digging iron one day, I was tapping the floor to make sure it was solid. Jesuit Treasure in the Superstitions - DesertUSA.com/mb3 And now we get to the real problem with these legends there's basically zero evidence any of them ever happened. Instead, he went missing and his skull was found 6 months later with two large circular holes. Web. It is a prominent landmark located generally south and east of the Salt River, rising approximately 3,000 feet (910 m) above the Salt River Valley. One of the best treasure tales in the history of the American West is the Lost Dutchman Mine. If you get it hurt you better have your own team. 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. Silver Member. Nobody else has ever been able to find that rich of ore since then anywhere else in AZ. Over the next few weeks we will provide some images and photos taken at or very near the site. Considering that any mining activity in the area would be a federal crime, you can understand why folks might not be so forthcoming with information. [2] [3] Travis Tumlinson, a policeman, discovered the Peralta Stones on a roadside near the Superstition Mountains in the 1940s. "The St. Johns herald. Ruth disappeared while searching for the mine in the summer of 1931. To recoup the costs of the search, Julia Thomas actually began to make handmade copies of Waltz's map and sell it to others. A note in a bottle found floating down the Salt River said that he needed help on account of his leg and that he had found the Lost Dutchmans gold mine. I cannot speak for the current condition of the mine. On our may trip in 2016 one day it reached 108 degrees, that same day up on the mountain, climbing on a surface of Granite and sandstone ours guys Trek watches read what they were breathing at an actual 119 degrees. Choice of of building material I like Ironwood +, There is a typo that should be alpha mine not alfa mine. Blair argued that this Peralta story (well known to Arizona residents) was eventually incorporated in the Lost Dutchman's story, in a severely distorted version, following the renewed interest in the Lost Dutchman's mine in the 1930s. 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. They found what they were looking for and then some, according to Lost Dutchman State Park. Some think this mine was first excavated by Mexico's Peralta family, then commandeered by Apaches or simply abandoned. Waltz was buried in Phoenix at what is now called the Pioneer and Military Memorial Park. 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).

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