However, despite several men claiming to have found the mine, no one ever came forward with the gold. 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. 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. There have been many stories about how to find the mine, and each year people search for the mine. The story continues that the Peralta family found and mined gold in the Superstition Mountains. [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. He told friends he had discovered the mine. [11] According to Blair, the origin of this story can be traced to a doctor named Thorne who was in private practice in New Mexico in the 1860s. Here he worked at the Vulture Mine as a paid miner. 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. Instead, it captures mens minds and passions, and lingers with them forever. Come on. Some have died on the search. The Lost Dutchman Gold Mine is the most famous lost mine in American history. The map is supposedly filled with clues, and there are many others purportedly given by Waltz at various points in his life according to legends, but it's hard to prove he actually ever said any of those things. There are lots of similar tales of gold-hunting soldiers, too, from all over the southwest. A note from Ruth saying he needed help and had discovered the mine was found in the Salt River. [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". It is here were you will reach areas that are barely penetrable, this is where most trails stop abruptly for safety reasons. January 1933 a Mining electrican named J.A. Over the next few weeks I will share some images that are safe for us to show. Believing that this mine is the source of Waltzs placer gold, Feldman theorizes that the bullion lies at the end of a long collapsed drift and speculates that Waltz never searched that area while working the site. Since his death in the 1890s, many have tried to. Indeed, there's yet another legend purporting to explain where the Dutchman might have acquired his gold. Pingback: Legend of the Lost Dutchman Gold Mine Parts 2 & 3: Finally Found! (In truth, Apaches make up just one of the tribes found in the area, but these were typically all lumped in as "Apache" by white settlers who didn't appreciate the differences in Native American tribes.). 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. Located east of Phoenix, the Superstition Mountains stretch across 160,000 acres of desert, and somewhere in these almost supernatural-looking canyons . 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. The Lost Dutchman Gold Mine Has Been Found! The Peralta Massacre is a legend that Apaches supposedly ambushed a mining expedition the Peralta family sent into the mountains. Lastly, the alleged mine directions Ruth had were from an 1895 newspaper account. The lost Dutchman Gold mine is generally believed to be somewhere near or in the Superstition Mountains in Arizona. Ruth and his son came into some maps of mine locations, including the Peralta Mine. During Kinos time other Missionaries in California and Mexico were jealous and suspicious of Kino because, while they were poor and struggled his missions were rich and flourished, they said he had a secret gold mine from which he took rich gold and funded his missions and rancheros amassing 50 thousand head of cattle making him the Southwests first mega rancher. 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. 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. from. 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. 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). For instance, about six of the maps are relevant, others may be relevant, but for now do not appear to be. [17] Note that tombstone pictured shows birth year as 1808. However, they eventually disappeared after a trip into the Superstitions. "The Lost Dutchman Gold Mine." When he was young he found the famous Lost Dutchman mine, but due to an accident shortly after he has no memory of the mines location. Still, this doesn't dissuade treasure hunters. So what about Jacob Waltz? 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. Josh Feldman of the HEAT team assists in excavating the main shaft by pulling up debris, loaded one bucket at a time. 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. Arcadia Publishing. Photo: Marine 69-71 / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0. Weiser (if he ever existed at all) eventually met the same unfortunate fate as the Peraltas and was killed by the Apache, although some versions of the story have him murdered by his former partner. 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. 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. The prospector went searching in 1961, and his headless body was found three years later. Feldman absorbed every bit of information he could find on the history of mining in the region. Without doubt the most controversial but easily the most studied, researched and written about of all the historical documentation involving the Superstition Mountains, are the famous Peralta Stones. "[24], Authorities in Arizona did not convene a criminal inquest regarding Ruth's death. 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. 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. Soon, fact and fiction became easier to sort. His naturalization papers are listed in the Los Angeles county archives and his name appears in an Arizona territorial census from 1864; other government documents confirm he did, indeed, live in Arizona territory from 1863-1891. The Pennsylvania Dutch Country. The main shaft heads down to two tunnels. Normally if a mine produces two and half ounces of gold per tonne of rock it's considered a bonanza. ARKANSAS: Crescent Hotel, Eureka Springs Crescent Hotel in Arkansas. His head had been severed from his body and was lying several feet away. To determine if the skull was Ruth's, it was examined by Dr. Ale Hrdlika, a well-respected anthropologist who was given several photos of Ruth, along with Ruth's dental records. There's some evidence to suggest he engaged in a shady practice called highgrading basically claiming ore is more valuable than it really is. [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. This is very interesting and both are true. See more in Season 1, Episode 1, \"Secrets of the Lost Map.\"#LegendoftheSuperstitionMountains Subscribe for more from Legend of the Superstition Mountains and other great The HISTORY Channel shows:https://histv.co/SubscribeToHistoryFind out more about the show and watch full episodes on our site:http://www.history.com/shows/Check out exclusive The HISTORY Channel content:History Newsletter: www.history.com/newsletterWebsite - http://www.history.comFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/HistoryTwitter - https://twitter.com/historyThe HISTORY Channel is the leading destination for award-winning original series and specials that connect viewers with history in an informative, immersive, and entertaining manner across all platforms. When the townspeople went to look for them, they found nearly all of the family slaughtered. 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. 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. Kino is believed to have had a rich goldmine somewhere in the Superstition Mountains. However, Blair argued that there is a strong likelihood that there never was a second man named Weiser, but rather that a single person named Waltz was, over the years, turned into two men as the legend of the Dutchman's mine evolved. After the land was ceded to the United States, the Peralta party was trespassing on U.S. soil. [29][clarification needed]. A 19th century map detailing mines in Arizona. 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. John D. Wilburn in his book Dutchman's Lost Ledge of Gold (1990), wrote that the Bulldog Gold Mine near Goldfield, Arizona, fits very well the description Jacob Waltz gave as the location of his 'lost mine'. With Ida Lupino, Glenn Ford, Gig Young, William Prince. This seems to have been made up solely for the various legends, according to Tom Kollenborn Chronicles. 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. 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. These trails traverse from the desert floor up into the edges of the mountains. Thus, it seems these Jesuit priests might have stashed their treasure somewhere in the mountains as they passed through, thus ensuring the Spanish empire couldn't get their hands on the Jesuit fortune. According to Blair, the story may have its roots in the efforts of three U.S. soldiers to locate gold in an area of New Mexico, based on an allegedly true story related to them by Dr. Thorne of New Mexico; see above. As the legend grew, so did the size of the fortune. The network's all-original programming slate features a roster of hit series, premium documentaries, and scripted event programming. 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. Arcana Exploration. So where did all these rumors of lost gold in the Superstition Mountains originate? 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 fabled Lost Dutchman Mine may be about to be discovered in the Supernatural. Blair suggested that this Waltz could be the same Waltz who later came to be regarded as the legendary Dutchman, and that he Americanized the spelling of his family name. A cache of gold ore was stolen from a candle box . 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". 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. So from what you know about the mine let me know the . Under his bed was a candle box containing some extraordinary rich gold ore. It's unclear if Waltz himself ever specifically claimed to have a secret gold mine in the mountains, but one woman said he did claim just that Julia Thomas, Jacob Waltz's friend and neighbor, according to Skeptoid. 35-year-old Jesse Capen was last seen in Apache Junction, Arizona on December 4, 2009. Shortly after the Dutchmans death in 1891, a cache of incredibly rich gold ore was taken from a candle box beneath his bed. Adolph Ruth, a government veterinarian, had an obsession with finding the Lost Dutchman Mine. The Lost Dutchman gold mine is believed to be situated in a state park in Apache Junction, Arizona, although its exact location is unclear. The earliest documentation of him in the U.S. is an 1848 affidavit in which Waltz declared himself to be "about 38 years old". According to the story, in about 1912 Erwin C. Ruth gave some legal aid to Gonzales, saving him from almost certain imprisonment. 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. 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. 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. Famed Apache Geronimo is sometimes mentioned in relation to this story. [13] In most versions of the tale, Jacob Waltz locates a rich gold mine in the Superstition Mountains (in many versions of the story, they rescue or help a member of the Peralta family and are rewarded by being told the location of the mine). However, the Peralta Mine eventually became unprofitable and after the money was gone Miguel Peralta turned to fraud. 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 June 1931, Ruth set out to locate the lost Peralta mine. The legend continues to explain that the luck of the Peraltas eventually ran out and they were ambushed by the Apache, who left no trace of the treasure and only a few survivors who brought the tale of the hidden horde back to Mexico. Is it any wonder then, that I prize it? Where: 46109 N. Apache Trail, Apache Junction. 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