Having taken on a terrible chill, he was attended to by a woman named Julia Thomas, who tried to nurse him back to health, but Jacob had contracted pneumonia. Waltz is also said to make a deathbed confession to Julia Thomas, and draws or describes a crude map to the gold mine. Yet, another year later, an old prospector by the name of Guy Hematite Frink was lucky enough to return from the mountain with a number of rich gold samples. The coroner could tell that the womans death was recent, but the gold was never explained. The answer to the question involves fraud, Indian wars, destruction, claim jumping and death. Ongoing discoveries of the Lost Dutchman Mine have continued for well over a hundred years. Legend tells that they were attacked while on a mining expedition in 1848, and only a few survived to tell the tale. Lost Dutchman Mine is a simulation game that casts the player in the role of a gold miner in the 1860's. However, before he could return to the spot, he had a heart attack. His bullet-ridden body was removed to the coroners, who ruled it a suicide. Many believe it's hidden in the Superstition Mountains, and it's rumored a curse falls upon all those who try to find it. Whether out of greed or, some kind of dispute over how they would handle their new-found wealth, Hernandez killed his friend Ferreira. But in the 1990s, roughly 100 years after the Dutchmans death, Feldman believes he found it. This account is usually dated to about 1870. As the Indians were subdued by the soldiers, a reservation was established near Fort McDowell, where Thorne began to provide his services. [16] A man called Jacob Walz was born in September 1810 in Wrttemberg. Skeptoid Media, 29 Jan 2013. Ongoing discoveries of the Lost Dutchman Mine have continued for well over a hundred years. Through the summer, he lingered in a wasted condition, giving clues to his caretaker, Julia, and to his rescuers, Herman and Reinhardt Petrasch. According to Blair, the story may have its roots in the efforts of three U.S. soldiers to locate gold in an area of New Mexico, based on an allegedly true story related to them by Dr. Thorne of New Mexico; see above. Waltz was buried in Phoenix at what is now called the Pioneer and Military Memorial Park. In the first decade of the 1700s, he began to explore the region, finding several sources of gold. Location: Apache Junction, AZ. Improve this listing Tours & experiences Explore different ways to experience this place. [8] The mine was quite profitable, earning about $35,000 in less than one year; Blair described this as "an unusually good return" for such a small gold mine to earn in such a relatively brief period. It would be his last. "The Lost Dutchman Gold Mine." Quite literally so, according to Southwestern Folklore author and researcher Byrd Granger. Just a week later he was killed in a cave-in without ever disclosing the location to anyone. Later, Waltz was suspected of high-grading ore from the Vulture Mine and was dismissed. The tales of the Lost Dutchman mine might have passed into history if it wasnt for Adolph Ruth, who decided to find the gold in the summer of 1931. 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. Waltz, a German immigrant, who had relocated to Arizona some years previous, worked as a prospector and owned a homestead on the northern side of Superstition Mountain. The player can freely explore a town and a vast desert, limited only by the protagonist's necessity to eat and rest. He knew that gold had been found in the Superstition Mountains. Thorne earned the respect of tribal leaders as he cared for the sick and injured, and after curing several Apache of an eye disease, he was offered an opportunity to be led to the gold in the Superstitions in 1870. 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. The secret or the mystery as to why Waltz never filed another claim after leaving the Bradshaws is the question addressed in the presentation of The Lost Dutchmans Mine: A Mystery Solved? Julia Thomas, having invested everything she owned into the venture to find the mine, never attempted to find it again. Arriving in the area in May, Ruth convinced two local cowboys to pack him into the mountains, where they left him to his exploring at a place called Willow Springs in West Boulder Canyon around June 14th, 1931. It involves murder, secrets, and a whole lotta sweet, sweet gold. Four days later, an investigation determined it belonged to an Austrian student named Franz Harrier. After spending all her money, Thomas made a living from selling maps of the supposed location. On the northwest slope of the mountain, in an area now referred to as Massacre Ground, all but one of the miners were ambushed and killed by the Apache. Despite his efforts, Willing was never able to recover the money he gave to Peralta. Lavern Rowlee was shot by Ralph Thomas, who reported that he had been attacked by Rowlee and shot the other man in self-defense. "Dutchman's Gold" was the season 4, episode 19 of, This page was last edited on 5 February 2023, at 00:14. [27], Throughout the 20th century, various expeditions and individuals continued to search the Superstitions for the Lost Dutchman Mine. The cause of death was unknown. With the body were several gold nuggets. Never shaving or cutting his hair, he seldom bathed and rumors said he was prone to running naked through the canyons, firing a pistol into the sky. Troubles with the Apaches made the familys mining operation dangerous. The earliest documentation of him in the U.S. is an 1848 affidavit in which Waltz declared himself to be "about 38 years old". Quick Facts: Lost Dutchman State Park Camping. Barkely feared for his safety and repeatedly told him to give up the search, and his fears came true when Ruth failed to return from a two-week trip to find the mine. His wife could not remember the location of the find. They found gold in the 1840s but were ambushed by a local tribe of Apaches. All Rights Reserved. WebOne of the best treasure tales in the history of the American West is the Lost Dutchman Mine. The Superstition Mountains west of Phoenix, Arizona by Carol Highsmith. The story of the missing mine started when the Peralta family moved to the area in the early 19th century to try their luck at mining. WebBackground: The Lost Dutchman Mine was founded by a German prospector named Jacob "The Dutchman" Waltz in 1876. He was a student of mining and was knowledgeable in geology. By 1872, Reavis was living in a high mountain valley near Pinal, where he farmed vegetables and hunted in his isolated mountain retreat. Storm speculated that Adolph Ruth might have been a victim of the same sniper. [42] The park was expanded to 320 acres (130ha) in 1983. In the Fall of 1961, police began searching for a prospector by the name of Jay Clapp, who had been working on Superstition Mountain on and off for a decade and a half. The official ruling was that the death was accidental. , The Waterbury Democrat. WebFor more than 120 years, the legend of the Lost Dutchman Mine has haunted the minds and souls of treasure seekers throughout the world. Gonzales claimed descendant from the Peralta family and said he had information on the whereabouts of the mine. When the Spanish arrived in 1540, the region was inhabited by the Apache Indians, who considered Superstition Mountain to be sacred ground, as it was home to their Thunder God. WebThe Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine is a fabled gold mine located in the Southwest, though it's exact whereabouts are unknown. Jacob Waltz moved to the Salt River Valley in 1868 and purchased a 160-acre farm on the north bank of the Salt River. But, after five weeks, the three returned with nothing. The location is generally believed to be in the Superstition Mountains, near Apache Junction, east of Phoenix, Arizona. Led by Francisco Vasquez de Coronado, the conquistadors cared little about the Apache customs or beliefs, wanting only to find the legendary Seven Golden Cities of Cibola., Learning from the Apache, that the range did, in fact, hold gold, the Spaniards were intent upon exploring the area. He had metal pins in his leg, and used a cane to help him walk. The public is encouraged to submit proposed articles and inquiries to dayspast@sharlothallmuseum.org. In the Superstition Mountains, near Apache Junction east of Phoenix, Arizona, a legendary gold mine is supposedly located. WebBackground: The Lost Dutchman Mine was founded by a German prospector named Jacob "The Dutchman" Waltz in 1876. Camping: 135 sites (68 with electric/water) and cabins can be reserved year-round through Arizona State Parks. The Lost Dutchman is Americas most famous lost mine, and many people have risked their lives searching for it. Learn how and when to remove this template message, "The St. Johns herald. 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. 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. They found gold in the 1840s but were ambushed by a local tribe of Apaches. Several trails lead from the park into the Superstition Mountain Wilderness and surrounding Tonto National Forest. [12] The three soldiers set out to find the gold, but without success. 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. There is little evidence that he had any success. However, Thorne had to agree to be blindfolded for the 20-mile trip. The mystery is shrouded in history, lore and several curious deaths. Some carved stones in the area are referred to as "Peralta Stones" and Spanish text and crude maps on them are considered by some to be clues to the location of a Peralta family gold mine in the Superstition Mountains, although others believe the stones to be modern fakes. Blair argued that this Peralta story (well known to Arizona residents) was eventually incorporated in the Lost Dutchman's story, in a severely distorted version, following the renewed interest in the Lost Dutchman's mine in the 1930s. Ruths son, a lawyer, had helped a man called Pedro Gonzales with a legal matter and in return, was given some old maps. Silverlock was picked up by lawmen, judged insane and sent to an asylum. Mine was founded by a German prospector named Jacob `` the St. Johns herald lotta,! Make a deathbed confession to Julia Thomas, who ruled it a suicide but, after five weeks the! Individuals continued to search the Superstitions for the 20-mile trip mining expedition in 1848 and. 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