(2004). People have been seeking the Lost Dutchman's mine since at least 1892,[2] while according to one estimate, 9,000 people annually made some effort to locate the Lost Dutchman's mine. The name is misleading, however, because at least this mythical âDutchmanâ really existed – only that according to sources like the âSuperstition Mountain MuseumâWas actually a German named Jakob Waltz. In 1977, 292 acres (118 ha) abutting the Tonto National Forest were set aside as the Lost Dutchman State Park. And as long as the gold is not found at some point â assuming it exists at all â it will probably stay that way. I have witnessed gold being recovered within five miles of Minerâs Needle. He pursued mining and prospecting, but seems to have had little luck with either. Ruth ended his note with the phrase "Veni, vidi, vici. In most variants of the story, the family of a man called Miguel Peralta discovered the mine and began mining the gold there, only to be attacked or massacred by Apaches in about 1850 in the supposed Peralta massacre. In 1848, however, they were allegedly murdered by indigenous peoples, the locations of their mines were forgotten in the period that followed – until Waltz could have rediscovered one of them, according to folklore. Blair cited evidence of the historical Jacob Waltz and suggested that additional evidence supports the core elements of the story – that Waltz claimed to have discovered (or at least heard the story of) a rich gold vein or cache. It is easily accessible about 40 miles east of Phoenix via U.S. Highway 60, the Superstition Freeway. 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. 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. On the page of the âSuperstition Mountain Museumâ there is at least one obscure reference by Jakob Waltz to the supposed location of his treasure, which TRAVELBOOK reproduces here verbatim: âNo miner will find my mine. [21], Were it not for the death of amateur explorer and treasure hunter Adolph Ruth, the story of the Lost Dutchman's mine would probably have been little more than a footnote in Arizona history as one of hundreds of "lost mines" rumored to be in the American West. To find my mine you have to pass a cowshed. In January 1932, human remains were discovered about three-quarters of a mile (1.21 km) from where the skull had been found. On the page of the âSuperstition Mountain Museumâ there is at least one obscure reference by Jakob Waltz to the supposed location of his treasure, which TRAVELBOOK reproduces here verbatim: âNo miner will find my mine. In December, 1931, The Arizona Republic reported on the recent discovery of a human skull in the Superstition Mountains. 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). Iâm talking Smaug levels of the shiny stuff. 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. In yet another version of the tale, two (or more) U.S. Army soldiers are said to have discovered a vein of almost pure gold in or near the Superstition Mountains. 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. There are those who will tell you there is no gold in the Superstition Wilderness Area and that may be true, however, there is certainly gold deposits around the regionâs interior. The Supers are east â northeast of Phoenix. 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. Doing something is possible (and necessary), So far no one has succeeded in solving the riddle about the alleged gold in the Superstition Mounatains. But there are still regular fatalities here, as George Johnston of the newspaper “Arizona CentralâSaid – Johnston himself looked for the treasure in the 1950s before he worked as director of theâ Superstition Mountain Museum âuntil his death in 2017. He had metal pins in his leg, and used a cane to help him walk. (Almost all.) 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. Less than 70 kilometers away from Phoenix, the capital of the US state Arizona, lies a famous mountain range. Deposits of gold are found throughout the range. Thorne is said to be either unwilling or unable to relocate the mine. 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. Some searchers for the mine have disappeared in likely wilderness accidents. Hiking and camping are popular activities. @2019 - All Right Reserved. In 1863 he arrived in Arizona, where he continued to look for gold, as evidenced by documents from the time. [19][20] After this was unsuccessful, Thomas and her partners were reported to be selling maps to the mine for $7 each. Most likely because Pedro de Peralta had been the Spanish Governor of New Mexico (in the 1600s) his family name of "Peralta" was the inspiration for a number of legends in the American Southwest. There was a catastrophic flood in Phoenix in 1891, and Waltz's farm was one of many that was devastated. (Album: The Lost Dutchman's Mine features prominently as the place Lara Croft tries to find in the three-part graphic series entitled, Ol' Dutchman Mine is an allusion to Lost Dutchman's Mine in the popular, This page was last edited on 9 March 2021, at 01:47. This is also the first time that the treasure is claimed to be near Weaver’s Needle, a prominent rock needle in the Superstition Mountains. The rest is pure speculation, because to this day hundreds of people have claimed to have found Waltz ‘mine, but no one has yet succeeded in digging up the treasure that is supposed to be there. According to the story, in about 1912 Erwin C. Ruth gave some legal aid to Gonzales, saving him from almost certain imprisonment. To find my mine you must pass a cow barn. Tales of these other Lost Dutchman's mines can be traced to at least the 1870s. [7] A man named Miguel Peralta and his family did operate a successful mine in the 1860s – but near Valencia, California, not in Arizona. James Reavis tried to assert that the Peralta family had a Spanish land grant and a barony granted by the King of Spain, which included a huge swath of Arizona and New Mexico, including the Superstition Mountains.