lost dutchman mine

Location: Apache Junction, AZ. While there, he met an Apache girl named Ken-tee, who despite the fact that Waltz was almost 60 years old, became his mistress. Kathy Weiser/Legends of America, updated November 2019. Many of Ruth's personal effects were found at the scene, including a pistol (not missing any shells) and the metal pins used to mend his broken bones. Although there has been no proof that the mine exists, from then on, many people have joined the search for the hidden gold. The next year, a prospector by the name of Joe Dearing, who was working as a part-time bartender in Pinal, heard the stories of the two dead soldiers and began to look for the lost mine. The earliest Lost Dutchman's mine in Arizona was said to have been near Wickenburg, about 180km (110mi) north-west of the Superstition Mountains: a "Dutchman" was allegedly discovered dead in the desert near Wickenburg in the 1870s alongside saddlebags filled with gold. The Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine hit the headlines in 2009 when Denver native Jesse Capen, 35, disappeared in Arizona's Tonto National Forest during a search for the mine. Having taken on a terrible chill, he was attended to by a woman named Julia Thomas, who tried to nurse him back to health, but Jacob had contracted pneumonia. One of the boys legs was crushed. When people tried to follow him out of town, he would lose them in the many clefts and canyons on the peak. Two years later, in December 1936, another life was claimed by the mountain when hobbyist, Roman OHal, a broker from New York, died from a fall when he was searching for the Lost Dutchman. One man found it in the Four Peaks and extracted several thousand dollars of ore back when gold was $20 an ounce. He was one of the few who were well-prepared to prospect in unpromising locations. The elder Ruth had fallen and badly broken several bones while seeking the lost Pegleg mine in California. 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]. Suggest edits to improve what we show. A further search found the rest of his remains and effects, but the maps were gone. The Lost Dutchman Mine is said to be a rich goldmine located somewhere in the southwestern American state of Arizona. 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. It involves murder, secrets, and a whole lotta sweet, sweet gold. Improve this listing Tours & experiences Explore different ways to experience this place. Blair suggested that "fragments of this legend have perhaps become attached to the mythical mine of Jacob Waltz".[6]. This and other Days Past articles are also available at https://sharlothallmuseum.org/articles/days-past-articles.l. In the first decade of the 1700s, he began to explore the region, finding several sources of gold. The Lost Dutchman is Americas most famous lost mine, and many people have risked their lives searching for it. The path to these riches is paved in mystery and doom. The coroner could tell that the womans death was recent, but the gold was never explained. Another found it in the Western Superstitions. "Dutchman" was a common American term for a German ("Dutch" being the English cognate to the German demonym "Deutsch", and not a reference to the Dutch people). For more than 120 years, the legend of the Lost Dutchman Mine has been told over and over, growing in proportions to such an extent that some claim the entire legend is nothing but a myth. It does not. Weavers Needle in the Superstition Mountains of Arizona, courtesy Wikipedia. However, in 1846, four descendants of the original grant, Enrico, Pedro, Ramon, and Manuel Peralta, decided to make another foray into Arizona, risking not only the curse, but also the wrath of the Apache. Web. 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. The game was the biggest success for its publisher, Magnetic Images. Waltz; however, was able to escape and before long, was running a saloon in Tortilla Flats. The path to these riches is paved in mystery and doom. A short list of people reported as having found it, or to have found an abandoned mine they thought to be the Lost Dutchman Mine, include in 1900 Joe Mulhatton; in 1901 Charlie Wood and John Chunning (separate discoveries); in 1903 a man chasing his dog found it; in 1906 Henry Young Blood found it: in 1908 a man named Morton and his wife found it; and in 1909 the old prospector Barnscheldt found it. No trace of the camps occupant was ever found. WebFor more than 120 years, the legend of the Lost Dutchman Mine has haunted the minds and souls of treasure seekers throughout the world. [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. 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. One of the game's goals is to earn money, which can be achieved by searching gold in a river, mining for gold, or capturing wanted criminals. [10] Trouble came after Willing learned that the deed was entirely bogus. A day-use entrance is $10 per vehicle. Ruths treasure map was found at his original campsite. But the Spaniards were determined and began to explore. Waltz is attacked and wounded by marauding Apaches, but survives at least long enough to tell a man called Dr. Walker about the mine. Thomas Glover is the author of three books on Jacob Waltz and the Lost Dutchman Mine. When Cravey failed to hike out as planned, a search was started and although his camp was found, Cravey was not. In the 1870s, Jacob Waltz (or Walz,) who had befriended one of the Peralta heirs, was allegedly told the location of the mine. Never shaving or cutting his hair, he seldom bathed and rumors said he was prone to running naked through the canyons, firing a pistol into the sky. The question is, if Jacob Waltz found a rich gold mine, why didnt he file a claim? They were never seen again. Two more men who were hiking in the Superstitions that year became involved in some kind of dispute. Aware of the Apache displeasure, they kept these mining trips at a minimum, not wanting to risk the ferocious Apaches ire. In 1910, Malm appeared in Mesa, Arizona telling everyone that Silverlock had tried to kill him. 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. However, these expeditions further enraged the Apache, who then began to prey on all trespassers. Lost Dutchman Mine is a simulation game that casts the player in the role of a gold miner in the 1860's. During their outing, Jenkins found a heavy quartz rock that he later learned was heavily laden with gold. 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. The rest of the treasure hunters body would not be found until the next month, in a small tributary on the east slope of Black Top Mesa. There was a catastrophic flood in Phoenix in 1891, and Waltz's farm was one of many that was devastated. People want to think the Lost Dutchman mine has gold hanging off the walls. His wife could not remember the location of the find. There have been at least three discoveries of the mine since the 1960s, and in all three cases, good gold was found. All traces of the mine were covered up. They found gold in the 1840s but were ambushed by a local tribe of Apaches. Jacob Waltz moved to the Salt River Valley in 1868 and purchased a 160-acre farm on the north bank of the Salt River. In June 1931, yet another event added to the legends of Superstition Mountain when Adolph Ruth, a Washington D.C. veterinarian, and avid treasure hunting hobbyist went missing in a wilderness area of the peak. The mine is named after German immigrant Jakob Waltz (c. 18101891), who purportedly discovered it in the 19th century and kept its location a secret. In February 1951, Dr. John Burns, a physician from Oregon, was found shot to death on Superstition Mountain. Ruths son, a lawyer, had helped a man called Pedro Gonzales with a legal matter and in return, was given some old maps. He vanished and was never seen again. Over the years, many people have tried to find the Lost Dutchmans mine, and several have lost their lives searching for gold hidden in the Superstition Mountains. In June 1931, Ruth set out to locate the lost Peralta mine. He was living in Arizona in the 1860s and did mine for a living. One of the most professional and serious-minded efforts was led by Oklahoma City private detective Glen Magill, who organized multiple expeditions in the late 1960s and early '70s, and claimed on at least two occasions to have identified the location of the mine, later to concede he was either mistaken or the locations were "played out," or bereft of gold. The next person to come across the mine was a man named Dr. Abraham Thorne. 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. Ongoing discoveries of the Lost Dutchman Mine have continued for well over a hundred years. Thorne claimed that he was taken captive by Navajos in 1854, and that during his captivity he had discovered a rich gold vein. WebOne of the best treasure tales in the history of the American West is the Lost Dutchman Mine. Legend says Waltz was helped by a descendant of the Peralta family to locate the hidden gold. He pursued mining and prospecting, but seems to have had little luck with either. As Curt Gentry wrote, "Dr. Hrdlicka positively identified the skull as that of Adolph Ruth. December 09, 2019 Gonzales claimed descendant from the Peralta family and said he had information on the whereabouts of the mine. The Mojave County Miner reported in its 1901 October 12 issue: The Lost Dutchman mine has again been found. The path to these riches is paved in mystery and doom. WebOne of the best treasure tales in the history of the American West is the Lost Dutchman Mine. Clapp had been missing since July. Generally speaking, this mine is claimed to be situated in the Superstition Mountains, described by one source as a collection of rough terrain that has gained the name of a single mountain which lies to the east of Phoenix, the Arizonan capital. Lewing claimed self-defense. 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. However, Ruth ignored Barkely's advice, and set out for a two-week stint in the mountains. 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. But the mine remains shrouded in mystery, so much so that it might not exist at all. The lost mine is thought to be located somewhere near Weavers Needle, the main landmark of the Superstition Mountains, even though the area has been diligently searched by hundreds of people. 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. 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. Since Ruth's death, there have been several other deaths or disappearances in the Superstition Mountains. Quick Facts: Lost Dutchman State Park Camping. 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. Superstition Mountain, Arizona by Kathy Weiser-Alexander. The Lost Dutchman is Americas most famous lost mine, and many people have risked their lives searching for it. In the 1850s, two prospectors are said to have come upon three dead burros with intact pack saddles that contained some $37,000 worth of gold. Although there has been no proof that the mine exists many people have joined the search for the hidden gold. As the Indians were subdued by the soldiers, a reservation was established near Fort McDowell, where Thorne began to provide his services. Several trails lead from the park into the Superstition Mountain Wilderness and surrounding Tonto National Forest. Said to be the most famous lost mine of all time, it continues to draw prospectors to the Superstition Mountains of Arizona in Ruth was searching for lost Peralta Mines, especially that of the Lost Dutchman. 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 Activities: Hiking, birdwatching, and stargazing. [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. Led by Francisco Vasquez de Coronado, the conquistadors cared little about the Apache customs or beliefs, wanting only to find the legendary Seven Golden Cities of Cibola., Learning from the Apache, that the range did, in fact, hold gold, the Spaniards were intent upon exploring the area. The legend of the Lost Dutchman's gold mine is a quintessential version of just such a story. The location is generally believed to be in the Superstition Mountains, near Apache Junction, east of Phoenix, Arizona. It involves murder, secrets, and a whole lotta sweet, sweet gold. In retaliation, the Apache, who were convinced that Ken-tee had betrayed the site of their secret shrine, they attacked Waltz and his Indian mistress, seizing Ken-tee and cutting out her tongue. [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". Five days later, another skeleton was found, which was later identified as William Richard Harvey, a painter from San Francisco. Be well prepared if you plan to join the thousands of others who have searched for the lost mine, as conditions can be harsh in this rugged terrain. 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