The trio succeeded in returning safely to San Bernardino and in 1875, gathered twelve men to return to the lost bonanza. Are Electric Highways the Way of the Future? Ruth injured his leg so severely in the process that he developed a lifelong limp. Two of the most famous lost mines are the Lost Dutchman Mine of Arizona and Pegleg Smith's Mine of Southern California. The legend continues to evolve: recent additions are versions in which the gold is really a secret treasure trove of the Knights of the. Packing their booty onto a number of mules, they fled, heading northwest toward a remote pass through the Arizona/Mexico border. 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. Generally considered a moderately challenging route. 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. He broke off a piece and put it in his sample sack. Want to read more travel articles from MDN? From a single shovelful of earth had been panned seventeen ounces of gold. Waltz also makes a deathbed confession to a Julia Thomas, and even draws a crude map of the mine. the historic main street. of gold. 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. McClintock began his career working at the Salt River Herald (later known as the Arizona Republic). He gathered the black pebbles thinking they were copper and carried them to Los Angeles where he later discovered they were gold. December 09, 2019 Word traveled fast and, after Weaver found gold, every miner who had not yet struck it rich in California headed for Arizona. 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. Maricopa County. The best times to visit this trail are September through May. 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. 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. Lost Mines & Buried Treasures of Arizona by W.C. Jameson, University of New Mexico Press, 2009. of gold. When they arrived; however, the chief would show him no further, seemingly being struck by some religious compunctions he hadnt thought of before. Notes and Author: This article is primarily a tale told by James Harvey McClintock between the years of 1913 and 1916 when he published a three-volume history of Arizona called Arizona: The Youngest State. Stories abound of riches buried by Spanish explorers or Native Americans, as well as tales of precious ore pulled from mines whose . 8320 Lost Mine Rd. Numerous maps have surfaced over the years, only to become lost or misplaced when interested parties pressed for facts. In Colorado, Exploring the Worlds Longest Cave System, Washingtons Olympic Peninsula is a Natural Wonderland, UNEXPLAINED AND UNEXPLORED: Investigating the Legend of California's Gold-Laden Ghost Ship, The Bermuda Triangle Isn't Actually a Mystery, The House on the Rock Is the Tourist Trap to End All Tourist Traps, Every Year, Thousands of Glass Orbs Are Hidden on This Oregon Beach, Female Ocean Rower Attempts Record-Breaking Solo Crossing, The Explorers Club Discovery Expedition Grantees, she and her team passed over two enormous gold mines, they made it into the San Francisco Chronicle. 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. Through the years, truth and fiction about this mine have been irrevokably mixed up, producing 62 varieties of the legend. 8230 Lost Mine Rd. According to the legend, the Apaches buried and hid the gold and covered up the mine. But only rarely is it spectacularly visible from Earth. Join DesertUSA as we continue the search for gold in the Desert. 914.589.3985. None of these maps featured any real location of the mine. In the coastal town of Lincoln City, Oregon, beachcombers flock to the sand in hopes of finding one very specific treasure: glass fishing floats. Since its early Gold Rush days, Arizona has produced in excess of 498 tons or 16 million troy ounces (ozt.) Nearby, was a human skeleton, bleached from long exposure. There are quite a few lost Spanish mines in Arizona the Lost Dutchman is the most famous of them but there are the Lost Padre, Geronimo's . The story goes something like this: Waltz and/or Weiser locate a rich gold mine in the. 8338 Lost Mine Rd. He reportedly said it came from a secret mine in the Superstition Mountains. No one was ever able to follow the Indian into the desert to discover his secret gold mine. 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 Lost Dutchman Mine is the most famous in American history. The quartz veins of the mine produced 366,000 ounces of gold over the next century. The richest always was somewhere out in the desert, beyond water, or within almost inaccessible mountains, where wild Indians guarded the golden secret handed down to them by their forefathers. Instead he punched out without ever harvesting the hidden gold. The group wandered around the desert unsuccessfully, and Pegleg ended up deserting the group and turn up later in Los Angeles. Scott Taylor/Flickr Here's the thing about the House on the Rock it's certainly a sight to behold, but it's no museum. Stars Jesse Feldman Josh Feldman Clark Moore See production, box office & company info Add to Watchlist The story was widely copied, and from eastern points, so many inquiries came that the Herald editor had to have a little slip printed to be sent back in reply. Follow the lives of ambitious miners as they head north in pursuit of gold. 8302 Lost Mine Rd. Walk down Main Street, explore the many shops and historic buildings. (Jameson, 2009). Since there is more than one version of the story, there are many contradicting facts. {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. P.S. 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. Southwest Treasure Hunters Gem & Mineral Guide: Where & How to Dig, Pan and Mine Your Own Gems & Minerals, GemStone Press, 2008. Many believe it is easier to find a mine that has been lost, than to discover a new location. The explanation then was given that the Indians were afraid that the white men would come in such numbers that the Indian preponderance of population would be lost. A man named Ross Browne, in 1863, said that at the store of Hooper & Hunter in Arizona City he saw masses of pure gold as large as the palm of the hand, brought in by adventurers who stated that certain Indians had assured them that they knew places in the mountains where the surface of the ground was covered by the same kind of yellow stones. This story was based on the adventures of a young surgeon named Thorne, who, having cured the eye troubles of a couple of Apache Indians where he was stationed, was induced to visit the Indian village where there was an epidemic of the same disorder. Jakob Waltz was nicknamed Dutch (i.e. How? But modern-day treasure hunters do exist. Then, to recoup the cost of the failed expedition, Thomas started selling maps that she claimed would lead people to the mine. By Jim Bremner, More It is a fact; however, that the Cibicu Indians of the Cherry Creek Valley knew of the existence of a rich placer field. A third party was organized to search for another lost mine near the Virgin River, were Dutch George Yount, a trapper, claimed he discovered a ledge full of gold, which of course he was never able to relocate. Born in Gallup and raised in Phoenix, she is Tdich'ii'nii (Bitter Water People) and Tsi'naajinii (Black Streak Wood People). We must ask ourselves the toughest question of all -- "Do I believe there is still gold to be found in the desert?" Related Books & Gifts - Trading Post The next find was some small heaps of very rich gold rock, probably where sacks had decayed from around the ore, and then, a short distance away was discovered a shallow prospect hole, sunk on a gold-bearing ledge. The Legend Of Arizona's Lost Dutchman Gold Mine Is Downright Deadly Who doesn't love a good mystery? Depending on the purity of the silver, various estimates place the value of the silver cache at close to one million dollars. Attempts have been made to locate it atleast since 1892. To keep up with the pace of change, organizations that havent already can benefit greatly from exploring skills-based training. Discovery.com unpacks the mysteries and myths long surrounding the Bermuda Triangle. 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 stories of lost gold mines still lure prospectors, even today. The location is generally believed to be in the Superstition Mountains, near Apache Junction, east of Phoenix, Arizona. Often, there is a map (sometimes called a "waybill") purportedly showing the location of the mine. Each step into the desert may bring you a little closer to a fortune. One searcher claimed to have found veins of gold in a narrow canyon just south of the Mazatal Mountains (near Four Peaks on Maricopa/Gila County borders). The soldiers dug out coarse gold by the aid of their knives. The body of one "dutch hunter" (as they are known to locals) was found in the Superstition Mountains as recently as 2012. While at the camp, she told the workers about the gold nuggets she found and left them with one of the nuggets before she continued on her way. 8284 Lost Mine Rd. Research shows that spending more time on social media is associated with body image issues in boys and young men. Watch on. Heres a roundup of the best mining clubs, tours, dig sites, claim staking, books and historical information to help you start your own quest for Arizona gold. They build files which contain details, bits and pieces of a legend so old and peculiar, they cannot rest until the mystery is solved. Keep your ears and eyes open, for you may be the lucky one who discovers the three buttes where Pegleg Smith found his black-coated gold nuggets, or a gold filled saddle bag from the Peralta Family's last mining expedition. He died in Phoenix in 1880. Yavapai County - Rich Hill. New Evidence About the Lost Dutchman Mine On his way out of California, he stole 300 to 400 horses and drove them to Taos, New Mexico where he planned to sell them. The North American Deserts Men who claimed to have found the Peralta mine were unable to return to it, or some disaster occurred just before they could file a claim, all adding to the lore of a "lost mine.". This is a popular trail for hiking and mountain biking, but you can still enjoy some solitude during quieter times of day. You'll receive your first newsletter soon! document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Water was found just in time to save their lives, for Wormley already had become delirious. The ore was not the same as that at the Vulture Mine. In the 1870s, Jacob Waltz, "the Dutchman" (actually a native of Germany), was said to have located the mine through the aid of a Peralta descendant. 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. Long before Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and grifter-socialite Anna Delvey, we had the Gold Rush and even today, plenty of Americans are still fixated on an either long-lost or fictional gold mine in Arizona's Superstition Mountains. Pegleg and his party had acquired a large number of pelts during their trip and selected Pegleg and another member of the trapping party to take the supply of pelts across the desert to Los Angeles for sale. About fifty pounds of this golden quartz they loaded on the remaining horse and then set out for the Gila River. Possibly connected with the Miner tale that led Safford and his party very far afield was the lost Thorne Mine. Dr. DeCourcy searched for years, and was never able to find the three buttes the miner described on his death bed. The gold trail led through New Mexico, Tucson, and Yuma to California. On June 17th, ocean rower Lia Ditton set off on a 20 ft. long rowboat, alone and unsupported, in an attempt to set the fastest ever time for a solo crossing from San Francisco to Hawaii. Written by James Harvey McClintock in 1913, compiled and edited by, Byways & Historic Trails Great Drives in America, Soldiers and Officers in American History, Washington-on-the-Brazos, Texas Declaring Independence, Stanley, Ks Extinct but Still Here (LOK), Black Bob Reservation in Johnson County (LOK), Make History Come Alive With These Online Tools and Resources. Updated June 25, 2020 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. Common reasons for the mines being lost include: Goldfield Ghost Town, Goldfield: Stop in at the Prospectors Palace to learn the art of panning from a gold historian. 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