Ongoing discoveries of the Lost Dutchman Mine have continued for well over a hundred years. This land grant was the basis of the James Reavis Arizona land swindle (Reavis became Willing's partner and continued to try to prove the authenticity of the land grant for years after Willing's death). 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. [4], Robert Blair wrote "[t]here have been at least four legendary Lost Dutchman's gold mines in the American West, including the famed Superstition mine of Jacob Waltz". Suggest edits to improve what we show. In fear, the conquistadors finally fled, refusing to return to the mountain, which they dubbed Monte Superstition. He further stated, after examining the two holes [in the skull], that it appeared that a shotgun or high-powered rifle had been fired through the head at almost point-blank range, making the small hole when the bullet entered and the large hole when it exited".[23]. Storm speculated that Adolph Ruth might have been a victim of the same sniper. One man found it in the Four Peaks and extracted several thousand dollars of ore back when gold was $20 an ounce. With the body were several gold nuggets. WebLost Dutchman State Park About Lost Dutchman State Park Named after the fabled lost gold mine, Lost Dutchman State Park is located in the Sonoran Desert, at the base of the Superstition Mountains, only 40 miles east of Phoenix. His skull with two holes in it identified as bullet holes was recovered about six months after he vanished, and the story made national news, thus sparking widespread interest in the Lost Dutchman's mine.[22]. Days Past is a collaborative project of the Sharlot Hall Museum and the Prescott Corral of Westerners International (www.prescottcorral.org). In 1973, Charles Lewing shot Ladislas Guerrero at a mountain campsite. The next year, with the Mexican-American War in full swing, Pedro was the only one willing to return to Arizona, determined to extract as much gold as possible before their holdings became part of the United States. The player can freely explore a town and a vast desert, limited only by the protagonist's necessity to eat and rest. The legends had begun. The note ended with a Latin phrasetranslating to I came, I saw, I conquered.. He vanished and was never seen again. Bohen was a Utah prospector who had been shot in the back. The Superstition Mountains west of Phoenix, Arizona by Carol Highsmith. After spending all her money, Thomas made a living from selling maps of the supposed location. Richman, Irwin. Allowed to remove the blindfold, Thorne found himself in a canyon where a large unusual rock pinnacle loomed to the south. 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. [42] The park was expanded to 320 acres (130ha) in 1983. Troubles with the Apaches made the familys mining operation dangerous. Kathy Weiser/Legends of America, updated November 2019. In the meantime, the Apache were angry at the intrusion upon their sacred grounds. Three years later his headless skeleton was finally discovered. Ruths family believed he had been murdered for the maps that had led him to the Lost Dutchman mine. When nothing had been heard of Ruth for six days, the cowboys boss, a man named Tex Barkley, went looking for the treasure hunter. Some historians believe that any gold found in this rugged terrain was probably hidden there, perhaps even having been the fabled lost Aztec treasure. [1], The Lost Dutchman's is perhaps the most famous lost mine in American history. 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). There have been at least three discoveries of the mine since the 1960s, and in all three cases, good gold was found. Suggest edits to improve what we show. (However, in some versions,[14] the 'mine' is actually a cache put there by the Peraltas.). In January 1956, a man from Brooklyn, New York reported to police that his brother, Martin Zywotho, who he believed was searching for the Lost Dutchman Mine, had been missing for several weeks. Shrouded in mystery, the mine is not only allegedly rich in gold but is also said to have a curse upon it, leading to a number of strange deaths, as well as people who mysteriously go missing when they attempt to locate the old mine. 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. The start of the most famous legend to come from the mountains, that of the Lost Dutchman Mine, begins with these fortune-seekers. At todays gold price, $1,270/ounce, his gold would be worth over $360,000. It is thought that Apaches stole the gold and hid it in the mountains. [7] A man named Miguel Peralta and his family did operate a successful mine in the 1860s but near Valencia, California, not in Arizona. To make even more money, he then went to work at the Silver King Mine. Lost Dutchman Mine is a simulation game that casts the player in the role of a gold miner in the 1860's. Since James Reavis, "the Baron of Arizona", was convicted of fraud when the Peralta family genealogy and other documents to support the land grant (and a barony associated with that land) were determined to be forgeries it also raises questions about the original purchase of the land grant by Dr. George M. Willing Jr. (the transaction had supposedly occurred at a primitive campsite to the southeast of Prescott without the benefit of the typical documentation; instead of a notarized deed, the conveyance was recorded on a piece of greasy camp paper bearing signature of several witnesses). So, if any of the earlier tales of gold founds are true, where did it come from? In the 20 years following Waltzs death in October of 1891, the possible discovery of the mine was reported multiple times in newspapers from Bisbee to Tombstone to Phoenix. It was not his manner that earned him his eccentric reputation; rather, it was his appearance, his high intelligence and the isolated way that he lived. The Mojave County Miner reported in its 1901 October 12 issue: The Lost Dutchman mine has again been found. Two years later, in December 1936, another life was claimed by the mountain when hobbyist, Roman OHal, a broker from New York, died from a fall when he was searching for the Lost Dutchman. Although his gun was found under the body, the death was ruled suicide. The following February, his headless skeleton was found in a canyon, a good distance from his camp. WebBackground: The Lost Dutchman Mine was founded by a German prospector named Jacob "The Dutchman" Waltz in 1876. The Pennsylvania Dutch Country. Waltz also filed on one mine in just his name, the General Grant, also in the Walnut Grove Mining District. Still, more men disappeared only to be found dead later, their bodies mutilated and their heads cut off. In the Superstition Mountains, near Apache Junction east of Phoenix, Arizona, a legendary gold mine is supposedly located. 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. WebLost Dutchman State Park About Lost Dutchman State Park Named after the fabled lost gold mine, Lost Dutchman State Park is located in the Sonoran Desert, at the base of the Superstition Mountains, only 40 miles east of Phoenix. In 1870, Waltz had a homestead of about 160 acres (0.65km2) near Phoenix where he operated a farm.[18]. In the Spring of 1896 when Reavis hadnt been seen for some time, one of his few friends went to check on him. He was one of the few who were well-prepared to prospect in unpromising locations. The location is generally believed to be in the Superstition Mountains, near Apache Junction, east of Phoenix, Arizona. It was then that the pair moved near the Superstition Mountain range. It involves murder, secrets, and a whole lotta sweet, sweet gold. The legend of the Lost Dutchman's gold mine is a quintessential version of just such a story. 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. As the Indians were subdued by the soldiers, a reservation was established near Fort McDowell, where Thorne began to provide his services. Over the years, many people have tried to find the Lost Dutchmans mine, and several have lost their lives searching for gold hidden in the Superstition Mountains. 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 rest of the treasure hunters body would not be found until the next month, in a small tributary on the east slope of Black Top Mesa. The Lost Dutchman Mine is said to be a rich goldmine located somewhere in the southwestern American state of Arizona. After the land was ceded to the United States, the Peralta party was trespassing on U.S. soil. 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. WebLost Dutchman Mine is a non-linear adventure game which puts the player in the role of a gold miner, circa 1860. For more details, call the Museum at 445-3122 or visit the sponsors websites at www.sharlothallmuseum.org and www.prescottcorral.org. A German immigrant,Jacob Waltz,is supposed to have discovered the mine in the 19th century and became known as the Lost Dutchman. At the time, the term Dutch was used for people from the Netherlands and Germany. 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