Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In many versions of the story, the Weavers Needle plays an important role in finding the supposed mine.
The Superstition Mountains in Lost Dutchman State Park

The Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine (also known by other names) is, according to legend, a rich gold mine that is said to be hidden in the southwestern United States . Their location is generally considered to be in the Superstition Mountains east of Phoenix , Arizona .

The mine is named after the German immigrant Jacob Waltz (around 1810-1891) who allegedly discovered it in the 19th century and kept its location a secret. "Dutchman" was a common American term for a German.

The Lost Dutchman's Mine is one of the most famous lost mines in American history. The story of the "Lost Dutchman" is said to have been printed or quoted at least six times more often than two other well-known stories: the story of Captain Kidd's lost treasure and the story of the Lost Pegleg Mine in California . The Lost Dutchman's Mine has been searched for at least 1892 while it is estimated that 8,000 people annually have made efforts to find the Lost Dutchman's mine. Former Arizona Attorney General Bob Corbin is one of those who searched for the mine.

Other Lost Dutchman's mines

Robert Blair wrote, "There were at least four legendary Lost Dutchman gold mines in the American West, including the famous Jacob Waltz mine". One Lost Dutchman's mine is said to be in Colorado and another in California; two are said to be in Arizona. Stories about these other Lost Dutchman mines can be traced back to at least the 1870s. The earliest Lost Dutchman's Mine in Arizona is said to have been near Wickenburg , about 180 km northwest of the Superstition Mountains: A "Dutchman" is said to have been discovered dead in the desert near Wickenburg next to saddlebags filled with gold in the 1870s . Blair suspected that "fragments of this legend may be linked to the mythical mine of Jakob Waltz".

Stories about the mine

Granger wrote that "fact and fiction merge in the stories," but that there are three main elements of the story:

“First of all, there are stories about the lost Apache gold or the mine of Dr. Thorne, second, stories about the Lost Dutchman and third, stories about the soldiers' lost gold vein ... The most complete version of the Lost Dutchman's story contains all three legends ”. Blair argued that there are cores of truth at the center of each of these three main stories, although the popular version often skews the actual story. Other theories have emerged speculating that the mine is buried at the bottom of Apache or Roosevelt Lake .

In 1977, Granger identified 62 variations on the Lost Dutchman's story - some variations are slightly different, but other differences are substantial and cast the story in a very different light than the other versions.

Apachengold or Dr. Thorne's story

In this story (actually two related stories) members of the Apache tribe are said to have found a very rich gold mine in the Superstition Mountains. The Apache chief Geronimo is sometimes mentioned in connection with this story. In most variations of the story, the family of a man named Miguel Peralta discovered the mine and started mining the gold there, but was attacked or massacred by Apaches around 1850.

Years later, a man named Dr. Thorne treated a sick or wounded Apache (often referred to as a chief) and been rewarded with a trip to a rich gold mine. He is said to have been brought there blindfolded and on a cumbersome path and was allowed to take as much gold ore with him as possible before he was again accompanied by the Apaches from the facility blindfolded. Thorne reportedly either unwilling or unable to locate the mine.

Historical background and veracity of the Peralta mine

Probably because Pedro de Peralta was the Spanish governor of New Mexico in the 16th century, his family name "Peralta" was the inspiration for a number of legends in the American Southwest .

James Reavis attempted to explain that the Peralta family had a Spanish land grant and barony granted by the King of Spain that spanned much of Arizona and New Mexico, including the Superstition Mountains. Some carved stones in the area are referred to as "Peralta Stones" and Spanish text and rough maps on them are viewed by some as clues to the location of a Peralta family gold mine in the mountains, although others believe the stones are modern forgeries are. A lack of historical records creates uncertainty as to whether a Peralta family ever owned land or mines in or near the Superstition Mountains.

Blair insisted that the Peralta part of the story was not believable by writing that the operation of a mountain gold mine by a Peralta family was the work of 20th century writers.

A man named Miguel Peralta and his family actually ran a successful mine in the 1860s - but near Valencia , California, not Arizona. The mine was quite profitable, making about $ 35,000 in less than a year ; Blair described this as "an unusually good return" for such a small gold mine in such a short time. In 1975 the ruins of the mine were still visible.

However, the Peralta mine eventually became unprofitable and after the money ran out, Miguel Peralta turned to fraud. George M. Willing Jr. paid Peralta $ 20,000 for the mining rights in a large area - approximately 12,000 square kilometers in southern Arizona and New Mexico - based on a charter originally granted by the Spanish Empire in the 18th century. A dispute arose after Willing learned that the document was a forgery. Despite his best efforts, Willing was never able to get back the money he gave the Peralta. This land allocation was the basis of the land fraud committed by James Reavis .

Blair argued that this Peralta story was eventually included in the Lost Dutchman's story in a heavily skewed version after interest in the Lost Dutchman's mine increased again in the 1930s.

Since James Reavis, "the Baron of Arizona", was convicted of fraud when the Peralta family ancestry and other land-grant documents (and a barony associated with that land) were found to be forgeries, this also raises questions about the original Land purchase by George M. Willing Jr. on: the transaction reportedly took place in a campground southeast of Prescott without the use of typical documentation; instead of a notarial deed, the transfer was recorded on dirty storage paper with the signature of several witnesses. Willing died in 1874 before there was a thorough examination of the documents or an opportunity to interrogate him, as was later the case with Reavis.

Historical background about Dr. Thorne

Another detail that casts doubt on the story is the fact that, according to Blair, there was never a Dr. Thorne in service with the army or even with the federal government. According to Blair, the origin of this story can be traced back to a doctor named Thorne who had a private practice in New Mexico in the 1860s. Thorne claimed that he was captured by the Navajos in 1854 and that he discovered a rich gold vein during his captivity. Thorne informed three soldiers of this around 1858. The soldiers went in search of the gold, but were unsuccessful. Over time, this story is said to have been included in the legend of the Lost Dutchman.

The Lost Dutchman story

This story is about two German men, Jacob Waltz and Jacob Weiser . However, Blair argued that there was a likelihood that there was never a second man named Weiser, but that Waltz was turned into two men over the years as the legend of the Dutchman's mine developed. Blair claimed that this story could be broken down into two versions, in which the Germans either behave violently or peacefully. In most versions of the story, Jacob Waltz discovered a rich gold mine in the Superstition Mountains (in many versions of the story they rescue or help a member of the Peralta family and are rewarded by explaining the location of the mine). Weiser is attacked and wounded by predatory Apaches, but at least survives long enough to kill a man named Dr. Telling Walker about the mine. It is said about Waltz that he too makes a confession to Julia Thomas on his deathbed and draws or describes a rough map of the gold mine.

John D. Wilburn wrote in his book "Dutchman's Lost Ledge of Gold" from 1990 that the Bulldog Gold Mine near Goldfield in Arizona fits very well with the description Jacob Waltz gave as the location of his "lost mine". Additionally, Wilburn stated that geology suggests that there is no gold in the Superstition Mountains, which are of volcanic origin.

Story of the soldiers' gold

In another version of the legend, two or more US Army soldiers are believed to have discovered a vein of almost pure gold in or near the Superstition Mountains. They were killed or disappeared shortly afterwards.

This description is usually dated to around 1870. According to Blair, the story may have its roots in the efforts of three U.S. soldiers to find gold in part of New Mexico based on a supposedly true story given to them by Dr. Thorne from New Mexico (see above).

The historical Jacob Waltz

Jacob Waltz's grave, Pioneer and Military Cemetery west of Downtown Phoenix

Blair cited evidence for the historical Jacob Waltz, suggesting that additional evidence supports the core elements of the story - that Waltz claimed to have discovered (or at least heard of) a rich gold vein or cache. But Blair suggested that this main story was skewed in later retellings by expanding the story more and more through oral transmission.

There was actually a Jacob Waltz who emigrated from Germany to the USA. The earliest documentation about him in the United States is an affidavit from 1848 in which Waltz declared himself "about 38 years old". A man named Jacob Walz was born in Württemberg in September 1810 . Blair suggested that Walz could be the same Waltz who was later considered the legendary "Dutchman" and that he Americanized the spelling of his family name. Jacob Waltz's tombstone near Phoenix states that his birth date was 1808.

Waltz moved to Arizona in the 1860s and stayed there for most of his life. He pursued mining and the search for raw material deposits , but seems to have had little luck with either. An alternate view, which better fits the legend of the lost mine, is that it appeared periodically with large amounts of gold, such as a Jacob Waltz reportedly selling $ 250,000 in gold to the US Mint in the 1880s and around his death in 1891 Had $ 1500. In 1870 Waltz had a homestead of about 160 acres (0.65 km²) near Phoenix, where he ran a farm .

There was a flood disaster in Phoenix in 1891, and Waltz's yard was one of many that was destroyed. The Waltz then fell ill (there were rumors that he had contracted pneumonia during the flood). He died on October 25, 1891 after being cared for by an acquaintance named Julia Thomas . Waltz was buried in Phoenix in what is now the Pioneer and Military Memorial Park .

Blair had little doubt that Waltz gave Julia Thomas the location of an alleged gold mine. As early as September 1, 1892, the Arizona Enterprise reported on the efforts of Thomas and several others to find the lost mine, the location of which was communicated by Waltz. After the search was unsuccessful, Thomas and her partners were reported to have been selling cards with the alleged location of the mine for $ 7 each.

Adolph Ruth's search for the mine

Without the death of the amateur researcher and treasure hunter Adolph Ruth , the Lost Dutchman's Mine would probably be just one of hundreds of alleged "lost mines" that are said to be in the American West. Ruth disappeared while searching for the mine in the summer of 1931. His skull - with two holes identified as bullet holes - was recovered about six months after his disappearance, which was covered on the national news, sparking widespread interest in the mine Lost Dutchman woke up.

In a narrative that echoes some of the earlier stories, Ruth's son Erwin C. Ruth is said to have learned about the Peralta mine from a man named Pedro Gonzales (or Gonzalez ). Accordingly, Erwin C. Ruth provided Gonzales legal counsel around 1912 and saved him from almost certain imprisonment. In gratitude, Gonzales told Erwin about the Peralta mine in the Superstition Mountains and gave him some old maps of the site (Gonzales claimed to be descended from the Peralta family on his mother's side). Erwin passed the information on to his father Adolph, who had a longstanding interest in lost mines and the amateur search.

In June 1931, Ruth set out to find the lost Peralta mine. After traveling to the region, Ruth stayed at the Tex Barkely ranch for several days to organize his expedition. Barkely repeatedly urged Ruth to give up his search for the mine, because the Superstition Mountains were treacherous even for seasoned outdoor athletes, let alone 66-year-old Ruth in the heat of an Arizona summer.

However, Ruth ignored Barkely's advice and set off for a two-week stay in the mountains. He didn't come back as planned and after a brief search no trace of him could be found. In December 1931, The Arizona Republic reported the recent discovery of a human skull in the Superstition Mountains. To determine whether it was Ruth's skull, it was examined by the respected anthropologist Aleš Hrdlička , who was given several photos of Ruth along with Ruth's dental records. He identified the skull as that of Adolph Ruth. After examining the two holes in the skull, he explained that it appeared that a shotgun or high-powered rifle had been shot in the head from very close range, creating the small hole when the bullet entered and the large hole when the bullet exited be.

In January 1932, human remains were discovered about 1.2 kilometers from where the skull was found. Although the remains had been scattered by scavengers, they were undoubtedly Adolph Ruth's. Many of Ruth's personal effects were found on the spot, including a pistol (no ammo was missing) and the metal pegs used to repair his broken bones after a fall. However, the map to the Peralta mine was allegedly not available.

Ruth's checkbook was also recovered, it contained a note written by Ruth claiming to have discovered the mine and giving detailed descriptions. Ruth finished his note with the sentence " Veni, vidi, vici ."

The Arizona authorities have not opened a criminal investigation into Ruth's death. They argued that Ruth likely succumbed to thirst or heart disease. Blair noted that the Arizona authorities' conclusion was rejected by many, including Ruth's family.

Blair wrote that the story had been picked up and displaced excessively, possibly viewing the mysterious story as a welcome relief from the bad news that otherwise typified the Great Depression .

Further search for the mine

Throughout the 20th century, various expeditions and individuals continued to search the Superstition Mountains for the Lost Dutchman Mine. One of the most professional and earnest efforts was led by Oklahoma City private investigator Glen Magill , who organized several expeditions in the late 1960s and early 1970s and on at least two occasions claimed to have identified the mine location only to later admit that it was either was wrong or the places were no longer offering gold.

In the mid-1940s, the headless remains of gold prospector James A. Cravey were reportedly discovered in the Superstition Mountains. He allegedly disappeared after setting out to find the Lost Dutchman's mine.

Lost Dutchman State Park

In 1977, 118 acres were created on the edge of the Tonto National Forest as the Lost Dutchman State Park . The park was expanded to 130 hectares in 1983. It is located about 40 miles east of Phoenix and is accessible from US Highway 60 . Hiking and camping are popular activities. There are several hiking trails such as the Discovery Trail, which illustrates the natural history of the area.

supporting documents

Individual evidence
  1. ^ Robert Blair: Tales of the Superstitions: The Origins of the Lost Dutchman's Legend. Ed .: Arizona Historical Foundation. Tempe, Arizona 1975, p. 12 . }
  2. ↑ a b c Byrd Howell Granger: A Motif Index For Lost Mines and Treasures Applied to Redaction of Arizona Legends, and to Lost Mine and Treasure Legends Exterior to Arizona . Tucson, Arizona 1977, ISBN 0-8165-0646-9 , pp. 99 .
  3. ↑ Tom Kollenborn: Robert K. Corbin's Legacy . Kollenborn Chronicles. August 3, 2009. Retrieved September 3, 2009.
  4. ^ Robert Blair: Tales of the Superstitions: The Origins of the Lost Dutchman's Legend. Ed .: Arizona Historical Foundation. Tempe, Arizona 1975, p. 21 .
  5. ^ Robert Blair: Tales of the Superstitions: The Origins of the Lost Dutchman's Legend. Ed .: Arizona Historical Foundation. Tempe, Arizona 1975, p. 22 .
  6. ^ Robert Blair: Tales of the Superstitions: The Origins of the Lost Dutchman's Legend. Ed .: Arizona Historical Foundation. Tempe, Arizona 1975, p. 87 .
  7. ^ Robert Blair: Tales of the Superstitions: The Origins of the Lost Dutchman's Legend. Ed .: Arizona Historical Foundation. Tempe, Arizona 1975, p. 98 .
  8. ^ A b Robert Blair: Tales of the Superstitions: The Origins of the Lost Dutchman's Legend. Ed .: Arizona Historical Foundation. Tempe, Arizona 1975, p. 108 .
  9. ^ Robert Blair: Tales of the Superstitions: The Origins of the Lost Dutchman's Legend. Ed .: Arizona Historical Foundation. Tempe, Arizona 1975, p. 110 .
  10. ^ Robert Blair: Tales of the Superstitions: The Origins of the Lost Dutchman's Legend. Ed .: Arizona Historical Foundation. Tempe, Arizona 1975, p. 132 .
  11. ^ A b Robert Blair: Tales of the Superstitions: The Origins of the Lost Dutchman's Legend. Ed .: Arizona Historical Foundation. Tempe, Arizona 1975, p. 133 .
  12. ^ Robert Blair: Tales of the Superstitions: The Origins of the Lost Dutchman's Legend. Ed .: Arizona Historical Foundation. Tempe, Arizona 1975, p. 11 .
  13. ^ Robert Blair: Tales of the Superstitions: The Origins of the Lost Dutchman's Legend. Ed .: Arizona Historical Foundation. Tempe, Arizona 1975, p. 75 .
  14. ^ Robert Blair: Tales of the Superstitions: The Origins of the Lost Dutchman's Legend. Ed .: Arizona Historical Foundation. Tempe, Arizona 1975, p. 25 .
  15. ^ Robert Blair: Tales of the Superstitions: The Origins of the Lost Dutchman's Legend. Ed .: Arizona Historical Foundation. Tempe, Arizona 1975, p. 29 .
  16. ^ Robert Blair: Tales of the Superstitions: The Origins of the Lost Dutchman's Legend. Ed .: Arizona Historical Foundation. Tempe, Arizona 1975, p. 59 .
  17. ^ Robert Blair: Tales of the Superstitions: The Origins of the Lost Dutchman's Legend. Ed .: Arizona Historical Foundation. Tempe, Arizona 1975, p. 73 .
  18. ↑ The St. Johns herald. (St. Johns, Apache County, Arizona Territory [Ariz. ) 1885-1903, September 8, 1892, Image 2] . September 8, 1892.
  19. ^ Robert Blair: Tales of the Superstitions: The Origins of the Lost Dutchman's Legend. Ed .: Arizona Historical Foundation. Tempe, Arizona 1975, p. 74 .
  20. ^ Curt Gentry: The Killer Mountains: A Search for the Legendary Lost Dutchman Mine. Ed .: New American Library. New York City 1968, ISBN 0-233-96169-0 .
  21. ^ Curt Gentry: The Killer Mountains: A Search for the Legendary Lost Dutchman Mine. Ed .: New American Library. New York City 1968, ISBN 0-233-96169-0 , pp. 101 .
  22. ^ Curt Gentry: The Killer Mountains: A Search for the Legendary Lost Dutchman Mine. Ed .: New American Library. New York City 1968, ISBN 0-233-96169-0 , pp. 102 .
  23. ^ Curt Gentry: The Killer Mountains: A Search for the Legendary Lost Dutchman Mine. Ed .: New American Library. New York City 1968, ISBN 0-233-96169-0 , pp. 102-103 .
  24. ^ Robert Blair: Tales of the Superstitions: The Origins of the Lost Dutchman's Legend. Ed .: Arizona Historical Foundation. Tempe, Arizona 1975, p. 97 .
  25. ^ Robert Blair: Tales of the Superstitions: The Origins of the Lost Dutchman's Legend. Ed .: Arizona Historical Foundation. Tempe, Arizona 1975, p. 96 .
  26. ↑ The Killer Mountains . In: www.goodreads.com .
  27. ↑ Tom Kollenborn: One Man's Dream: Air Rescue . Archived from the original on December 7, 2012. Retrieved February 28, 2013.
  28. ^ Park History. In: azstateparks.com. Arizona State Parks, accessed August 4, 2019 .
literature
  • Robert Blair: Tales of the Superstitions: The Origins of the Lost Dutchman's Legend. Ed .: Arizona Historical Foundation. Tempe, Arizona 1975.
  • Curt Gentry: The Killer Mountains: A Search for the Legendary Lost Dutchman Mine. Ed .: New American Library. New York City 1968, ISBN 0-233-96169-0 .

Web links