Dr. DeCourcy searched for years, and was never able to find the three buttes the miner described on his death bed. From Tucson and Sonora, they were joined by two large companies of Mexicans. 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. (Jameson, 2009). In the late 1800s, just after the Gold Rush, a German prospector named Jacob Waltz reportedly started showing up in Phoenix with a lot of gold ore. Like, a noteworthy amount. In 1848, during a routine expedition to carry gold back to Mexico, the large party was ambushed by Apaches, and all were killed except for a few Peralta family members who escaped. Jesse Capen was obsessed with the legend of the lost gold, despite the lack of hard historical evidence. Arizonas Gold Rush {notificationOpen=false}, 2000);" x-data="{notificationOpen: false, notificationTimeout: undefined, notificationText: ''}">, Copy a link to the article entitled http://A%20Map%20to%20the%20Lost%20Dutchman%20Gold%20Mine. Until its closure in 1998, the Gold Road mine in Oatman was Arizonas last operating gold mine. Pegleg's questionable character and his reputation for drinking and lying add to the controversy surrounding the legend of his lost mine. At age 66, he went to the Superstitions alone, over the objections of his son and family. Want to read more travel articles from MDN? A Detailed History of Mining in Arizona from Arizona Mining Association To this day, both lost mines are actively sought after by old time prospectors and treasure hunters. He had a very irritating habit of disappearing from the camp once in a while, going by night, and taking with him several burros, whose feet would be so well wrapped that trailing was impossible. The Weaver - Rich Hill district is located near the intersection of four townships, each one being one of Arizona's top gold areas. Apache Before the Storm, Edward S. Curtis, 1906. For the last 150 years, people have risked their lives to go in search of Arizonas lost gold, silver and other buried treasures. Gold mines subsequently popped up all over the state in riverbeds, hills, caves and mountains. Join DesertUSA as we continue the search for gold in the Desert. Get counterintuitive, surprising, and impactful stories delivered to your inbox every Thursday. For almost 120 years now, theyve been looking for it. The lure, he said, continues to draw treasure hunters from all over the world to the Superstitions. 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. The miner confided his discovery to Dr. DeCourcy, and they made plans to search for the buttes as soon as he was well enough to travel. Thorne pretended that the sand was of little value, but furtively took all that he could. Mining flourished in Gila City until 1862 when a flood destroyed the town. There are records of Waltz selling or transporting gold which are estimated to total $254,000.. You can reach her at monica.d.spencer@gmail.com. Each step into the desert may bring you a little closer to a fortune. 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. Supposedly tucked away in the rugged trails of the Superstition Mountains, the legend of unfathomable riches has numerous versions and characters and each insists on being the correct story, with some dating to the first trek Spanish conquistadors made into the northern reaches of the Sonoran desert. But the mine remains shrouded in mystery, so much so that it might not exist at all. Peck, discoverer of the famous Peck Mine at Alexandria. The Apache (some even mention their famous chief Geronimo in this respect) are the only ones who know of a very rich gold mine in the. But did you know the state is also home to a 30-square-mile sand dune field? Hundreds of "lost mine" stories have been localized everywhere over the West. 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. Outdoor Recreation: Treasure Hunting. Follow the lives of ambitious miners as they head north in pursuit of gold. Another Lost Soldier Mine was found by a scouting soldier from old Fort Grant in the hills north of the Gila River, not very far from the mouth of the San Pedro. 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. He gathered the black pebbles thinking they were copper and carried them to Los Angeles where he later discovered they were gold. Monica is a Din (Navajo) freelance writer and photographer based in the Southwest. 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. Ruth injured his leg so severely in the process that he developed a lifelong limp. I had been prospecting out of Prescott AZ. Returning down Cherry Creek, prospecting continued up the Pinto Creek and Pinal Creek Valleys. 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. Water was found just in time to save their lives, for Wormley already had become delirious. ), The Desert Environment In the early 1850s, the Colorado River crossing at Yuma became a major route for gold seekers from the East. During the robbery, they were confronted by a small contingent of Mexican soldiers and police and a battle ensued. Above it were two quartz veins, one narrow and the other sixteen feet wide. 2. The butte was one of three, thus entering the significant landmark of three buttes in most versions of his story. This post card is a humourous version of the many serious treasure maps that undoubtedly circulated in Arizona and environs at the height of gold mine fever, at the end of the 19th century. Take a private tour of NYCs American Museum of Natural History from home! 623.934.6882 Further west, around Tysons Wells, also has been found placer gold, though none of these discoveries seem to exactly fit the special conditions of the Lost Soldier mine. By the 1860's large discoveries of gold were occurring in the Bradshaw Mountains, especially along the Hassayampa . But will big risks lead to an even bigger pay out? Hundreds of lost mine stories have been localized everywhere over the West. #scotland #sanquhar #magi, Townspeople probably think Im a witch. While the story remains essentially the same as originally published, heavy editing has occurred for spelling and grammar corrections, revisions for the modern reader, and updates to this historic tale. (It's Free. 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. But the mine remains shrouded in mystery, so much so that it might not exist at all. 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. Adams understood to have been a San Bernardino colony Mormon, in 1886 heard from a Mexican, a story of a rich gold deposit, and forming a party of 22 men, struck eastward to a point supposed to have been near Fort Apache, where the Diggings were found. Lost mines are a popular form of lost treasure legend. The Indian said he had seen much larger pieces of the same substance and started off to show him the treasure. In the coastal town of Lincoln City, Oregon, beachcombers flock to the sand in hopes of finding one very specific treasure: glass fishing floats. Desert Rocks & Minerals: GOLD! 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. Thorne is later unable or unwilling to reveal the location of the mine. Tiffany Owens is a freelance travel writer and the. Southwest Treasure Hunters Gem & Mineral Guide: Where & How to Dig, Pan and Mine Your Own Gems & Minerals, GemStone Press, 2008. Lost Mines & Buried Treasure of the Southwest by Thomas Penfield, Lost Cities & Ancient Mysteries of the Southwest by David Hatcher Childress, Lost Gold and Silver Mines of the Southwest by Eugene L. Conrotto, Lost Mines & Buried Treasures of Arizona by W.C. Jameson, Southwest Treasure Hunters Gem & Mineral Guide: Where & How to Dig, Where to Find Gold in the Desert by James Klein, 3 Thrillseekers wanted to travel to Sweden, Ecuador or Canada in July with World Nomads, Worldwide: Getty Images Awarding $10,000 Grants to 3 Instagram Photographers, New Creative Opps for Travelers in Switzerland, Montana, Michigan, California & Marfa, Texas, Hey Dutchman Hunters! He was blindfolded and taken to the village, not knowing his direction. Some writers have indicated that there actually was a Miguel Peralta whose family operated a gold mine but this was in the 1860s, near Valenciana in California. One of the most popular Arizona legends also happens to be one of the most deadly: the Lost Dutchman's gold mine. There are multiple versions of the Pegleg legend as well as other stories of black nuggets that seem to correlate with some of the facts stated in Pegleg lore. The Indians would not harm him, evidently on account of his color. That is, until Miguel Peraltas family stumbles upon the site and start mining the gold. All of the legends and stories mentioned in this article have been told many times by miners and prospectors who believe that the Pegleg and Lost Dutchman Mine exists. He died in California on May 10, 1934, at the age of 70. 928.443.8000 Golden Circle, a Confederate secret society active during the American Civil War (1861-1864). The second legend concerns an Indian woman who was wandering about the desert in a state of dehydration. 623.934.6882 As he was nearing death in 1891, Waltz was being cared for by Julia Thomas, an acquaintance with whom he shared the golds location. Solid State Batteries Promise Long Life and Rapid Refuel Electric Vehicles, Electric vs. Hydrogen: The Pros and Cons of Greener Transportation. In fact, there is a man who claims to have found Pegleg's Lost Mine in 1952. His partner had been killed, and he had escaped only by a miracle. Finally, in disgust, the different parties separated at Wheatfields and returned to their homes. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Required fields are marked *. What really matters, though, is that Waltz the namesake Dutchman, or "Deutsch" (German) man wouldn't reveal the mine's location. International mysteries, vintage maps, hidden treasure Explorers Justin and Emiliano are on the case. Chapter 12 of Thunder God's Gold by Barry Storm (John Clymenson), published in 1945, tells a very interesting story about a large piece of rich gold quartz found by William (Bill) Jenkins while on a picnic in the Superstition Mountains with his family in 1937. One of the first deaths attributed to the lost mine was Adolph Ruth in the 1930s, whose remains were found with bullet holes a few months after he disappeared into the wilderness. Dig Here! 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. He found some. All rights reserved. To help you get started on your journey, I will share with you some of the most famous legends and tales about lost mines and how they were once discovered and then lost again. At the head of the Prescott Party was Ed. 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. Ben was taken to some water holes, about 65 miles northwest of Antelope, toward McCracken, in southern Mohave County. Where can you learn of other dig sites or techniques and trade secrets of gold prospecting? Many believe it is easier to find a mine that has been lost, than to discover a new location. (Jameson, 2009). So how to get started? Granger distinguished three main elements to the story, with the most complete version of the story incorporating all three legends. from the Netherlands) because he was Deutsch (i.e. Colorado; a place we usually associate with snow-capped mountains and green grassy meadows, winter skiing, and kayaking in its clear, mirror-like lakes. The Apache separated into several bands, whose trails were followed by small detachments of soldiers, the most westerly by Sergeant Crossthwaite and two privates, Joe Wormley and Eugene Flannigan. Superstition Mountains. When Ashleys dad took a break to go into Phoenix on business, the young man decided to investigate a rumored lead deposit nearby. Through the years, truth and fiction about this mine have been irrevokably mixed up, producing 62 varieties of the legend. Desert Geological Terms, Home | About | Contact Us | Feedback | Privacy | Site Outline | Advertising on DesertUSA | Hotels, New Evidence About the Lost Dutchman Mine, 7 Smartphone Apps to Improve Your Camping Experience. However, the Lost Dutchman remains much discussed in Arizona. Many prospectors and historians wonder why he did not go back to the desert and search for the butte where he discovered the gold. Waltz also makes a deathbed confession to a Julia Thomas, and even draws a crude map of the mine. But modern-day treasure hunters do exist. If the story ended there, the legend of the Lost Dutchmans gold mine would make an interesting story. True or not, the legend of the Lost Dutchmans Gold Mine continues to fascinate the public. After about a decade, the story sank into obscurity, regaining notoriety when it had acquired more spectacular aspects, in a fashion not dissimilar to a game of Chinese whispers. the old gold mining town of bisbee, az. 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. Have found the lost Dutchman. During the 1830s and 1840s, Pegleg settled down and started a trading post along the Oregon Trail in Idaho, specializing in the sale of horses. 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