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? Suggest edits to improve what we show. WebOngoing discoveries of the Lost Dutchman Mine have continued for well over a hundred years. Location: Apache Junction, AZ. As the Indians were subdued by the soldiers, a reservation was established near Fort McDowell, where Thorne began to provide his services. When nothing had been heard of Ruth for six days, the cowboys boss, a man named Tex Barkley, went looking for the treasure hunter. 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? Lost Dutchman Mine is a simulation game that casts the player in the role of a gold miner in the 1860's. The Mojave County Miner reported in its 1901 October 12 issue: The Lost Dutchman mine has again been found. In June 1931, Ruth set out to locate the lost Peralta mine. WebThe Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine (also known by similar names) is, according to legend, a rich gold mine hidden in the southwestern United States. Days Past is a collaborative project of the Sharlot Hall Museum and the Prescott Corral of Westerners International (www.prescottcorral.org). One of the boys legs was crushed. After the land was ceded to the United States, the Peralta party was trespassing on U.S. soil. WebA curved arrow on a mysterious map inscribed on stone surfaces pointed to the identical place, confirming the location. Ongoing discoveries of the Lost Dutchman Mine have continued for well over a hundred years. [9] As of 1975, ruins of the Peralta mine were standing.[9]. The earliest documentation of him in the U.S. is an 1848 affidavit in which Waltz declared himself to be "about 38 years old". There was a catastrophic flood in Phoenix in 1891, and Waltz's farm was one of many that was devastated. In his pack was gold ore, later discovered to be identical to that of the rich ore Jacob Waltz had found earlier. A day-use entrance is $10 per vehicle. 9 May 2022. In 1748, the Superstitions, as well as some 3,750 square miles of what is now Arizona, were given to Mexican cattle-baron, Don Miguel Peralta of Sonora, in a land grant. Undaunted; however, Julia and the Petrasches made an expedition into the Superstitions that summer, trying to find the mine. Tales of these other Lost Dutchman's mines can be traced to at least the 1870s. 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. 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. Blair had little doubt that Waltz related to Thomas the location of an alleged gold mine. Yet after leaving the Bradshaw Mountains, Waltz never filed a claim again. There have been at least three discoveries of the mine since the 1960s, and in all three cases, good gold was found. Suggest edits to improve what we show. Quite literally so, according to Southwestern Folklore author and researcher Byrd Granger. Activities: Hiking, birdwatching, and stargazing. 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. Yet, another year later, an old prospector by the name of Guy Hematite Frink was lucky enough to return from the mountain with a number of rich gold samples. Not having much luck in California, he made his way to Arizona in the 1860s. Ruths treasure map was found at his original campsite. After the land was ceded to the United States, the Peralta party was trespassing on U.S. soil. Unfortunately, for these two, nothing was ever found of them. Waltz also filed on one mine in just his name, the General Grant, also in the Walnut Grove Mining District. 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. 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. [17] Note that tombstone pictured shows birth year as 1808. Jacob Waltz moved to the Salt River Valley in 1868 and purchased a 160-acre farm on the north bank of the Salt River. A note found in his checkbook claimed he had discovered the mine and included directions. In 1976, a prospector named Howard Polling was found dead of a gunshot wound. Old Fort McDowell, photo by Tom McCurnin, courtesy Ghosttowns.com. However, Thorne had to agree to be blindfolded for the 20-mile trip. Many believe it's hidden in the Superstition Mountains, and it's rumored a curse falls upon all those who try to find it. , The Waterbury Democrat. The start of the most famous legend to come from the mountains, that of the Lost Dutchman Mine, begins with these fortune-seekers. The pack mules scattered in all directions, spilling the gold everywhere. $89+ per night for cabins. Clapp had been missing since July. December 09, 2019 Allowed to remove the blindfold, Thorne found himself in a canyon where a large unusual rock pinnacle loomed to the south. Quick Facts: Lost Dutchman State Park Camping. The Pennsylvania Dutch Country. The next person to come across the mine was a man named Dr. Abraham Thorne. Shrouded in mystery, the mine is not only allegedly rich in gold but is also said to have a curse upon it, leading to a number of strange deaths, as well as people who mysteriously go missing when they attempt to locate the old mine. Many believe it's hidden in the Superstition Mountains, and it's rumored a curse falls upon all those who try to find it. [27], Throughout the 20th century, various expeditions and individuals continued to search the Superstitions for the Lost Dutchman Mine. All traces of the mine were covered up. [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. Tantalizingly, Ruth's checkbook was also recovered, and proved to contain a note written by Ruth wherein he claimed to have discovered the mine and gave detailed directions. Most likely because Pedro de Peralta had been the Spanish Governor of New Mexico (in the 1600s) his family name of "Peralta" was the inspiration for a number of legends in the American Southwest. In 1934 the Superstitions claimed the life of Adam Stewart, the cause of death unknown. The start of the most famous legend to come from the mountains, that of the Lost Dutchman Mine, begins with these fortune-seekers. Now all we had to do was dig, and we would surely find one of the richest and most hunted treasures in the worldthe Lost Dutchmans Gold Mine, secreted in the Superstition Mountains east of Phoenix, Arizona. 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 WebLost Dutchman State Park About Lost Dutchman State Park Named after the fabled lost gold mine, Lost Dutchman State Park is located in the Sonoran Desert, at the base of the Superstition Mountains, only 40 miles east of Phoenix. In 1973, Charles Lewing shot Ladislas Guerrero at a mountain campsite. A day-use entrance is $10 per vehicle. While there, he met an Apache girl named Ken-tee, who despite the fact that Waltz was almost 60 years old, became his mistress. The Superstition range covers approximately 160,000 acres of desolate, rugged terrain, so arid that only a bit of desert vegetation and a few sparse strands of Ponderosa Pine are all that grows. The legends had begun. They found gold in the 1840s but were ambushed by a local tribe of Apaches. Waltz began prospecting in California in the 1850s. Long before gold was found in these rugged cliffs and mesas, the area has been cloaked in mystery. Cravey said he would walk out of the mountains on June 28, 1947. Quick Facts: Lost Dutchman State Park Camping. Shrouded in mystery, the mine is not only allegedly rich in gold but is also said to have a curse upon it, leading to a number of strange deaths, as well as people who mysteriously go missing when they attempt to locate the old mine. Just a week later he was killed in a cave-in without ever disclosing the location to anyone. Delivering it to Jacob, it was placed under his sickbed. The official ruling was that the death was accidental. Erwin passed the information to his father Adolph, who had a long-standing interest in lost mines and amateur exploration. To make even more money, he then went to work at the Silver King Mine. A skull with two bullet holes was found six months later. His bullet-ridden body was removed to the coroners, who ruled it a suicide. 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. These many variations and tales; however, only add to the intrigue of the Lost Dutchman enticing hundreds of treasure-hunting hobbyists, as well as seasoned prospectors, to continue to search for the elusive gold. This tale involves two German men, Jacob Waltz and Jacob Weiser. He further stated, after examining the two holes [in the skull], that it appeared that a shotgun or high-powered rifle had been fired through the head at almost point-blank range, making the small hole when the bullet entered and the large hole when it exited".[23]. The player was free to roam around the desert and town at will constrained only by the need to make sure they had enough food to eat and a safe place to sleep. 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. Several trails lead from the park into the Superstition Mountain Wilderness and surrounding Tonto National Forest. In early 1952, a man named Joseph Kelley of Dayton, Ohio was also searching for the lost mine. 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 Quite literally so, according to Southwestern Folklore author and researcher Byrd Granger. The legend of the Lost Dutchman's gold mine is a quintessential version of just such a story. It was then that the pair moved near the Superstition Mountain range. 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. WebFor more than 120 years, the legend of the Lost Dutchman Mine has haunted the minds and souls of treasure seekers throughout the world. However, the original coroner said that he could not be positive the skull had bullet holes in it. The Lost Dutchman is Americas most famous lost mine, and many people have risked their lives searching for it. The shot in his skull was ruled an accidental shooting incident. Let the prospector keep on finding the old lost mine and he is made, no matter it is not the original.. Ruth had in his possession what he claimed was a map giving the location of Mason bought the ore from the men, outfitted them and entered a partnership with the pair to share in the profits. The answer to the question involves fraud, Indian wars, destruction, claim jumping and death. The player can freely explore a town and a vast desert, limited only by the protagonist's necessity to eat and rest. In a story that echoes some of the earlier tales, Ruth's son Erwin C. Ruth was said to have learned of the Peralta mine from a man called Pedro Gonzales (or Gonzalez). 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. In 1937, a man named Jenkins, along with his wife and two children were having a picnic on the mountain. Richman, Irwin. 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. Mason sent out a search party, who found the nude bodies of both men, shot in the head. Later, Waltz was suspected of high-grading ore from the Vulture Mine and was dismissed. The true story of a prospecting success. Apparently, he [25] Blair noted that the conclusion of the Arizona authorities was rejected by many, including Ruth's family, and "those who held onto the more romantic murdered-for-the-map story". It does not. Both died within two years. 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