And not just crackpots: former attorney general of Arizona Bob Corbin was one of the many mine-seekers. As early as Sept 1, 1892, a local newspaper relates . Not only has the value of gold, silver and other precious metals surged over the last decade, but financial experts claim that their worth will only increase exponentially in years to come. 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. Waltz and his partner, Jacob Weiser, worked the mine and allegedly hid one or more caches of gold in the Superstitions. Mining towns such as Tumco, Bodie, Oatman and Randsberg were once booming with growth due to the mining operations which provided jobs and drew gold seekers from all over the country. The ore was not the same as that at the Vulture Mine. The trailhead has a Port-a-Potty for your convenience. McClintock began his career working at the Salt River Herald (later known as the Arizona Republic). Two of the most famous lost mines are the Lost Dutchman Mine of Arizona and Pegleg Smith's Mine of Southern California. the historic main street. All rights reserved. Superstition Mountains, are able to present some of it to a third party but afterwards are killed or vanish. Back in 1540 Francisco Vasquez de Coronado led a large expedition across Arizona in search of the mythical Seven Cities of Gold. Thank you! 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. In 1977, Granger noted that the Lost Dutchman story was printed at least 6 times more often than the story of Captain Kidds lost treasure or the story of the Lost Pegleg Mine in California. from the Netherlands) because he was Deutsch (i.e. At age 66, he went to the Superstitions alone, over the objections of his son and family. (Jameson, 2009). Find a club in your city: Goldminers HQ, Desert Gold Diggersclubs with gold claims in Arizona, Legends of America Treasure Clubs, Gold Mining Tours & Instruction A cryptic map of the gold mine, or just a fake? The lost padre gold mine of Arizona. Doc is just one of an endless stream of treasure hunters in search of the. Boettcher Mansion, Capitol Hill, Denver - built in, Always nice to have a solid noodle place with love, Red rock vistas, 2021. Join DesertUSA as we continue the search for gold in the Desert. Waltz also makes a deathbed confession to a Julia Thomas, and even draws a crude map of the mine. Skeleton Canyon Treasure: During the late 1800s, a gang of bandits conducted a raid on the city of Monterrey in the Mexican state of Nuevo Leon. There's even a museum exhibit about the mine in the area, which tasks itself with "the separation of fact from fiction" fitting for a mine that's right on the border between mythical and real. The dry desert lands of the U.S. have been the location of many famous mines and gold discoveries. 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. 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There was a Dr Thorne who had a private practice in New Mexico, however. But will big risks lead to an even bigger pay out? Wickenburg initially worked the mine by himself, but sold the gold ore to other prospectors. 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. Arizona Lost Mines By James Harvey McClintock in 1913 Arizona Prospector Almost every prospector, whether professional or tenderfoot, had his own pet "lost mine" that he looked for. The ore was all that Flannigan claimed and $1,800 was realized from its sale. He supposedly described the mine's location to Julia Thomas, a neighbor who took care of him prior to his death. At the head of the Prescott Party was Ed. $15,000 of gold was found under his bed after he died. (Jameson, 2009). Legends and stories of gold mines filled the hearts, souls and minds of prospectors, driving them into some of the most dangerous and desolate lands in search of gold. The best times to visit this trail are September through May. It was against the tribal law and beliefs of the Apaches to tell others where the gold was located. Some of the stories have many versions, each containing a few facts that differ from each other. One story describes the journey of a discharged soldier who followed Pegleg's trail from Yuma to Los Angeles. Join Lawrence Fishburne as he uncovers the truth behind the strangest mysteries of all time in History's Greatest Mysteries: Solved - https://histv.co/HGMSTh. 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. In the early 1850s, the Colorado River crossing at Yuma became a major route for gold seekers from the East. On the slip was the word take. The editor feared to even remain silent, for most of the letters told of the organization in eastern villages of parties of heavily-armed men to get the gold dust or die in the attempt, and there might have been dire consequences on the head of the imaginative journalist had Phoenix been reached by even one of the desperate rural eastern expeditions. Many prospectors and historians wonder why he did not go back to the desert and search for the butte where he discovered the gold. By the 1860's large discoveries of gold were occurring in the Bradshaw Mountains, especially along the Hassayampa . The lapse of time had made Adams very uncertain in his location, but he remembered that it was in a deep canyon running in an easterly direction, at a point where a gold ledge was sharply defined on the sides of the gulch, and near two black buttes. "The Arizona Expeditions: Third Arizona Expedition" +/-Manuscripts "Chlorutahlite Mining in Utah"; "Gold and Silver Tales" "The Daughter of Julius Caesar" "A Lost Gold Mine of the Mojave Desert" "The Miracle Nugget of Mariposa" "Chapultepec Canyon and the Gold Cache in Cedar Valley" "The Very Peculiar Record of Mary L. Black" Basin. The gold trail led through New Mexico, Tucson, and Yuma to California. Then in 1868, Wickenburg used his gold proceeds to fund a new project that would change Arizona history forever: The Swilling Irrigation Canal Company, conceived by ex-Confederate soldier Jack Swilling of Prescott. All he could be induced to do was to toss his arms and say, Plenty gold here; go hunt. Ben did hunt for years and was outfitted several times by A.H. Peeples, who believed that he finally died of thirst on the desert. Lost Dutchman Mine Found ? Some favorites include: Doc Thornes Lost Gold Mine: Next to the Lost Dutchmans Gold, the most talked about and searched for treasure in Arizona over the last century remains Doc Thornes gold. The desire for gold can be so great that it motivates men to endure unbelievable hardships including starvation, dehydration and death. Thorne told his story to three solders in 1858, upon which the soldiers unsuccessfully set out to find the vein. {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. 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. #sedona #redrocks #outhiki, Oddball vending machines, #3 in the series. Briefly narrated, it is this: In the summer of 1869, Abner McKeever and family were ambushed by Apache Indians on a ranch near the Big Bend of the Gila River. Required fields are marked *. Monica is a staff writer for Only In Your State, photo editor for The Mesa Legend, and previously a staff writer for The Navajo Post. Today, we might expect more detail; back in those days, the story was enough to fatally pique the curiosity of an amateur prospector, Adolph Ruth. Gold in Morgan City Wash: In 1934, Palmer Ashley was helping his father work a difficult, low-grade prospect near Morgan City Wash, 23 miles outside of Wickenburg. (It's Free. In a pocket was a map, very roughly made and probably very inaccurate, on which he had attempted to show the position of the golden spring. Though the Indians pressed handfuls of the nuggets upon him, Thorne still persisted that the stuff was worthless and refused to take any, convinced that he could again find the treasure. 914.589.3985. This story involves Jakob Waltz (some sources say Weitz, Weitzer, Walls, Welz,) and another German named Jakob Weiser although this second German probably is a spin-off of the first Jakob, which occurred in the re-telling of the story. The body of one "dutch hunter" (as they are known to locals) was found in the Superstition Mountains as recently as 2012. She climbed upon one of three buttes to try and figure out where she was and on the ground she found black-coated gold nuggets. The trails are well marked. 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. 8320 Lost Mine Rd. Mining flourished in Gila City until 1862 when a flood destroyed the town. Outdoor Recreation: Treasure Hunting. 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. Jakob Waltz was nicknamed Dutch (i.e. Less than a days journey from the river, the three men separated, after the horse had dropped dead. Lost Pick Mine of Old Arizona: Hidden Gold Remains Hidden By Andrea Aker December 29, 2009 8325 7 Excerpt from In Old Arizona by Marshall Trimble, the state's official historian. Superstition Mountains. There are two trails available. Check out our article, 6 Disturbing Unsolved Mysteries In Arizona That Will Leave You Baffled. 16 Lost Treasures of Arizona Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine Herman Wolf's Treasure Trove Legend of the Lost Opata Mine The Smiling Bandits Lost Loot Red Jack Almer Gangs Lost Loot $72,000 in Gold Coins: Stolen Army Payroll Buried Cans of Gold Coins at Ashurst Ranch Lost Gold at Granite Dells Blacksmith's Lost Booty Hidden Indian Gold Near Lynx Creek Adventure Reality-TV Brothers Josh and Jesse Feldman head into the rugged desert of southeast Arizona to track the history of a legendary Apache chief said to have buried two strongboxes of gold somewhere in the region's imposing mountains. Gold fever has stricken thousands of men and women over the years. The Lost Goldmine Trails winds for miles at the base of the Superstition Mountains. Get counterintuitive, surprising, and impactful stories delivered to your inbox every Thursday. 8302 Lost Mine Rd. (Waltz definitely existed, and was definitely German, but his ore is not as well documented.) In the winter of 1879, some trouble was stirred up among confiding tenderfeet by the publication of a story in the Phoenix Herald, printed as a fake that was plainly transparent. Sign up below or read more about the DesertUSA newsletter here. Scott Taylor/Flickr A Detailed History of Mining in Arizona from Arizona Mining Association Some 8,000 people each year try to find it. Experience this 4.0-mile loop trail near Gold Canyon, Arizona. One of the most popular Arizona legends also happens to be one of the most deadly: the Lost Dutchman's gold mine. When Ashleys dad took a break to go into Phoenix on business, the young man decided to investigate a rumored lead deposit nearby. You can reach her at monica.d.spencer@gmail.com. From Grant, they marched to the Gila River, up the San Carlos and then to the Salt River. 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. There is another lost mine, equally as famous as the Pegleg mine, which has crazed the minds of prospectors and treasure seekers for years. They are massacred by the Apache in 1850. 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. Its location is not exactly known but it is rumored to be somewhere within either the Superstition Mountains which is near the Apache Junction on the eastern side of Phoenix, Arizona. (Jameson, 2009). Arizonas Gold Rush 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. It's near a 1,000-foot-tall rock tower! It is said that Pegleg got drunk while in Los Angeles, started a brawl in the local saloon and was quickly kicked out of town by the authorities. Some think this mine was first excavated by Mexico's Peralta family, then commandeered by Apaches or simply abandoned. When he arrives in Los Angeles, he shows his friends the nuggets and organized an expedition to return to the desert to bring back more gold. Just one day into his journey, he disappeared. Some thought the mine was located in Arizona, but whatever its location, it has never been found, and may have been only in the imagination of a rum-soaked prospector. Over this wall and back of the next rise is a prospect hold with large chunks of galena (lead sulfide) on the surface. While searching for the fluted wall, Ashley tumbled down a steep wash bank and, while nursing his bruises, noticed a ledge of pure white quartz streaked with red and green. 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