The Lost Dutchman mine is far from the beginning of the legends of gold hidden in the Superstition Mountains. Barkely repeatedly urged Ruth to abandon his search for the mine, because the terrain of the Superstition Mountains was treacherous even for experienced outdoorsmen, let alone for the 66-year-old Ruth in the heat of the Arizona summer. [9] As of 1975, ruins of the Peralta mine were standing.[9]. Votes: 53 There is a Superstition Mountain Museum at 4087 N. Apache Trail, Highway 88 in Apache Junction. Dec 4, 2008 4,168 3,192. 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. And now we get to the real problem with these legends there's basically zero evidence any of them ever happened. They didnt find it because its not in the superstitions Too bad i cant post pictures, because i know exactly where it is, Did you ever think the Dutchman might have used another mine location to through 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. 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. The story sometimes claims there were arrows all around, and so thus it must have been the Apache protecting their sacred mountains. 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. . Official estimates vary (the Superstition Mountains are also a popular hiking area and sometimes it's likely difficult to tell if someone was just hiking and got lost or was looking for the Lost Dutchman), but there are at least some every decade. Within the refuge are 14 trail heads that cover 190 miles. TheSuperstition Mountains, furthermore, are the abode of the Thunder God, and he causes the frequent regional thunderstorms. The Superstition Mountains ( Yavapai: Wi:kchsawa) is a range of mountains in Arizona located to the east of the Phoenix metropolitan area. Bellhop Jesse Capen, 35, was obsessed with the legend of the Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine. 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. Alleged lost gold mine in the Superstition Mountains. 9 May 2022. I also believe the mine was never lost. That, in and of itself, is a separate legend. Elevation: 6,001 Feet (1,829 Meters) Primary Mineral: Copper Lat, Long: 46.3369, -113.26190 Map: View on Google Maps Finally, there really was a successful gold mining family named Peralta, but they were in California, not Arizona, according to Gold Rush Nuggets. Next week I will list some clues that are absolutely relevant to what we have physically on site. [12] Thorne related his claims to three U.S. soldiers in about 1858. [19][20] After this was unsuccessful, Thomas and her partners were reported to be selling maps to the mine for $7 each. We are a non-profit corporation under Section 501 (c) 3, organized to collect and preserve the history and legends of Arizona's Superstition Mountains, and to support research, education and publications involving the region. We at Arcana Exploration believe we can show that this was later worked by Jacob Waltz, and after his death came to be known as the Lost Dutchman Gold Mine. I feel the information on the Peralta stones is most likely from a very old map of Jesuit origin. First, let's talk about the geology of the mountains. I have been lucky enough to uncover a few, which you will forgive me if I keep, at least for now. [8] The mine was quite profitable, earning about $35,000 in less than one year; Blair described this as "an unusually good return" for such a small gold mine to earn in such a relatively brief period. If these conditions do not exist, gold will not exist. We miss it. These cookies do not store any personal information. Supposedly, the Peraltas actually found a very rich gold vein and set up a mining operation. Weavers Needle, a peak located in the Superstition Mountains. After he had spent many years in their midst, the Apache Elders decided to reward his selfless service with gold. They are bound on three sides by U.S. Route 60, Arizona State Route 88, and Arizona State Route 188, and are visible from miles away. In June 1931, Dr. Adolph Ruth set out on a two-week voyage through the legendary Superstition Mountains in search for the lost treasure. We are currently in the process of planning for a return trip to further document our findings. Two prospectors saved his life and, in gratitude, he gave them directions to the gold mine, thus setting off a wild goose chase that continues to the present day. Forums. So who killed the Spanish treasure hunters that came to the land? "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. Nobody else has ever been able to find that rich of ore since then anywhere else in AZ. Don Miguel Peralta was the head of a powerful and wealthy Mexican family from Sonora, and they were either ranchers or operated mines or did both. 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. Great discoveries have been made in the name of hunting for hidden wealth, but much blood has been shed in those same pursuits, too. Blindbowman Bronze Member. Let may say this; it is not important who engraved the stones, and if itwas Tomlinson and he being the maker or someone else being the engraver of the stones while historically interesting it is not the most important thing. Home. The search has been a profound one and I discovered that it wasnt the mine I was looking for, but the story. Blair insisted that the Peralta portion of the story is unreliable, writing: "The operation of a gold mine in the Superstitions by a Peralta family is a contrivance of 20th century writers". 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. This beautiful program is designed to start with a famous Arizona sunset draping gracefully over the Superstition Mountains, and end under the light of the full moon. But there's no evidence he was any sort of engineering or mining genius like some legends claim. The man said Dr. Thorne could take as much as he could carry, at which point he was blindfolded again and led out. For instance, about six of the maps are relevant, others may be relevant, but for now do not appear to be. Arcana Exploration is made up of a group of five friends and supporters, from central Ohio, who until five years ago knew very little if anything about the LDM. For more. 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. Still, this doesn't dissuade treasure hunters. Arcana has had the luxury of having had the site location for over three years, and for this reason we have been able to reverse engineer, historical information and put many of the pieces together. As predicted by Waltz none are miners, they are in fact like most folks that are reading this post, just regular hard-working everyday folks with normal jobs, going to their kids ball games, playing a round of golf, and in the fall deer hunting and going to Blue Jackets NHL games. It is believed that all were killed except for two Peralta family members who were severely wounded but managed to escape. The Superstition Mountain Historical Society was formed on December 27, 1979. 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. Museum Members are FREE. When they immigrated to Pennsylvania from Deutschland (Germany), the locals mistook Deutsch for Dutch. 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. 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. 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. "Tex" Bradford of Globe Arizona went in search of the "Lost Dutchman Mine"; by October 1933 he had been missing for nine months. 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. Hardie agrees to join a father searching for his son who is seeking a lost gold mine in Arizona's Superstition Mountains. Superstition Mountains - Ghost, lost mines, murder and mayhem. of Mines and Mineral Resources Bureau of Mines and Mining Field Engineers Report Silver Chief 1979, 1980 as being among the mines to have been revisited during that 1979 silver boom. While walking out of the horizontal shaft, you will walk over a 2' x 8' walkway. Nov 19, 2003 #8. Paperback $39.95 9 Used from $24.95 The Saga of the Lost Dutchman Gold Mine legend. To recoup the costs of the search, Julia Thomas actually began to make handmade copies of Waltz's map and sell it to others. They're convinced the mine is to the east of the mountains at the. In gratitude, Gonzales told Erwin about the Peralta mine in the Superstition Mountains, and gave him some antique maps of the site (Gonzales claimed to be descended from the Peralta family on his mother's side). 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. Combine these with the legends of the indigenous Pima Indians and the mountains live up to their name. These are rectangular, cross-shaped, and heart-shaped stones with etchings of a horse, a priest, a dagger, a trail, topographic features, and Spanish inscriptions. The location is generally believed to be in the Superstition Mountains, near Apache Junction, east of Phoenix, Arizona. Arcana Exploration has been there on four separate trips the first in October of 2015. Jesse Feldman, son of Ron Feldman, indicated his belief that the mine was in the Rogers Trough area in his book, . And the answer is absolutely yes! [28], One fact against the existence of "Lost Dutchman Mine" is that Waltz was a "placer miner"; while the gold pieces he had were in quartz, the Superstition Mountains are in fact volcanic.