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. 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. Despite his efforts, Willing was never able to recover the money he gave to Peralta. Still, this doesn't dissuade treasure hunters. The show follows Dutch hunter Wayne Tuttle on his 40-year . 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. I've never done a forum before, so I am new to this. Then, she took the map that was either from Waltz's imagination or her own and made a whole lot of money selling copies of it. The legend continues to explain that the luck of the Peraltas eventually ran out and they were ambushed by the Apache, who left no trace of the treasure and only a few survivors who brought the tale of the hidden horde back to Mexico. 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. In the years after the massacre, the legend around the Lost Dutchman Mine grew, attracting treasure-seekers who hoped to find the cache (perhaps worth about $200 million according to one estimate). Jesse Capen was obsessed with the legend of the lost gold, despite the lack of hard historical evidence. While this doesn't mean it's impossible there's gold to mine up there, it makes it far less likely. And the answer is absolutely yes! The Gold Rush was in full swing and Waltz wanted a piece of those potential fortunes. This image was made from a tintype found in the Superstition Mountains by Bud Dunn, circa 1960. In January 1932, human remains were discovered about three-quarters of a mile (1.21km) from where the skull had been found. After growing up on the East Coast and California, Feldman moved in 1968 to Arizona where he established a successful stable offering trail rides and pack trips into the rugged mountains that were once home to the Apaches. Thorne claimed that he was taken captive by Navajos in 1854, and that during his captivity he had discovered a rich gold vein. After the conquistadors and priests are purported to have come and gone from the Superstition Mountains, legend tells of another group who arrived sometime in the earlier half of the 1800s. The Supers are east northeast of Phoenix. And importantly I have hard facts that the Stones are linked to other historical information. 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. Mon Oct 17, 2016 5:29 pm. Ruth ended his note with the phrase "Veni, vidi, vici. Granger wrote that "fact and fiction blend in the tales",[3] but that there are three main elements to the story: In 1977, Granger identified 62 variants of the Lost Dutchman's story some of the variations are minor, but others are substantial, casting the story in a very different light from the other versions. Among those hunters was Ted Cox, who had lived with several ranchers in the region who personally knew Waltz. 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. Arcana Exploration has been there on four separate trips the first in October of 2015. Background: The Lost Dutchman Mine was founded by a German prospector named Jacob "The Dutchman" Waltz in 1876. When he is down to $300 he returns. 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. Illustration by Jonathan Fehr. The legend of the Lost Dutchman began in the 1800s when an Apache attack massacred a Mexican mining family. 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. We have imaging taken, with Go-pros, Sony 7000s; Osmo stabilized film cameras and Dji Phantom and Bee-bop drones. Take AZ-101 to U.S. 60 east of Scottsdale to approach the towering peaks of the Superstition Mountains looming large over the horizon. It was loosely named Lost Deutschman or Lost German Mine, and to this day, anyone who researches or tries to find the gold are generally referred to as Dutch hunters. Dozens of prospectors in the Superstitions attempted to follow him to his secret mine. "The Lost Dutchman Gold Mine." What is important is the informational content recorded on the stones. 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. Great discoveries have been made in the name of hunting for hidden wealth, but much blood has been shed in those same pursuits, too. It's likely this legend just got re-adapted to the Superstitions to boost the legend of the Lost Dutchman's mine. The start of the most famous legend to come from the mountains, that of the Lost Dutchman Mine, begins with these fortune-seekers. As the legend grew, so did the size of the fortune. 8 - 12. 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. Reading age. 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. "Waltz said it was a vein of gold surrounded by hematite in quartz," according to Tuttle. Intrigue Journal. The Weavers Needle rock column of Arizonas Superstition Mountains is often said to mark the location of the Lost Dutchman Mine. by Bob Willis | Apr 1, 2005 | Travel & Preservation. But he was soon known as the Lost . HISTORY is the leading destination for award-winning original series and specials that connect viewers with history in an informative, immersive, and entertaining manner across all platforms. 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, things started going wrong immediately as men began to disappear, later being found decapitated. Afterwards, Waltz fell ill (he was rumored to have contracted pneumonia during the flooding). However, despite several men claiming to have found the mine, no one ever came forward with the gold. The Lost Dutchman Gold Mine Has Been Found! Keep in mind for security reasons for now I have to be selective on what we divulge. A lack of historical records leaves uncertainty as to whether a Peralta family ever had possession of land, or mines, in or near the Superstition Mountains. There are lots of similar tales of gold-hunting soldiers, too, from all over the southwest. [5] One Lost Dutchman's mine is said to be in Colorado, another in California; two are said to be located in Arizona. 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. Then around 1692, the Jesuit padre father Eusebio Francisco Kino arrived. In the Old West, Dutchman was close enough. We are currently in the process of planning for a return trip to further document our findings. 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). There, his blindfold was removed and he saw a cave full of gold. Wikimedia CommonsThe Weavers Needle rock column of Arizonas Superstition Mountains is often said to mark the location of the Lost Dutchman Mine. Or, he never made any such claims at all and Thomas made up the whole story based on some gold ore she found in Waltz's possessions. While this theory did not ignore the two holes in the skull, it did fail to explain how Ruth had managed to remove and bury the empty shell, then reload his gun, after shooting himself through the head". Waltz relocated to Arizona in the 1860s, and stayed in the territory for most of the rest of his life. Under his bed was a candle box containing some extraordinary rich gold ore. Feldman absorbed every bit of information he could find on the history of mining in the region. Intrigue Journal. Supposedly one of their 18 mines was very rich and they considered it their alfa mine. Since Ruth's death, there have been several other deaths or disappearances in the Superstition Mountains. The Superstitions Mountains lie within the Tonto National wildlife refuge and consist of 242 square miles not counting other designated and preserved areas that boarder the Tonto National Forest and wildlife refuge. He pursued mining and prospecting, but seems to have had little luck with either. As the legend goes, prospector Jacob Waltz found a gold mine but went to his grave without sharing the secret of where that mine was located. Here's the thing about the Julia Thomas map to the Lost Dutchman's gold mine, which is still sold and used today: Jacob Waltz didn't actually draw it. More please. Jacob Waltz does appear to have been a real person; whether he was simply used as the basis for the story or actually found the lost gold is another story. Instead, it captures mens minds and passions, and lingers with them forever. Three Aitons, father and two sons, are reported to have found what was known the past fifty years as the "Lost Dutchman" mine in the Bradshaw mountains. In the weeks and months to come we will use much of the historical information, and show how it ties directly to what we have found. #1. It was supposedly discovered and kept secret by a German immigrant named Jacob Waltz in the 19th century, hence the . He had worked as a miner but was an amateur prospector at best. Skeptoid Podcast. Wikimedia CommonsThe grave of Jacob Waltz. This first bucket of debris was five years in coming when the Forest Service finally released the first Treasure Trove Permit issued in the Superstition Wilderness. 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. These Native American legends aren't the only tales involving religion and gold stores in the area. The story continues that the Peralta family found and mined gold in the Superstition Mountains. The Lost Dutchman is America's most famous lost mine, and many people have risked their lives searching for it. Magill's adventures were chronicled in the book The Killer Mountains, by Curt Gentry. 585K views 1 year ago #LegendoftheSuperstitionMountains Armed with a new clue that could unearth the location of the famed Lost Dutchman Mine, lifelong Dutch Hunter Wayne Tuttle, leads a team. He contracted it as a young child, when he was enthralled with books and stories of hidden treasures and lost gold. It's an entire genre all its own, from pirate maps to all the stuff Nicolas Cage got up to in the National Treasure movies. 9 May 2022. Next week I will list some clues that are absolutely relevant to what we have physically on site. 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. 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