Jesse Capen's remains identified, solving one Lost Dutchman mystery Patricia Calhoun January 24, 2013 8:58AM One mystery of the legendary Lost Dutchman gold mine has been solved. 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 and people who mysteriously go "missing" when they attempt to locate the old mine. 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. But desecrate it they did. If you go several miles east of the Weavers Needle there certainly is. Thousands have tried, no-one has been successful and the legend of Superstition Mountain has only been augmented by the promise of untold riches. Since Jacob Waltz's death, thousands of people have searched all throughout the Superstition Mountains for the location of the Lost Dutchman's gold mine, to no avail, according to USA Today. DJ, why are you letting Rovr live rent free in your head? But is the gold there? According to the narrative, in about 1912, Erwin C. Ruth provided Gonzales with legal assistance, rescuing him from almost certain jail. Ongoing discoveries of the Lost Dutchman Mine have continued for well over a hundred years. who spent days and months searching for the lost gold. Meanwhile, the Apache were enraged at the invasion of their sacred sites. Regardless, Dr. Thorne helped the man and he recovered, according to Legends of America. The richest always were somewhere in the desert, beyond water, or within almost . The public is encouraged to submit proposed articles and inquiries to dayspast@sharlothallmuseum.org. The mine is said to have been mined by a German immigrant, Jacob Waltz, who died before he could reveal its location. Ron Feldman has it and has had it all of his adult life. Be Truthful. Arizona Lost Mines. He kept the location a secret, but its said anyone who tries to find it will meet misfortune. While this doesn't mean it's impossible there's gold to mine up there, it makes it far less likely. Dr. Ale Hrdlika, a well-known anthropologist who was given multiple images of Ruth and Ruths dental data, analyzed the skull to see if it was Ruths. The fact of the finding of the mine for the past twenty years has kept alive the mining industries of the territory. As the story goes, Waltz and his partner befriended a Mexican who had been working a mine in the mountains. . So what about Jacob Waltz? The question is, if Jacob Waltz found a rich gold mine, why didnt he file a claim? This was the mines first official record of its existence. All were unsuccessful; a few are said to have never left the mountains. No. Illustration by Jonathan Fehr. 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. Rhinehart claimed Julia, and he knew where Waltzs gold mine was. Hot. Waltz found it in the mountains and came to grab gold out of it as needed. However, legend has it that Dr. Thorne afterward decided that he would try to find the location again. He was taken to the home of a friend named Julia Thomas who tried in vain to nurse him back to health. However, despite several men claiming to have found the mine, no one ever came forward with the gold. Soon, fact and fiction became easier to sort. Lost Dutchman Mine: Where Is The Legendary Golden Treasure? Peralta had gold claims in the vicinity of todays Rock Springs, along Interstate 17. During those dying days, Waltz whispered clues to Julia but not to Rhinehart. You bet! Generally considered a, Second Water Trail Superstition Mountains, The orchards offer plenty of grass and greenery for your dog to enjoy. Days Past is a collaborative project of the Sharlot Hall Museum and the Prescott Corral of Westerners International (www.prescottcorral.org). He wanted Hermann to help him, and Julia Thomas finds Waltzs gold mine in the Superstition Mountains. Ruths checkbook was also retrieved, and it had a note written by Ruth in which he claimed to have discovered the mine and provided exact directions. The Spaniards, however, were unfazed and continued to explore. Jack Humphrey Cameron, Texas The Dutchman, like most lost, Writers sometimes discover their muse on their own, but sometimes their muse finds them. However, the map to the Peralta mine was believed to be missing. According to the legendary story, Waltz left the following clues about the location of his mine: From my mine you can see the military trail, but from the military trail you can not see my mine. Updated October 3, 2018 See why treasure hunters are still drawn to Arizona's Superstition Mountains by the lure of the fabled Lost Dutchman Mine and the promise of untold riches. each comment to let us know of abusive posts. "He has more than 100 books and maps on the legend.". The man said Dr. Thorne could take as much as he could carry, at which point he was blindfolded again and led out. The symposium is co-sponsored by the Sharlot Hall Museum and the Prescott Corral and is open to the public free of charge. You can see Weavers Needle to the south from above my mine.. There is a rock face on the trail to my mine. Exploration 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. Let the prospector keep on finding the old lost mine and he is made, no matter it is not the original.. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. He contracted it as a young child, when he was enthralled with books and stories of hidden treasures and lost gold. The enigma of the LDGM is that it has been a puzzle with many pieces that, up until now, no one has been able to solve. Even today, despite the fact mineral prospecting was outlawed in 1983, people head to the Superstition Mountains on the off-chance they might stumble upon the Dutchmans treasure. Some have died while searching. Curt Gentrys book The Killer Mountains documented Magills adventures. People should always tell someone where theyre going, have a plan and have someone go with them, he said. The Superstition Mountains in Arizona are bound to be home to at least a few good stories by virtue of their name alone. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, Peralta is a common name in Mexican culture, much like Smith and Jones in American. [The lost mine] is the reason why he went there. Is it any wonder then, that I prize it? Jacob Waltz migrated to Phoenix due to ill health and died there twenty years later, in 1891. The second was the Big Rebel filed in the Walnut Grove Mining District. We'd love to hear eyewitness Its believed the group buried their amassed bullion, hoping to return at a later time. Thomas admitted she drew the map herself but claimed she based it on descriptions given by the Dutchman, according to Skeptoid. Sometimes, this discarded cache of gold is said to be the origin of Jacob Waltz's treasure. The path to these riches is paved in mystery and doom. The Dutchman's treasure remains one of the most sought-after hoards in the world. After a five-year wait, HEAT obtained a Treasure Trove Permit for the purpose of re-excavating a mine in the Superstition Wilderness. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph.. Clear skies. There is a rock face on the trail to my mine.. If he had, we still wouldnt know where the mine is, but we would know where it isnt a useful piece of information, since the mine has been found multiple times in at least five counties. Waltz, now the sole possessor of all the gold, eventually moved to Phoenix where he died in 1891, but not before relaying his story to his neighbor, Julia Thomas. I'd pay good money to see "HwyRover" trip and fall into that mine. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners. Several more people were said to have known the location of the lost Dutchmans gold mine or perhaps worked in it. Sunset and Superstition Mountains (Photo: kjschoen via Getty Images). For more choices, Lost Dutchman State Park has plenty of trails for all skill levels, from an easy walk with your pup to a steep, tough hike up to Flat Iron, all of which are, This will take you about 4-5 Hours and the elevation gain is 2781 to Flatiron Summit (, +98 net elevation gain (+2,838 total roundtrip elevation gain). It appears no one ever bothered to just ask the Native Americans in the area if the mountains were sacred. Another version of the story which seems to fit the narrative is that he was often found with a hoard of gold from his very own mine. The Apache discovered them and slaughtered them before they could escape with the gold. First, let's talk about the geology of the mountains. A short list of people reported as having found it, or to have found an abandoned mine they thought to be the Lost Dutchman Mine, include in 1900 Joe Mulhatton; in 1901 Charlie Wood and John Chunning (separate discoveries); in 1903 a man chasing his dog found it; in 1906 Henry Young Blood found it: in 1908 a man named Morton and his wife found it; and in 1909 the old prospector Barnscheldt found it. Indeed, there's yet another legend purporting to explain where the Dutchman might have acquired his gold. The Apache came after them. Is it any wonder then, that I prize it? He found that even a neophyte like himself could pick up nuggets of information from other Dutch hunters who virtually inhabited the Superstitions. According to the tales, a Spanish conquistador (often said to be Francisco Vazquez de Coronado, but sometimes reported as any number of other explorers, real and fictional) came to the Superstition Mountains in the mid-1500s searching for a mythical city of gold, one of the legendary Seven Cities of Gold, somewhere in the mountains, according to Legends of America. This late 1800s ore chute is proof of mining activity in the Superstition Wilderness. Use the 'Report' link on Arizona is host to one of the great treasure legends of not just America, but of the world: The Lost Dutchman Mine. But is it a genuine mine filled with riches beyond anyones wildest dreams? All rights reserved. Shutterstock Let's start with the basics. Solar sprawl is tearing up the Mojave Desert. National ArchivesA 19th century map detailing mines in Arizona. Allegedly, Dr. Thorne tried to find the cave again but was unsuccessful, or found it and was killed. The site is thought to be in the Superstition Mountains, which is near Apache Junction, Arizona. For one, the desert area bears remnants of the cliff dwellings of an ancient people whose identity is still unknown. 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). Be Proactive. Jacob "Lost Dutchman" Waltz (1810-1891) - Find a Dutch in this sense is believed to be a variation of the German word for German Deutsch rather than a reference to natives of The Netherlands. But for some who have been searching for seven years, had they put the same effort into finding random gold deposits they would have been more successful. Lost Dutchman Mine - Part 1 - DesertUSA When the townspeople went to look for them, they found nearly all of the family slaughtered. 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. setTimeout(function(){var t=document.createElement("script");t.setAttribute("src","https://sample.dragonforms.com/getEmbeddedClientScript.do?embeddedsite=TW_dispatch_nl"),t.setAttribute("type","text/javascript"),document.body.appendChild(t)},5); Become a subscriber today and youll recieve a new issue every month plus unlimited access to our full archive of backlogged issues. Jesse Capen's remains identified, solving one Lost Dutchman mystery Threats of harming another It's likely this legend just got re-adapted to the Superstitions to boost the legend of the Lost Dutchman's mine. Then, see some astonishing photos taken at the height of the Klondike Gold Rush. In the 20 years following Waltzs death in October 1891, the possible discovery of the mine was reported multiple times in newspapers from Bisbee to Tombstone to Phoenix. In reality, there was no substantiated evidence of a massacre grounds and there was no massacre of a Peralta family. Through Coxs widow, Feldmans group gathered firsthand knowledge that Cox excavated a mine and uncovered a stash of Spanish bullion, a fact that has been almost substantiated by the use of Ground Penetrating Radar. A copy of Estee Conasters The Sterling Legend: The Facts Behind the Lost Dutchman Mine billed as the definitive work on the lost mine was found in his tent.