Without going into a lengthy scientific explanation, I will say that geology defies the existence of gold in most of the Superstition Mountains, especially on the western side. The Superstitions Mountains lie within the Tonto National wildlife refuge and consist of 242 square miles not counting other designated and preserved area's that boarder the Tonto National Forest and wildlife refuge. Arcana has had the luxury of having had the site location for over three years, and for this reason we have been able to reverse engineer, historical information and put many of the pieces together. Still, there is by no means a consensus among Dutch Hunters and many dismiss it entirely, regardless of scientific evidence. The legend of the lost gold continued to attract people, and, in 1932, a veterinarian in the Park Service, Adolph Ruth, decided to go treasure hunting. Every week see new adventures that unfold another Mystery of the Superstition Mountains on our YouTube Channel. [16] A man called Jacob Walz was born in September 1810 in Wrttemberg. [5] One Lost Dutchman's mine is said to be in Colorado, another in California; two are said to be located in Arizona. What there is documentation to support is that the Dutchman may have been a con man. The Superstition Mountain Mining Company (SMMC) No, we're not really a mining company. 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. Arcana Exploration. He was able to find the richest ore in history right smack dab in the middle of the Superstition Mountains. The man said Dr. Thorne could take as much as he could carry, at which point he was blindfolded again and led out. Jesuit Treasure in the Superstitions - DesertUSA.com/mb3 [7] A man named Miguel Peralta and his family did operate a successful mine in the 1860s but near Valencia, California, not in Arizona. Finally, there really was a successful gold mining family named Peralta, but they were in California, not Arizona, according to Gold Rush Nuggets. When you visit, follow the hard rock mining process from mine to bullion. We have imaging taken, with Go-pros, Sony 7000s; Osmo stabilized film cameras and Dji Phantom and Bee-bop drones. George Flemming and Charles Enslinger filed claim on the Silver Chief mine in 1875. Magill's adventures were chronicled in the book The Killer Mountains, by Curt Gentry. The Lost Dutchman Mine, Arizona - Legends of America Everyone loves a good treasure hunting story. The Supers are east northeast of Phoenix. each. Blindbowman Bronze Member. The case for the Pit Mine is not new, in fact it has been an open secret for quite some time. However, things can go wrong. 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. These steep, jagged volcanic mountains were formed over 29 million years ago and they cover an area of 160,000 acres. His expeditions led to the discovery of several of what he called Spanish mines which, at the time, was in contradiction to accepted history. In June 1931, Dr. Adolph Ruth set out on a two-week voyage through the legendary Superstition Mountains in search for the lost treasure. Please note that admission prices for Special Events are subject to change. In fact, the location fits well for both the Doc Thorn and the Two Soldiers stories. FREE with paid Adult While this is true, it is also true that gold pockets can exist alongside of silver veins. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. It's unclear if Waltz himself ever specifically claimed to have a secret gold mine in the mountains, but one woman said he did claim just that Julia Thomas, Jacob Waltz's friend and neighbor, according to Skeptoid. No one knows for sure, but his disappearance and death, while better-documented than other legends revolving around the Lost Dutchman's gold mine, may have simply furthered the legend and put even more treasure seekers in danger. Hardie agrees to join a father searching for his son who is seeking a lost gold mine in Arizona's Superstition Mountains. Kinos Mission San Xavier del Bac near Tucson unlike other missions in California was both massive and opulent, and still stands today. Sign up for exclusive updates, previews and special content: So, where is it then? Thus, it seems these Jesuit priests might have stashed their treasure somewhere in the mountains as they passed through, thus ensuring the Spanish empire couldn't get their hands on the Jesuit fortune. Just what does the LDM cave/mine entrance look like? Arcana Exploration has been there on four separate trips the first in October of 2015. Afterwards, Waltz fell ill (he was rumored to have contracted pneumonia during the flooding). Mysteries of the Superstition Mountains - YouTube It is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. except on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year. [2] [3] New posts Top Treasure Finds Search forums Members Current visitors New profile posts Search profile posts. Unfortunately, when a group followed the clues given in Ruth's letter, they found nothing. Weavers Needle, a peak located in the Superstition Mountains. There is a Superstition Mountain Museum at 4087 N. Apache Trail, Highway 88 in Apache Junction. However, the Peralta Mine eventually became unprofitable and after the money was gone Miguel Peralta turned to fraud. Within the refuge are 14 trail heads that cover 190 miles. In some versions of this story, Waltz was actually plundering these shrines for his own gold. He said the bars were all stamped with what appeared to be a crown. 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. The Dutchman Crazy Jake Adolph Ruth Train Robberies Indian Wars Ted DeGrazia. As a reward, Dr. Thorne was blindfolded and led to a cave in the mountains. Home. That is not to say that it was hidden in plain sight, defying discovery under our very noses, but rather that it was concealed by the collective expectations of generations of Dutch Hunters, veiled in legend. There was a catastrophic flood in Phoenix in 1891, and Waltz's farm was one of many that was devastated. Silvermines, historically known as Bellagowan (Irish: Bal tha Gabhann), is a village in County Tipperary in Ireland.It lies immediately north of the Silvermine mountain range and takes its name from the extensive mines of lead, zinc, copper, baryte and silver nearby. How To Enjoy The Beauty Of Arizona's Superstition Mountains If you find the above article inaccurate or biased, please let us know at[emailprotected]. . Due to the out-of-control fire, the Arizona authorities were forced to close the State Route 88, and, along with it, public access to the Canyon, Apache Lake, Apache Campground, picnic sites, and trailheads. (2004). Full Moon Hike at Lost Dutchman. A map is available in the gift shop and signage along the path explains the stages. As a counter to Ed Piper, we have Celeste Jones, who was kind of a cult leader from California who . Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. If these conditions do not exist, gold will not exist. 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. Other storytellers claim that the Peralta Family escaped with gold, but another family died in the massacre. According to Thomas, it was on his deathbed that Jacob Waltz shared the story of his secret mine, and even provided a map to it filled with clues. 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. The Jesuit priests were the most educated and loyal orders to the King of Spain (and to the Pope). Superstition Mountains - Ghost, lost mines, murder and mayhem. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. 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. At the low elevations, you will encounter tall saguaro cactusand Ponderosa pines at higher levels, and these are generally near the streams. However, there were no directions to the conquest mentioned in his diary. If you were inclined to seek it out, your starting location would be the Rogers Trough Trailhead, though you would not be taking that trail, rather you would be backtracking along the ridge, roughly northwest, in generally the same direction as the primitive road you drove in. There are secrets yet in those mountains, blood and gold in the most literal sense. But there's no evidence he was any sort of engineering or mining genius like some legends claim. Still, this doesn't dissuade treasure hunters. While not unique features, they are extremely consistent with Jacob Waltzs descriptions. Rogers was partnered with Aaron Mason, foreman of the Silver King mine. There are lots of similar tales of gold-hunting soldiers, too, from all over the southwest. The Superstition Mountains ( Yavapai: Wi:kchsawa) is a range of mountains in Arizona located to the east of the Phoenix metropolitan area. Lastly, the alleged mine directions Ruth had were from an 1895 newspaper account. Instead, he went missing and his skull was found 6 months later with two large circular holes. "Tex" Bradford of Globe Arizona went in search of the "Lost Dutchman Mine"; by October 1933 he had been missing for nine months. Researchers point to an old beliefby local farmersthat the nearby Pima Native American tribe were superstitious about the mountains. Gary also spoke to the Feldman family, who have been searching for the mine since the 1960s, under patriarch Ron's tutelage. And the answer is absolutely yes! Depending on the season, you'll see not only gorgeous desert vegetation but also wildlife. According to the story, in about 1912 Erwin C. Ruth gave some legal aid to Gonzales, saving him from almost certain imprisonment. These are tall, volcanic formations in the wilderness and are popular as hiking destinations. Image property of Arcana Exploration, photo taken at the Lost Dutchman Museum Apache Junction, Arizona. This problematic paradox, I believe, is the product of years of misdirection to steer seekers to the west side of the mountains. As the mountains have a desert climate and few water resources, there is not much vegetation here. Nobody has been able to interpret them correctly. Adults $7.00 According to Legends of America, the Native Americans in the area believed the Thunder God of their religion lived in the Superstition Mountains, and thus they were required to protect it with lethal force, killing any who might set foot on the mountain and disturb their deity. On 8 June 2019, a fire broke out in the Superstitions Wilderness area and soon spread across 26,000 acres. 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. The search, nevertheless, still continues. The elder Ruth had fallen and badly broken several bones while seeking the lost Pegleg mine in California. Without going into a lengthy scientific explanation, I will say that geology defies the existence of gold in most of the Superstition Mountains, especially on the western side. Many believe there is a connection and that they sold their families mine to Waltz and his partner. The area is filled with ghost tales, monster . More please. 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. Superstition Mountain - Wikipedia The Lost Dutchman Mine Part Twelve: Conclusions - Jason Roberts It's likely this legend just got re-adapted to the Superstitions to boost the legend of the Lost Dutchman's mine. Superstition Mountains - Wikipedia Supposedly, the Superstition Mountains have long been a sacred site for the nearby Apache tribe of Native Americans. Other prominent features that fit Waltzs clues, among many others, include: Skeptics will tell you, as will anyone who has hiked those mountains, that there are many other places that fit these descriptions and that seeing faces, or other objects, in rocks can be simple pareidolia, and there is a fair amount of truth in that. Here he worked at the Vulture Mine as a paid miner. Yet, legend insists that it does. That's just the name we use for the group of mining exhibits that you'll experience when you visit the museum. For over a century, treasure hunters have sought the treasures supposedly lost in the Superstition Mountains of Arizona, but what do we really know about the events surrounding this tale? After traveling to the region, Ruth stayed several days at the ranch of Tex Barkely to outfit his expedition. [9] As of 1975, ruins of the Peralta mine were standing.[9]. He spent much of his spare time reading about it and searching for it. He reportedly said it came from a secret mine in the Superstition Mountains. Recently, however, non-destructive tests have become possible and the two samples have been compared. As Curt Gentry wrote, "Dr. Hrdlicka positively identified the skull as that of Adolph Ruth. 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. Take, for example, the story of Adolph Ruth, an experienced treasure hunter who typically worked with his son, Erwin. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. Jacob Waltz took to returning to the mountains only when he needed the gold. Thorne claimed that he was taken captive by Navajos in 1854, and that during his captivity he had discovered a rich gold vein. I cannot speak for the current condition of the mine. It seems likeliest one of two things happened. "[24], Authorities in Arizona did not convene a criminal inquest regarding Ruth's death. 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. If you need rescued, they will land two miles away and hike in to get you. "Jesse James Feldman has uncovered compelling new evidence of a chain of events that link pre-Anglo mining in Arizona's famed Superstition Mountains with Jacob Waltz and the Peralta miners. The legend of the Lost Dutchman's gold mine is a quintessential version of just such a story. The short "Discovery Trail" is a clear route with several placards giving the natural history of the area.
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