Dark Mountain: Directed by Tara Anase. There's no evidence they ever came to Arizona at all. Ron Feldman has it and has had it all of his adult life. 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". Jumping ahead to the late 1860s, German prospector Jacob Waltz moved to Phoenix and began prospecting in the mountains east of the new city. 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. However, even armed with the clues and map, no one in the area could find the Dutchman's mine, thus giving it the name of the Lost Dutchman's gold mine. Jesse Capen was obsessed with the legend of the lost gold, despite the lack of hard historical evidence. The Lost Dutchman gold mine is believed to be situated in a state park in Apache Junction, Arizona, although its exact location is unclear. Hiking and camping are popular activities. The Superstition Mountains in Arizona are bound to be home to at least a few good stories by virtue of their name alone. He never returned, and months later, an archaeological expedition encountered his remains, which indicated he had been shot, and a hand-written note claiming he had found the entrance to the mine. 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. Small Group Apache Trail Day Tour with Dolly Steamboat from Phoenix. He knew that gold had been found in the Superstition Mountains. A not-insignificant number of those Dutch hunters have gotten hurt or even killed. Image property of Arcana Exploration, photo taken at the Lost Dutchman Museum Apache Junction, Arizona. Quite a few people have made skeptical statements on some treasure forums including Treasurenet, THunting dot com, DesertUSA and a few others. After five years of research and four expeditions, Arcana Exploration has not only found the Lost Dutchman Gold Mine, but has been able to match the most accepted clues with the physical evidence on the ground. [7] A man named Miguel Peralta and his family did operate a successful mine in the 1860s but near Valencia, California, not in Arizona. Its believed the group buried their amassed bullion, hoping to return at a later time. Except perhaps not. If you need rescued, they will land two miles away and hike in to get you. Many believe there is a connection and that they sold their families mine to Waltz and his partner. In the Old West, Dutchman was close enough. Web. According to historian Tom Kollenborn, the Superstition Mountains were an unlikely place to strike it rich: Courtesy Collection of Greg Davis / Superstition Mountain Museum , The Lost Dutchman is one of the greatest lost mine stories of them all. File size. 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. 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. Furthermore, Wilburn stated that geology indicates that there is no gold in the Superstition Mountains, which are igneous in origin. Since federal regulations restrict the use of power equipment, the headframe operates much like it would have in the 19th century. April 1, 2018 (Borrego Springs) - Way back in the late 1820s, Thomas "Pegleg" Smith got lost in a sandstorm and hobbled up a hill on his wooden leg to get his bearings. 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. This, of course, is how the Dutchman is supposed to havereally found his treasure. Its said they saved his life, and in gratitude, the man (one of the two who had escaped the Apache massacre) took his new friends to several Spanish gold mines. The story of the missing mine started when the Peralta family moved to the area in the early 19th century to try their luck at mining. Nevertheless, the lore has led to the publication of several books (and, in turn, a few movies), although they mostly just embellish off the basics of the existing oral legend one of the great tales of treasure in modern history. 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. 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. LIKELY TO SELL OUT*. The Lost Dutchman story actually begins in the 1800s when the wealthy, Mexican Peralta family came to the region to work mines under a Spanish land grant. Soon, fact and fiction became easier to sort. Either way, she went to the mountains for a while to search. In the first, a doctor (sometimes said to be an Army doctor) called Dr. Thorne was said to have had a Native American man who needed medical assistance brought to him. So from what you know about the mine let me know the . Waltz is also said to make a deathbed confession to Julia Thomas, and draws or describes a crude map to the gold mine. Cravey said he would walk out of the mountains on June 28, 1947. The Gold Rush was in full swing and Waltz wanted a piece of those potential fortunes. As of mid-2017, he and his crew had spent about 30 production days in and around Apache Junction. 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 rewarded when they struck gold in the 1840s. In 1977, 292 acres (118ha) abutting the Tonto National Forest were set aside as the Lost Dutchman State Park. The Lost Dutchmans Mine is featured in Season 1, Episode 21 of the television series Unsolved Mysteries. The episode first aired on April 12, 1989. However, despite several men claiming to have found the mine, no one ever came forward with the gold. by Bob Willis | Apr 1, 2005 | Travel & Preservation. "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). First. There was a catastrophic flood in Phoenix in 1891, and Waltz's farm was one of many that was devastated. So where did all these rumors of lost gold in the Superstition Mountains originate? Where: 46109 N. Apache Trail, Apache Junction. Ruth disappeared while searching for the mine in the summer of 1931. [17] Note that tombstone pictured shows birth year as 1808. First, let's talk about the geology of the mountains. The Lost Dutchman mine is far from the beginning of the legends of gold hidden in the Superstition Mountains. These Native American legends aren't the only tales involving religion and gold stores in the area. 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. (2004). Apparently, he was rewarded. 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. Legend of the Lost Dutchman Gold Mine Parts 2 & 3: Finally Found! Lust for Gold: Directed by S. Sylvan Simon, George Marshall. Going on a year now. There's the thrill of the hunt, solving the clues, and what could be a better payoff than a big cache of riches? When: Open 365 days a year. But it was the Apaches who became the areas most famous native residents, using the mountains as a stronghold during the 1800s when the whites began their westward expansion, lured by the promise of gold. I will make a statement in the near future that will surprise a lot of Dutch Hunters it surprised me. 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). Arcana Exploration has been there on four separate trips the first in October of 2015. "Dutchman's Gold" was the season 4, episode 19 of, This page was last edited on 5 February 2023, at 00:14. The Lost Dutchman story actually begins in the 1800s when the wealthy, Mexican Peralta family came to the region to work mines under a Spanish land grant. Over the next few weeks I will share some images that are safe for us to show. The main shaft heads down to two tunnels. As the story of Waltz supposed discovery goes, he and his partner Jacob Weiser re-opened the mine and were able to stash away gold of their own in the Superstitions. Sometimes, this discarded cache of gold is said to be the origin of Jacob Waltz's treasure. 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". The permit allows Feldmans group to re-excavate the main shaft and drifts under strict controls and government supervision. July 3, 1947 James A Cravey, age 62, a retired photographer, was reported missing after he had chartered a helicopter June 19, 1947 to drop him off in the Superstition Mountains to look for the Lost Dutchmans Mine. The Lost Dutchman is America's most famous lost mine, and many people have risked their lives searching for it. Jack Humphrey Cameron, Texas The Dutchman, like most lost, Writers sometimes discover their muse on their own, but sometimes their muse finds them. 2016 ISSUE. Willing died in 1874 before there had been a thorough investigation of the documents or opportunity to cross examine him on the stand as was later done with Reavis. I've never done a forum before, so I am new to this. 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. [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. With Ron Eagle D'Andre II, Adam Haley, Sage Howard, George E. Johnston. This image was made from a tintype found in the Superstition Mountains by Bud Dunn, circa 1960. The park is said to be haunted by the spirits of people who died over the years searching for the mine. And importantly I have hard facts that the Stones are linked to other historical information. Blair suggested that "fragments of this legend have perhaps become attached to the mythical mine of Jacob Waltz".[6]. After the land was ceded to the United States, the Peralta party was trespassing on U.S. soil. When and where we can get a direct line of sight, we use high tech Walkie talkies, to communicate with each other. He contracted it as a young child, when he was enthralled with books and stories of hidden treasures and lost gold. Fortune seeker Barry Storm stumbles onto some clues that may lead him to the fabulous Lost Dutchman Mine, but others have tried and been murdered. The reason you can see Weavers Needle to the south is the same . Monagan wrote that some valued the mine at $40 million. Eventually, the conquistador ordered his men to flee and he never returned to the mountains, which they called Monte Supersticin, thus giving the mountains the name of Superstition. Thomas admitted she drew the map herself but claimed she based it on descriptions given by the Dutchman, according to Skeptoid. With Ida Lupino, Glenn Ford, Gig Young, William Prince. True. Ruth . It was supposedly discovered by a German prospector named Jacob Waltz in 1876. "The Lost Dutchman Gold Mine." Unfortunately, when a group followed the clues given in Ruth's letter, they found nothing. After a five-year wait, HEAT obtained a Treasure Trove Permit for the purpose of re-excavating a mine in the Superstition Wilderness. The Lost Dutchman OH, I almost forgot there is no cell phone service absolutely none. Arizona's most notorious lost treasure story for both believers and otherwise takes place in the mysterious Superstition Mountains. Magill's adventures were chronicled in the book The Killer Mountains, by Curt Gentry. Background: The Lost Dutchman Mine was founded by a German prospector named Jacob "The Dutchman" Waltz in 1876. The elder Ruth had fallen and badly broken several bones while seeking the lost Pegleg mine in California. Lost Dutchman's Cabin in the Superstition Mountains StrangeAgo October 21, 2017 In this article, two men went in search of the Dutchman's mine and claimed they found his cabin. He vanished into the mountains in 2009 and his body was not discovered until three years later, hidden in a crevasse 35 feet up a cliff, and destined to become yet another chapter in the continuing story of the lost mine. It involves murder, secrets, and a whole lotta sweet, sweet gold. It's very possible the clues are also unverifiable legends people have clung on to in hopes of finding riches. But they're even better known for something else: the legendary Lost Dutchman's Mine, a much-ballyhooed secret stash of wealth sought by daring adventurers known as "Dutch hunters." Skeptoid Media, 29 Jan 2013. Much of the interior is so brutal with severe weather shifts (the Apache winds) that much of the interior is off limits for search and rescue. He died on October 25, 1891, after having been nursed by an acquaintance named Julia Thomas (she was usually described as a quadroon). He pursued mining and prospecting, but seems to have had little luck with either. For one, the desert area bears remnants of the cliff dwellings of an ancient people whose identity is still unknown. Over the next few weeks and months I will share some photos that will not give away the location but will show things that until now have never been shown before. Arizona. I will provide a picture and a little information but nothing as far as revealing the location of this mine. There's another story that supposedly took place three centuries earlier also involving a treasure stashed away in the area. Peralta's Family. Pingback: Legend of the Lost Dutchman Gold Mine Parts 2 & 3: Finally Found! In subsequent years, the Dutchmanas Waltz was calledworked both placer and lode gold mines in the region. The exact location of the Lost Dutchmen's Mine remains a mystery. I Hold for No One! Road Agents Attempt to Rob Kinnears Stage Near Contention, A Western Jubilee: Songs and Stories of The American West. but their camera was. We miss it. The fabled Lost Dutchman Mine may be about to be discovered in the Supernatural. Learn how and when to remove this template message, "The St. Johns herald. It is here were you will reach areas that are barely penetrable, this is where most trails stop abruptly for safety reasons. The Legend Of The Lost Dutchman And His Gold Mine Explained, ever filed a claim for a mine in the Superstitions. 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. The land contained parts of Arizona and New Mexico, including the Superstition Mountains. Lost Mine found in the Superstition Mountains David Jones 14.3K subscribers Subscribe 6.6K 728K views 4 years ago #MOTSM #superstitionmountains #lostmine Mysteries of the Superstition. That, in and of itself, is a separate legend. 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. 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). 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. 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