You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. After traveling to the region, Ruth stayed several days at the ranch of Tex Barkely to outfit his expedition. Named after the fabled lost gold mine, Lost Dutchman State Park is located in the Sonoran Desert, at the base of the Superstition Mountains, only 40 miles east of Phoenix. To underline his great find, he had also written Veni, Vidi, Vici (I came, I saw, and I conquered) in his diary. [32] (St. Johns, Apache County, Arizona Territory [Ariz.]) 18851903, September 8, 1892, Image 2", Dunning, B. James Reavis tried to assert that the Peralta family had a Spanish land grant and a barony granted by the King of Spain, which included a huge swath of Arizona and New Mexico, including the Superstition Mountains. This is their turf and only the highly experienced and prepared should venture forward. We are a non-profit corporation under Section 501 (c) 3, organized to collect and preserve the history and legends of Arizonas Superstition Mountains, and to support research, education and publications involving the region. As with most of the terrain encompassing the Phoenix metropolitan area, and the Superstition Mountains, have a desert environment, with scorching summer temperatures and sparse sources of water. Mine records show that one possibly two Peralta family members with possible links connecting them to the 1848 massacre, also worked at the Vulture mine during the same time period as Waltz. People off his Mine that he cover up with a ironwood tree :The books give me my Fun, family friendly historical site with a lot to see including replicas of old buildings, plenty of hiking, a gift shop and free lectures by locals describing how life was like. Furthermore, Wilburn stated that geology indicates that there is no gold in the Superstition Mountains, which are igneous in origin. [12] Thorne related his claims to three U.S. soldiers in about 1858. We are currently in the process of planning for a return trip to further document our findings. Many believe there is a connection and that they sold their families mine to Waltz and his partner. In yet another version of the tale, two (or more) U.S. Army soldiers are said to have discovered a vein of almost pure gold in or near the Superstition Mountains. That was circa 1850. Very sweet museum with great views of the Superstition Mountains. This land grant was the basis of the James Reavis Arizona land swindle (Reavis became Willing's partner and continued to try to prove the authenticity of the land grant for years after Willing's death). Excellent place to learn a lot about the local history of the Superstition Mountains. Other storytellers claim that the Peralta Family escaped with gold, but another family died in the massacre. Please note that admission prices for Special Events are subject to change. Want to feel like youre in a horror movie and quite possibly high on Peyote? Later, he remarked that he had noticed a towering rock formation nearby, but otherwise remained clueless about the whereabouts of the place. In December, 1931, The Arizona Republic reported on the recent discovery of a human skull in the Superstition Mountains. 5: Museum Administration and Membership matters, E-MAILVolunteering questions: [emailprotected]Site rentals: [emailprotected]Membership questions: [emailprotected]Retail and event issues: [emailprotected]Accounting issues: [emailprotected]Administrative and other issues: [emailprotected]FAX(480) 288-6524. He was then led along a harsh, meandering route of an estimated 20 miles, after which they removed the blindfold and he was met with the sight of a pile of gold sparkling in the sun near an entrance into the presumed lost mine. With cursed mountains said to drive men mad and a hidden fortune of gold worth killing for, the treasure hunters greatest danger may be the man at his side. The breathable air on some surfaces actually gets even hotter; this is the biggest killer in the Superstition Mountains and dont forget the rattle snakes, scorpions, tarantula spiders, Gila monsters plus huge mountain lions and dozens of other things that will take your life. Then later the Mexicans including the powerful Peralta family made forays to the area from Sonora and are believed to have had 18 gold mines in the Supers. Its estimated worth is around 200 million dollars. He died of pneumonia in 1891 and, according to the three neighbours who cared for him, he left them the box of gold under his bed and directions to the gold mine. Also in that year was the disappearance of two young boys, Ross Bley and Charles Harshbarger, whose bodies were never found. The Lost Dutchman's Mine has gone on to become a pop cultural legend, written of in countless books and appearing on numerous TV shows. Ruth ended his note with the phrase "Veni, vidi, vici. In certain seasons, they also have gun fighters and mule/donkey rides for the kids as well. Fake AF. These steep, jagged volcanic mountains were formed over 29 million years ago and they cover an area of 160,000 acres. Most stories go like this, the family of a man called Miguel Peralta struck gold by accident they were just passing by and started drilling the mine. Eight months later their camera and cell phones were recovered along the western edge of LaBarge Canyon. It does not matter if Tomlinson engraved them or someone else did, exactly when they were made is not important, what matters is what is on them. FREE with paid Adult The Top Ten Most Haunted Places in Arizona. Named after the fabled lost gold mine, Lost Dutchman State Park is located in the Sonoran Desert, at the base of the Superstition Mountains, only 40 miles east of Phoenix. It is generally accepted that the Peraltas and roughly 400 peon miners were massacred by the Apaches sometime around 1848. Our focus is on providing visitors with an experience of the Old West. July 3, 1947 James A Cravey, age 62, a retired photographer, was reported missing after he had chartered a helicopter June 19, 1947 to drop him off in the Superstition Mountains to look for the Lost Dutchmans Mine. January 1933 a Mining electrican named J.A. The earliest Lost Dutchman's mine in Arizona was said to have been near Wickenburg, about 180km (110mi) north-west of the Superstition Mountains: a "Dutchman" was allegedly discovered dead in the desert near Wickenburg in the 1870s alongside saddlebags filled with gold. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. 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. Ive driven by this place countless times without ever checking it out. On the east side of Phoenix in Arizona lies the spectacular range of the Superstition Mountains that straddle the Tonto National Forest and the Superstition Wilderness area. He's written articles for MU and Daily Grail and has been a guest on Coast to Coast AM and Binnal of America. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. Skeptoid Media, 29 Jan 2013. Two Pennsylvania Dutchmen, Jacob Waltz and Jacob Weiser, were prospecting for gold in the area, when, one night, they happened to save a mans life in a bar brawl. Im talking Smaug levels of the shiny stuff. "Dutchman" was a common American term for a German ("Dutch" being the English cognate to the German demonym "Deutsch", and not a reference to the Dutch people). In January 2011, three sets of remains assumed to be those of the lost men were retrieved. Trust at your own peril if you dare to tread into HISTORYs Legend of the Superstition Mountains. Two prospectors saved his life and, in gratitude, he gave them directions to the gold mine, thus setting off a wild goose chase that continues to the present day. Cursed, blighted, tainted, whatever you want to call it. In many areas they cannot, and will not for any reason land, and actually have designated no fly zones. Some places have long been thought to be simply no good. Monday Sunday The roofs of the cave are blackened from centuries of Native Ameri Go Wildcats! Supposedly a mine with fabulously rich gold deposits. Get-rich-quick schemes are as American as the Fourth of July. Lights, screams, and shadows of Apache armies have been reported. Originally an important feature of the Apacheland Movie Ranch, the Elvis Chapel is an amazing location to hold your special event. People from the town below certain that only death and demons travel across Superstition Mountain at night. In January 1932, human remains were discovered about three-quarters of a mile (1.21km) from where the skull had been found. A lack of historical records leaves uncertainty as to whether a Peralta family ever had possession of land, or mines, in or near the Superstition Mountains. While popular with campers, hikers, and adventure seekers, these mountains are also known for their exceedingly hot summers, freezing winters, harsh winds, unpredictable storms, treacherous terrain, and mysterious happenings. They removed his blindfold and let him take away as much as he could carry. 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.For more than a century, adventurous souls have sought the Lost Dutchman Mine, and since 1891 . There have been other mysterious and ominous disappearances as well, including an abandoned campsite found in the mountains in 1958 complete with blood-soaked blankets, but no bodies and no suspect. Some have died on the search. Many people have dismissed them as a hoax. And then I finally paid a visit this past weekend and was pleasantly surprised. Next week I will list some clues that are absolutely relevant to what we have physically on site. I feel the information on the Peralta stones is most likely from a very old map of Jesuit origin. The Native Apache people of the area had already long held this as a rather sinister scared place even before outsiders came in to settle the land. Ruth disappeared while searching for the mine in the summer of 1931. And, where praytell do most folks believe said El Dorado is safely hidden Why, in the Superstition Mountains, near Apache Junction. All rights reserved. The earliest documentation of him in the U.S. is an 1848 affidavit in which Waltz declared himself to be "about 38 years old". Dr. George M. Willing Jr. paid Peralta $20,000 for the mining rights for an enormous swath of land about 3,000,000 acres (12,000km2) in southern Arizona and New Mexico based on a deed originally granted by the Spanish Empire in the 18th century. Their bodies were never found. The stones are named for an obscure "Peralta family", said to be an old and powerful Mexican family. Tries to portray danger and incidentin fact nothing going on. It was speculated that he had fallen or even jumped, but it is still a mystery, just another casualty of the futile search for the lost treasure. Top Ten list of haunted spots in Phoenix. but their camera was. Starring Sage Howard, Andrew Simpson, and Shelby. Producers included Tamara Blaich, Jennifer Harrington, and Megan Peterson with cinematography by Pyongson Yim and editing by Jennifer Harrington. In the weeks and months to come we will use much of the historical information, and show how it ties directly to what we have found. The museum itself is clean and well organized for the small space it is currently occupying and boasts loads in local history. Then the Apaches killed Jacob Weiser,or according to some, Waltz himself did it. The praying hands formation at the Superstition Mountains range. Arcana Exploration is made up of a group of five friends and supporters, from central Ohio, who until five years ago knew very little if anything about the LDM. What is important is the informational content recorded on the stones. It started out as an exciting day for us all on February 25th, 2016. In any case, the event led to the naming of the Massacre Falls after it. By what name was Dark Mountain (2013) officially released in Canada in English? 1: Recorded description of the museum. How he knew all of this no one knows, but one rumor has it that he learned the secret location of this massive stash of gold from the sole surviving Peralta family member. According to their folklore, the mountain guards an ancient storehouse of precious metals and treasures, and anyone who ventures forth to get the treasure is likely to die. Starring Sage Howard, Andrew Simpson, and Shelby Stehlin. May through September The Superstitions Mountains lie within the Tonto National wildlife refuge and consist of 242 square miles not counting other designated and preserved areas that boarder the Tonto National Forest and wildlife refuge. Cravey said he would walk out of the mountains on June 28, 1947. Blair suggested that this Waltz could be the same Waltz who later came to be regarded as the legendary Dutchman, and that he Americanized the spelling of his family name. The curse of the treasure would continue in the 1940s, when a 62-year-old treasure hunter by the name of James A. Carvey journeyed into the Superstition Mountains and also ended up dead and with his head separated from his shoulders. But, loyal reader, you came here for the things the tourist board fails to mention. Around 1860 a German immigrant named Jacob Waltz moved into the Wickenburg Arizona area about 80 miles from Phoenix. Since Ruth's death, there have been several other deaths or disappearances in the Superstition Mountains. For the next 20 years, he falls in and out of consciousness, whenever he wakes its just garbled speak and horrific tales; hes enveloped in kaleidoscopic delirium, Over the years, subsequent search for the mines has only lead to heartache and death. TheLost Dutchmans Gold Mineis, according to folktales, a magnificent, rich, Scrooge McDuck like repository of gold hidden somewhere in southwestern United States. They were supposedly dug up in the desert, in area east of Gold canyon and Tucson in the late 1940s byTravis E Tomlinson. However, things can go wrong. The mysterious deaths and disappearances go on and on.