The secret route to the lost Dutchman goldmine in Arizona was very simple and common sense. When they failed, it is reported they sold copies of a map for $7 each. How? Before we get into those, here are some genuine facts about the Lost Dutchman Gold Mine: There really was a Lost Dutchman, although he wasnt Dutch. His quest was to find gold. Wild beaches, snow-capped mountains, dense woods, and lush rainforests can be found across America. The deed was bogus, and Willing never recovered his money. Wickenburg established a farm near this settlement, now known as the town named in his honor. We must ask ourselves the toughest question of all -- "Do I believe there is still gold to be found in the desert?" However, the name "Apache" came to be closely associated with the Superstitions, and the mountains became an Apache stronghold in the 1800s. Basin. The trio succeeded in returning safely to San Bernardino and in 1875, gathered twelve men to return to the lost bonanza. Over this wall and back of the next rise is a prospect hold with large chunks of galena (lead sulfide) on the surface. While searching for the fluted wall, Ashley tumbled down a steep wash bank and, while nursing his bruises, noticed a ledge of pure white quartz streaked with red and green. He broke off a piece and put it in his sample sack. Common reasons for the mines being lost include: They were friendly, and he gave her hints about the mine's location. Lost Mines & Buried Treasures of Arizona by W.C. Jameson, University of New Mexico Press, 2009. Doc is just one of an endless stream of treasure hunters in search of the. But with the dollars decline in recent years, gold mining has experienced a sudden resurgence: From the Discovery Channels show, Gold Rush Alaska, where six men risked it all to strike it rich mining the Alaskan wilderness to a distinct rise in gold claims filed in Arizona. For the last 150 years, people have risked their lives to go in search of Arizonas lost gold, silver and other buried treasures. As recent as January 2011, the Arizona Republic reported more remains found in the Superstition Mountains, suspected to be three Utah friends who disappeared the previous July while searching for the riches of the fabled Lost Dutchman Mine. In one story, a miner is crossing the desert between Yuma and Warner's Ranch, when he climbs up one of three buttes to get a better sense of his location. Lost Gold and Silver Mines of the Southwest by Eugene L. Conrotto, Dover Publications, 1991. Lost Goldmine and Cougar Loop. The country for miles around was searched carefully to find the source of his wealth, which could not have been very far distant. Most Arizonians are familiar with the Lost Dutchman, but there is a whole host of other tales of lost gold and loot (some with crude maps) still buried in the desert. Wickenburg initially worked the mine by himself, but sold the gold ore to other prospectors. When he arrives in Los Angeles, he shows his friends the nuggets and organized an expedition to return to the desert to bring back more gold. A number of other people, in addition to the Peralta family, had knowledge of the mine's location. Ed Schieffelin, who discovered the Tombstone mines, would later search diligently for the lost mine, but if he found it, he never told. The Legend Of Arizona's Lost Dutchman Gold Mine Is Downright Deadly Who doesn't love a good mystery? All he could be induced to do was to toss his arms and say, Plenty gold here; go hunt. Ben did hunt for years and was outfitted several times by A.H. Peeples, who believed that he finally died of thirst on the desert. It's near a 1,000-foot-tall rock tower! That is, until Miguel Peraltas family stumbles upon the site and start mining the gold. 480.982.7661 On the slip was the word take. The editor feared to even remain silent, for most of the letters told of the organization in eastern villages of parties of heavily-armed men to get the gold dust or die in the attempt, and there might have been dire consequences on the head of the imaginative journalist had Phoenix been reached by even one of the desperate rural eastern expeditions. However, when asked if theyd been lucky as of late in their gold-seeking endeavors, one man was only willing to say that he finds enough to keep him interested.. But to find the big gold payout, theyll put their lives on the line by diving deep beneath the raging waters of one of Alaskas wildest creeks. Rich Hill was the single richest discovery of gold in one place. The stories of lost gold mines still lure prospectors, even today. These sites exist in some of the most rugged, dangerous wilderness areas of the U.S. Forest Service, said George E. Johnston, president emeritus of the Superstition Mountain Museum. The quartz veins of the mine produced 366,000 ounces of gold over the next century. 8248 Lost Mine Rd. The area is dotted with ancient cliff dwellings and caves, many showing signs of former habitation. During his travels through the desert, he discovered the three buttes described in Pegleg's legend and finds gold nuggets. 16 Lost Treasures of Arizona Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine Herman Wolf's Treasure Trove Legend of the Lost Opata Mine The Smiling Bandits Lost Loot Red Jack Almer Gangs Lost Loot $72,000 in Gold Coins: Stolen Army Payroll Buried Cans of Gold Coins at Ashurst Ranch Lost Gold at Granite Dells Blacksmith's Lost Booty Hidden Indian Gold Near Lynx Creek Lost Dutchman Mine Found ? Apache Before the Storm, Edward S. Curtis, 1906. Arizona Association of Gold Prospectors (AAGP), Phoenix. There are three Indian legends of black-coated gold in the desert that support Pegleg's legend. However, the most popular dates to the late-19th century with a German immigrant, Jacob Waltz, or the Dutchman. Many prospectors and historians wonder why he did not go back to the desert and search for the butte where he discovered the gold. The root of this story is the effort of three US soldiers to locate gold in New Mexico based on what Dr Thorne allegedly told them. But the prospector, with only his burro for companionship, was wont to dream strange dreams and, eventually, to transmute them into what he considered reality. The Indians would not harm him, evidently on account of his color. At the time, he was living in Phoenix, reportedly on land owned by Julia Thomas, a local bakery owner. Legends and stories of gold mines filled the hearts, souls and minds of prospectors, driving them into some of the most dangerous and desolate lands in search of gold. Quite literally so, according to Southwestern Folklore author and researcher Byrd Granger. Heres a roundup of the best mining clubs, tours, dig sites, claim staking, books and historical information to help you start your own quest for Arizona gold. This article first appeared on Curiosity.com. He and his son had searched California's Borrego Desert for gold, but they found none. Superstition Mountains (in some versions they are told the location by a grateful member of the Peralta family, whose life they saved). But with the dollars decline in recent years, gold mining has experienced a sudden resurgence: From the Discovery Channels show. Maricopa County. The Scenic Drive To Roosevelt Dam In Arizona Is Almost As Beautiful As The Destination Itself, This Enchanting And Historic Town In Arizona Is The Perfect Day Trip Destination, Once Abandoned And Left To Decay, The The Professional Building In Arizona Has Been Restored To Its Former Glory, The Afternoon Tea At This Arizona Resort Will Transport Your Taste Buds Across The Pond, The Mystery of The Lost Dutchmans Mine In Arizona Still Baffles People Today, 6 Disturbing Unsolved Mysteries In Arizona That Will Leave You Baffled, This Ride Through An Old Mine In Arizona Will Take You Back In Time, This Abandoned Copper Mine In Arizona Is Hiding A Fascinating Secret. The trails are well marked. The second significant gold discovery was made by Pauline Weaver (of Weavers Needle fame) in 1862 on the Colorado River at La Paz. The Arizona Daily Star reported that the mine also experienced a fair amount of banditry, which includes approximately $70,000 in bullion (precious metal bars) stolen and hidden. In the distance, he saw a high mountain, crowned with a peculiar rocky formation like a gigantic thumb turned backward (a description that might be Sombrero Butte) to the east of Cherry Creek Valley. 8302 Lost Mine Rd. The gun had been there so long that even the hammer and trigger had rusted away. Pan for gold then take a ride on Arizona's only narrow gauge train. At age 66, he went to the Superstitions alone, over the objections of his son and family. Within a year, Thomas and others began searching for the hidden gold and even sold maps with instructions to get to the mine. Want to read up on some other Arizona mysteries? The ingots were buried in 1891 in a hastily made, shallow excavation and, likely, only a few inches below the surface. from the Netherlands) because he was Deutsch (i.e. Updated June 25, 2020 In Colorado, Exploring the Worlds Longest Cave System, Washingtons Olympic Peninsula is a Natural Wonderland, UNEXPLAINED AND UNEXPLORED: Investigating the Legend of California's Gold-Laden Ghost Ship, The Bermuda Triangle Isn't Actually a Mystery, The House on the Rock Is the Tourist Trap to End All Tourist Traps, Every Year, Thousands of Glass Orbs Are Hidden on This Oregon Beach, Female Ocean Rower Attempts Record-Breaking Solo Crossing, The Explorers Club Discovery Expedition Grantees, she and her team passed over two enormous gold mines, they made it into the San Francisco Chronicle. He gathered the black pebbles thinking they were copper and carried them to Los Angeles where he later discovered they were gold. Word traveled fast and, after Weaver found gold, every miner who had not yet struck it rich in California headed for Arizona. Your email address will not be published. "The Arizona Expeditions: Third Arizona Expedition" +/-Manuscripts "Chlorutahlite Mining in Utah"; "Gold and Silver Tales" "The Daughter of Julius Caesar" "A Lost Gold Mine of the Mojave Desert" "The Miracle Nugget of Mariposa" "Chapultepec Canyon and the Gold Cache in Cedar Valley" "The Very Peculiar Record of Mary L. Black" Some 8,000 people each year try to find it. The Lost Gold of the Tumacacori Judge Barnes and the Mysterious Spanish Priest By Gregory McNamee From the time Europeans first arrived in what is now Arizona, the region's lore has been full of tales of lost gold mines and forgotten treasures, of "Apache gold and Yaqui silver," in folklorist J. Frank Dobie's words. 928.443.8000 Returning down Cherry Creek, prospecting continued up the Pinto Creek and Pinal Creek Valleys. A third party was organized to search for another lost mine near the Virgin River, were Dutch George Yount, a trapper, claimed he discovered a ledge full of gold, which of course he was never able to relocate. Required fields are marked *. The largest exploring and prospecting expedition Arizona ever has known since the days of Coronado originated on the tale of a prospector named Miner. Mining flourished in Gila City until 1862 when a flood destroyed the town. According to legend, this was when he spotted the large quartz outcropping, which later became the Vulture Mine. Lost Pick Mine of Old Arizona: Hidden Gold Remains Hidden By Andrea Aker December 29, 2009 8325 7 Excerpt from In Old Arizona by Marshall Trimble, the state's official historian. Two of the most famous lost mines are the Lost Dutchman Mine of Arizona and Pegleg Smith's Mine of Southern California. This event led to the California Gold Rush, a time when gold fever plagued even the most innocent and content of men. Jakob Waltz was nicknamed Dutch (i.e. Just a few feet down the trail, we found several people swishing gold pans in the water, while others had more intensive operations with motors set up behind the screen of brush along the riverbed. Until its closure in 1998, the Gold Road mine in Oatman was Arizonas last operating gold mine. The ore in the heaps was about the same character as that which had been brought into Wickenburg in the early days by the Lost Dutchman, but it didnt agree at all with the ore in the shallow prospect hole, which was not considered worthy of further development. According to Storm, the chunk of quartz was half the size of a man's head, with . Because of their superstitions, their secret remained well kept. There is a Superstition Mountain Museum at 4087 N. Apache Trail, Highway 88 in Apache Junction. Finder of this note please give to Howard Peterson. Jakob Waltz was nicknamed Dutch (i.e. All rights reserved. Get-rich-quick schemes are as American as the Fourth of July. With Arizona's wild and violent past, you can bet there are quite a few that exist in our Southwestern state. Nearby, was a human skeleton, bleached from long exposure. Long before Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and grifter-socialite Anna Delvey, we had the Gold Rush and even today, plenty of Americans are still fixated on an either long-lost or fictional gold mine in Arizona's Superstition Mountains. So how to get started? In the desert somewhere west of Vurna, many expeditions have searched for the lost Peg-Leg Mine, said to have been discovered by a one-legged individual named Smith, about forty years ago. On one occasion, Alchisay, a Chiricahua Apache scout, is known to have pawned a nugget worth $500 for $10 worth of supplies, and later to have redeemed the gold, of which he seemed to know the full value. All human development, from large cities to small towns, shines light into the night sky. 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. (Waltz definitely existed, and was definitely German, but his ore is not as well documented.) The soldiers dug out coarse gold by the aid of their knives. Waltz and his partner, Jacob Weiser, worked the mine and allegedly hid one or more caches of gold in the Superstitions. When Waltz died, the 29-year-old Thomas sold her bakery, got a group together, and went searching for the mine. (Conrotto, 1991). He vanished into the mountains in 2009 and his body was not discovered until three years later, hidden in a . The records do not account for any gold that was sold locally or given to family or friends. Wanting to retire in 1866, he sold 80% of the mine to Benjamin Phelps and other East Coast investors. There are records of Waltz selling or transporting gold which are estimated to total $254,000.. 8230 Lost Mine Rd. It wasn't until after the 1849 Gold Rush that Pegleg returned to California to organize a prospecting party to search for the butte where he found the black gold nuggets. Tragicomically, she and her team passed over two enormous gold mines on their search for the Lost Dutchman Mine, which they didn't find. Some stories claim the butte where Pegleg found the black-coated gold nuggets was located in the Chocolate Mountains and not in the Colorado Desert area. Wormley reached the river, almost demented from his sufferings, and was unable to guide a party back into the desert. Hundreds of lost mine stories have been localized everywhere over the West. Tour the historic Mammoth Gold Mine and visit the Goldfield Museum. lost dutchman state park - arizona gold mine stock pictures, royalty-free photos & images Tourists walk along the buildings on Main Street in the old mining ghost town of Goldfield, Arizona.. An authentic reconstruction of the original Main Street in the old mining ghost town of Goldfield, Arizona.. Come and visit Goldfield Ghost Town today! The butte was one of three, thus entering the significant landmark of three buttes in most versions of his story. Where can you find these magnificent perennial plants? No one was ever able to follow the Indian into the desert to discover his secret gold mine. Ruth injured his leg so severely in the process that he developed a lifelong limp. Peck, discoverer of the famous Peck Mine at Alexandria. He was blindfolded and taken to the village, not knowing his direction. Maricopa County is also popular for prospecting because much of the gold here is found in sizable pieces that can be found with metal detectors . Click here. Pegleg's Lost Mine - video Riding on Gold - Pegleg Smith Instead he punched out without ever harvesting the hidden gold. Where to Find Gold in the Desert by James Klein, Gem Guides, 1994. Spaniard Don Joaquin conducted mining exploration in the Sierra Estrella Mountain Range south of Phoenix, Arizona in the mid-1800s. One searcher claimed to have found veins of gold in a narrow canyon just south of the Mazatal Mountains (near Four Peaks on Maricopa/Gila County borders). Adventure Reality-TV Brothers Josh and Jesse Feldman head into the rugged desert of southeast Arizona to track the history of a legendary Apache chief said to have buried two strongboxes of gold somewhere in the region's imposing mountains. Then, to recoup the cost of the failed expedition, Thomas started selling maps that she claimed would lead people to the mine. Not only has the value of gold, silver and other precious metals surged over the last decade, but financial experts claim that their worth will only increase exponentially in years to come. Above it were two quartz veins, one narrow and the other sixteen feet wide. After the mine became unprofitable, Miguel Peralta turned to fraud. february 2004 arizona highways magazine eternal search for lost gold mines discover our newest desert preserve first peek at kartchner caverns big room the lure of wild orchids gold , gold ev. Lost mines are a popular form of lost treasure legend. Keep your ears and eyes open, for you may be the lucky one who discovers the three buttes where Pegleg Smith found his black-coated gold nuggets, or a gold filled saddle bag from the Peralta Family's last mining expedition. By 1869, water was once again flowing from the ancient Hohokam canals for the first time in 400 years into the fertile land of what would later become known as Phoenix. After he had conquered the epidemic, he was placed upon a horse and taken to a deep rock-walled canyon laced with a high ledge of quartz that glittered with flecks of gold. American mining history in Arizona begins after the American-Mexican war in the 1840's. In the 1850's prospectors from the played-out gold fields of California began exploring more of the American West in search of gold and silver. It is possible that the mountain was the Harqua Hala. Why 2023s Venus-Jupiter conjunction wont be bettered until 2039. Was Peg Leg's Gold Found? Other members were, Bob Groom, the noted pioneer; Al Sieber, the foremost Indian campaign scout of the Southwest, Willard Rice and Dan OLeary. 480.982.0276 Golden Circle, a Confederate secret society active during the American Civil War (1861-1864). As he was nearing death in 1891, Waltz was being cared for by Julia Thomas, an acquaintance with whom he shared the golds location. Get counterintuitive, surprising, and impactful stories delivered to your inbox every Thursday. For More Information A medical examiner ruled that Ruth died of natural causes (i.e., that broken leg, plus starvation), but some maintain that he was murdered because he knew too much about the legendary mine. The individuals who truly believe in a particular legend, spend the greater portion of their lives collecting data and facts about the lost mine they so eagerly seek. By the 1860's large discoveries of gold were occurring in the Bradshaw Mountains, especially along the Hassayampa . His body and supplies were found in the mountains; the mine was, of course, not, though the area near his corpse was intensively searched. Scientists in China Discover Rare Moon Crystal that Could Power Earth, When Well Know if NASAs Asteroid Impact Test was a Success, What Screaming Black Holes are Telling Us, The First Native American Woman Travels into Space with NASA's Crew-5 Mission. And not just crackpots: former attorney general of Arizona Bob Corbin was one of the many mine-seekers. The find might have been the later famous Bonanza, in a western extension of the mountain, from which several millions of dollars in free gold were extracted. By Jim Bremner, More Today, we might expect more detail; back in those days, the story was enough to fatally pique the curiosity of an amateur prospector, Adolph Ruth. It is called the Lost Dutchman Mine and is said to be located in the Superstition Mountains of Arizona. Numbers of others have tried to find the Ni**er Ben diggings, but they have not been discovered as yet. In many versions of the story, Weaver's Needle is a prominent landmark for locating the lost mine. Only empty buildings, cemeteries, and broken-down stamp mills remain to tell their story, along with brief notes in the history books documenting their existence. In the 1870s, Jacob Waltz, "the Dutchman" (actually a native of Germany), was said to have located the mine through the aid of a Peralta descendant. The Superstition Mountains (their name inspired by Pima Indian legends) have been a source of mystery and legend since early times. The body of one "dutch hunter" (as they are known to locals) was found in the Superstition Mountains as recently as 2012. If only it were that easy. Just one day into his journey, he disappeared. Not only is it 600 miles of mountains, lakes and rivers, but leaving late in the season means the winter may derail their plans. Rich Hill is the center of a vast 40 square mile placer mining area. The Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine (also known by similar names) is, according to legend, a rich gold mine hidden in the southwestern United States. Most popular of lost mine stories in pioneer days was that of the Ni**er Ben. In 1891, a miner named A.H. Peeples, who had been prospecting with the Weaver Party, told an editor what he knew of the legend. Treasure hunters guard their techniques and secret mining spots like truffle hunters. Water was found just in time to save their lives, for Wormley already had become delirious. He argued that each of these three legends contains some truth, but have become badly distorted through time. McClintock began his career working at the Salt River Herald (later known as the Arizona Republic). Then, in 1891, he died . With Arizonas wild and violent past, you can bet there are quite a few that exist in our Southwestern state. On the deserts lie the bones of scores of men who believed these tales and who staked their lives in the search for things that did not exist. Scott Taylor/Flickr A huge variety of Copper and Silver minerals covering all imaginable shades of blue and green abound throughout the state, and there is of course the famous rainbow petrified wood from the Petrified Forest National Park region, which . The story continues that after working for a while, eleven of the party started for the Pima villages for supplies. The three, finally driven out by famine, started out and found on their trail, the bodies of all their comrades, who had been murdered by Apache Indians. You'll receive your first newsletter soon! Coastal redwoods are a type of evergreen tree that can live to be more than 2,000 years old. Experience this 4.0-mile loop trail near Gold Canyon, Arizona. The gold trail led through New Mexico, Tucson, and Yuma to California. From Grant, they marched to the Gila River, up the San Carlos and then to the Salt River. Its hard to separate the legend and the lore from the lies, he said. In the morning they found the spring fairly paved with gold nuggets. In 1916, two miners found an old Spanish saddle bag filled with $16,000 worth of smelted gold near the site of the Peralta Massacre. A man of that name was born in Wrttemberg in 1810 and emigrated to the U.S. From the 1860s onward, hehomesteaded in Arizona, pursuing mining and prospecting as a hobby a quite unsuccessful one. It's near a cabin in a cave! None of these maps featured any real location of the mine. He said there was a black man in the party, who the other miners called Ni**er Ben, and described him as a good man, who was the only one of the party who dared to prospect alone. While at the camp, she told the workers about the gold nuggets she found and left them with one of the nuggets before she continued on her way. When they arrived; however, the chief would show him no further, seemingly being struck by some religious compunctions he hadnt thought of before. But did you know the state is also home to a 30-square-mile sand dune field? But modern-day treasure hunters do exist. December 09, 2019 This is gold mining at its most extreme. Born in Gallup and raised in Phoenix, she is Tdich'ii'nii (Bitter Water People) and Tsi'naajinii (Black Streak Wood People). Whatever his reasoning, Waltz was never able to cash out. The Indian said he had seen much larger pieces of the same substance and started off to show him the treasure. As was common in the West, the first discoveries of gold were placer deposits, followed by lode deposits found near Apache Junction, Big Bug, Bullhead City, Chloride, Globe, Oatman, Pearce, Quartzsite, Salome and Tombstone, which yielded the lions share of the states early gold supply. But will big risks lead to an even bigger pay out? Unfortunately, Ruth was dead by the time his note was found. They keep hoping that one day soon, they will be the lucky one who discovers the long lost mine, the one which has been sought after for years by others with similar faith. There are men who have claimed to have found Pegleg's lost Mine. The Lost Dutchman Gold Mine Has Been Found! It told of the arrival of a prospector from the depths of the Superstition Mountains, from which he had been driven out by pigmy Indians, who had swarmed out of the cliff dwellings. Roadrunner Prospectors Club, Phoenix. of gold. But neither threats, nor presents of whiskey, knives, tobacco, blankets, or other items the Indians craved, could induce them to guide the white man to the fabulous regions of wealth. The gold trail led through New Mexico, Tucson, and Yuma to California. Entrance is free. These tales have been told by prospectors, doctors, law enforcers, rangers and by every common person who believes enough to retell the tale. One of the best authenticated of these stories was of the Lost Soldier Mine. The story has had little embellishment and, in part, may be true. To keep up with the pace of change, organizations that havent already can benefit greatly from exploring skills-based training. It was against the tribal law and beliefs of the Apaches to tell others where the gold was located. His ore is not as well documented. became unprofitable, Miguel Peralta to. 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