Troubles with the Apaches made the familys mining operation dangerous. Waltz died in 1891 of pneumonia, but before he passed, he gave a few final clues to the location of his mine and even provided a crude map to it. Sometimes, this discarded cache of gold is said to be the origin of Jacob Waltz's treasure. "Dutchman's Gold" was the season 4, episode 19 of, This page was last edited on 5 February 2023, at 00:14. While we are rather skeptical of the finding of the Lost Dutchman claim, if the new find is rich in gold it will do until the old discovery is really brought to light. Shortly after the Dutchmans death in 1891, a cache of incredibly rich gold ore was taken from a candle box beneath his bed. But what they actually found has been a hidden secret that people have been trying to piece together for last 125 years. Today, the lost gold would be worth over 200 million dollars. Granger wrote that "fact and fiction blend in the tales",[3] but that there are three main elements to the story: In 1977, Granger identified 62 variants of the Lost Dutchman's story some of the variations are minor, but others are substantial, casting the story in a very different light from the other versions. Either way, she went to the mountains for a while to search. 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? Jack Humphrey Cameron, Texas The Dutchman, like most lost, Writers sometimes discover their muse on their own, but sometimes their muse finds them. Next week I will list some clues that are absolutely relevant to what we have physically on site. As the legend goes, prospector Jacob Waltz found a gold mine but went to his grave without sharing the secret of where that mine was located. This bug is to make my fortune, he continued, with a triumphant smile, to reinstate me in my family possessions. OH, I almost forgot there is no cell phone service absolutely none. So let me say it again, the documentation found ON the stones is the most important thing not so much who carved them. The nearly 70-year-old man was found dead about four miles south of his home on a trail near Roger's Canyon. An alternate view which better fits the lost mine legend is that he periodically appeared with large amounts of gold, The Sterling Legend by Estee Conatser reports that a Jacob Walzer sold $250,000 in gold to the U.S. Mint during the 1880s and had $1500 when he died in 1891. This seems to have been made up solely for the various legends, according to Tom Kollenborn Chronicles. According to legends, a man named Jacob Waltz, the titular Dutchman (though he was actually German and not Dutch), came to America to seek out his fortune around the 1860s, according to Lost Dutchman State Park. If no one comes forth to rightfully claim the treasure, its anyones guess. 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. The legend continues to explain that the luck of the Peraltas eventually ran out and they were ambushed by the Apache, who left no trace of the treasure and only a few survivors who brought the tale of the hidden horde back to Mexico. Since Ruth's death, there have been several other deaths or disappearances in the Superstition Mountains. As early as Sept 1, 1892, a local newspaper relates . (However, in some versions,[14] the 'mine' is actually a cache put there by the Peraltas.). 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. (St. Johns, Apache County, Arizona Territory [Ariz.]) 18851903, September 8, 1892, Image 2", Dunning, B. Over the next few weeks I will share some images that are safe for us to show. [19][20] After this was unsuccessful, Thomas and her partners were reported to be selling maps to the mine for $7 each. Quite a few people have made skeptical statements on some treasure forums including Treasurenet, THunting dot com, DesertUSA and a few others. The name comes from a prominent local legend of the enigmatic . When: Open 365 days a year. He pursued mining and prospecting, but seems to have had little luck with either. That's not even counting those hunting the treasure in the ensuing years. The location is generally believed to be in the Superstition Mountains, near Apache Junction, east of Phoenix, Arizona. Blair insisted that the Peralta portion of the story is unreliable, writing: "The operation of a gold mine in the Superstitions by a Peralta family is a contrivance of 20th century writers". But the mine remains shrouded in mystery, so much so that it might not exist at all. Lastly, the alleged mine directions Ruth had were from an 1895 newspaper account. #1. Here amongst this vast maize of volcanic interior, fixed and clinging to the mountain side, flanked on one side by a very small almost invisible ledge is the Lost Dutchman Gold Mine, like a small birds nest perched in the middle of a forest of giant oaks, concealed by the natural elements it obscures itself from all beasts of prey, especially man. Illustration by Jonathan Fehr. Now wait a minute isnt the fabled Lost Dutchman Mine located in the Superstitions? Peralta's Family. Arizona's most notorious lost treasure story for both believers and otherwise takes place in the mysterious Superstition Mountains. Finally, there really was a successful gold mining family named Peralta, but they were in California, not Arizona, according to Gold Rush Nuggets. Finding gold at the Lost Dutchman mine. Fact and fiction blend in these tales, becoming "faction", but key elements are "lost Apache gold", "a Dutchman", "a lost gold vein, found by . He really did die in 1891 of pneumonia. Some have died on the search. So what do we really know about these legends, Waltz, and the Superstition Mountains? Much of the interior is so brutal with severe weather shifts (the Apache winds) that much of the interior is off limits for search and rescue. [9] As of 1975, ruins of the Peralta mine were standing.[9]. But Blair suggested that this core story was distorted in subsequent retellings, comparing the many variants of the Lost Dutchman's story to the game of Chinese whispers, where the original account is distorted in multiple retellings of the tale.[15]. 1. The Dutchman found this mine, and his 'story' advises he 'obtained' it from Mexicans miners who were working it. See more in Season 1, Episode 1, \"Secrets of the Lost Map.\"#LegendoftheSuperstitionMountains Subscribe for more from Legend of the Superstition Mountains and other great The HISTORY Channel shows:https://histv.co/SubscribeToHistoryFind out more about the show and watch full episodes on our site:http://www.history.com/shows/Check out exclusive The HISTORY Channel content:History Newsletter: www.history.com/newsletterWebsite - http://www.history.comFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/HistoryTwitter - https://twitter.com/historyThe HISTORY Channel 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. There, his blindfold was removed and he saw a cave full of gold. We have imaging taken, with Go-pros, Sony 7000s; Osmo stabilized film cameras and Dji Phantom and Bee-bop drones. He knew that gold had been found in the Superstition Mountains. There's no evidence they ever came to Arizona at all. Tantalizingly, Ruth's checkbook was also recovered, and proved to contain a note written by Ruth wherein he claimed to have discovered the mine and gave detailed directions. 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. There are lots of similar tales of gold-hunting soldiers, too, from all over the southwest. Under present regulations, the federal government will claim the find and hold it for one year. 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. They found what they were looking for and then some, according to Lost Dutchman State Park. And is that information relevant? This is trails end; this is the domain of the Dutch Hunters. I want some feedback from people with knowledge about the lost Dutchman gold mine. Believing that this mine is the source of Waltzs placer gold, Feldman theorizes that the bullion lies at the end of a long collapsed drift and speculates that Waltz never searched that area while working the site. A 19th century map detailing mines in Arizona. He had worked as a miner but was an amateur prospector at best. It is here were you will reach areas that are barely penetrable, this is where most trails stop abruptly for safety reasons. The permit allows Feldmans group to re-excavate the main shaft and drifts under strict controls and government supervision. You can Google the story of how I solved the Peralta stones and the Peralta deerskin map in LOST TREASURE MAGAZINE JUNE ISSUE COVER STORY LOST DUTCHMAN GOLD MINE. The Pennsylvania Dutch Country. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Since fortune has thought fit to bestow it upon me, I have only to use it properly and I shall arrive at the gold.. True. There have been many stories about how to find the mine, and each year people search for the mine. The Lost Dutchman gold mine is believed to be situated in a state park in Apache Junction, Arizona, although its exact location is unclear. According to historian Tom Kollenborn, the Superstition Mountains were an unlikely place to strike it rich: As of mid-2017, he and his crew had spent about 30 production days in and around Apache Junction. 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). And the answer is absolutely yes! They supposedly did and brought a good amount of gold back to town according to Tom Kollenborn Chronicles. Some of you reading this may know a lot, about the Lost Dutchman Goldmine, others may be new to the story of the Lost Dutchman Mine, so before going much further, I will do a very quick overview. Since federal regulations restrict the use of power equipment, the headframe operates much like it would have in the 19th century. Its believed the group buried their amassed bullion, hoping to return at a later time. But there's no evidence he was any sort of engineering or mining genius like some legends claim. Web. December 09, 2019 We miss it. ZERO ZIP NADA!! When and where we can get a direct line of sight, we use high tech Walkie talkies, to communicate with each other. There are several paths that go through the brush and cacti. 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. [25] Blair noted that the conclusion of the Arizona authorities was rejected by many, including Ruth's family, and "those who held onto the more romantic murdered-for-the-map story". This, of course, is how the Dutchman is supposed to havereally found his treasure. Stories vary on how Waltz found this hidden treasure. We at Arcana Exploration believe we can show that this was later worked by Jacob Waltz, and after his death came to be known as the Lost Dutchman Gold Mine. It appears no one ever bothered to just ask the Native Americans in the area if the mountains were sacred. 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. , The Waterbury Democrat. Learn how and when to remove this template message, "The St. Johns herald. Arcadia Publishing. WE HAVE ALSO SOLVED THE PERALTA BURBRIDGE MAP OF 1753. Only the materials differ. 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