Despite his efforts, Willing was never able to recover the money he gave to Peralta. The Pennsylvania Dutch Country. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. The mine is named after German immigrant Jakob Waltz (c. 18101891), who purportedly discovered it in the 19th century and kept its location a secret. [8] The mine was quite profitable, earning about $35,000 in less than one year; Blair described this as "an unusually good return" for such a small gold mine to earn in such a relatively brief period. The Pima Indians famously feared the mountain that they knew as Ain-we-gophon (Superstition Mountain). Famed Apache warrior, 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. Arcana has had the luxury of having had the site location for over three years, and for this reason we have been able to reverse engineer, historical information and put many of the pieces together. Many people took the landmark to be the Weavers Needle but had no luck finding any gold nuggets in its vicinity. To determine if the skull was Ruth's, it was examined by Dr. Ale Hrdlika, a well-respected anthropologist who was given several photos of Ruth, along with Ruth's dental records. Up until Ruths disastrous expedition, the mines were little more than a footnote in the history of Arizona; one of a thousand so-called. Hanna-Barbara, Jean Giraud, and Don Rosa have incorporated the story in their cartoons. There have been many stories about how to find the mine, and each year people search for the mine. There have been tales of, soldiers that are said to have stumbled onto a river of almost pure gold in or near the Superstition Mountains. Excellent place to learn a lot about the local history of the Superstition Mountains. The Lost Gold Mine At Superstition Mountain. After an intensive search, Ruths skull was was found at the bottom of a remote ravine, sitting out there all alone in the unforgiving desert. In March of 2011, three filmmakers disappeared in the Superstition Mountains of Arizona while documenting their search for the Lost Dutchman mine. He's written articles for MU and Daily Grail and has been a guest on Coast to Coast AM and Binnal of America. Yes, the deserts of Arizona carry a spooky secret. 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. You'll find us in the rugged 160,000 acre Superstition Mountain range in the Tonto National Forest in Central Arizona. They are mysterious, they are cool as ice, and for all those Dark Tourism enthusiasts, they are full of legends and weird happenings. The Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine (also known by similar names) is, according to legend, a rich gold mine hidden in the southwestern United States. A must see if you are by the Superstition Mountains. In his 1945 book about the Lost Dutchmans Mine. The Lost Dutchman State Park, which opened in 1977 and has the Peralta Trail, is also a nod at the legend. According to some storytellers, in September 1848, a band of Apaches slaughtered the entire Peralta Family, except one (someone had to live to tell the tale). Read on to find out if you should start planning your trip to a Dark Mountain. We have imaging taken, with Go-pros, Sony 7000s; Osmo stabilized film cameras and Dji Phantom and Bee-bop drones. Among the many legends to have emerged from the area, one of the most enduring ones is that of The LostDutchmansGold Mine. "Dutchman's Gold" was a chart hit in 1960 for, "When the Man Comes, Follow Him" episode of the, "The Peralta Map" episode of the CBS Radio series, The Lost Dutchman Mine ride was a popular attraction at, The Lost Dutchman's Mine features prominently in the, The Lost Dutchmans Mine is the subject of Season 6, Episode 10 of podcast Unexplained. Later on came a long list of early and newly appointed Dons of Spain who also made forays into the Prima Alta looking for riches. Supposedly one of their 18 mines was very rich and they considered it their alfa mine. These are rectangular, cross-shaped, and heart-shaped stones with etchings of a horse, a priest, a dagger, a trail, topographic features, and Spanish inscriptions. This is considered to be the starting and gathering point for most Dutch Hunters. Due to the out-of-control fire, the Arizona authorities were forced to close the State Route 88, and, along with it, public access to the Canyon, Apache Lake, Apache Campground, picnic sites, and trailheads. All rights reserved. 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. Somewhere deep within Arizonas Superstition Mountains lies the most famous lost gold mine in the worldthe Lost Dutchman Mine. [32] Waltz forms an expedition party; two Peralta descendants, an archaeologist, and Jacob Weiser. While this theory did not ignore the two holes in the skull, it did fail to explain how Ruth had managed to remove and bury the empty shell, then reload his gun, after shooting himself through the head". Our focus is on providing visitors with an experience of the Old West. 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. This is their turf and only the highly experienced and prepared should venture forward. Want to reenact that James Franco film with the rusted and dull pocket knife? The haunted state? Barkely urged Ruth to abandon his search for the mine: The headless remains of prospector James A. Cravey were discovered in the mid-1940s. In most variants of the story, the family of a man called Miguel Peralta discovered the mine and began mining the gold there, only to be attacked or massacred by Apaches in about 1850 in the supposed Peralta massacre. There are a few walking trails that are great for beginners and still enjoyable for more experienced walkers as well. The Village exhibit includes two brush structures, some call Wickiups (the Apache people call them Gowah --our home); a cooking area and hide drying rack. [12] Thorne related his claims to three U.S. soldiers in about 1858. FREE with paid Adult The photographic evidence taken at the site along with a selection of maps combined with historical documentation together, links the most generally accepted and related informational evidence too present day boots on the ground reality. Jacob Waltz, the Dutchman, a mischievous canard if ever there was one, becomes obsessed with the mine. Blair contended that this story can be divided into "hawk" and "dove" versions, depending on whether the German(s) are said to behave violently or peacefully. The men must deal with a lack of water and the fact that the map leads him into lands held sacred by the Apaches. All Rights Reserved. My husband has been enthralled with all the wonderful tales of the mountains since his college days a long time ago. Waltz is attacked and wounded by marauding Apaches, but survives at least long enough to tell a man called Dr. Walker about the mine. [26], Blair wrote that "the national wire services picked up the story [of Ruth's death] and ran it for more than it was worth", possibly seeing the mysterious story as a welcome reprieve from the bleak news that was otherwise typical of the Great Depression. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Ruth did not return as scheduled, and no trace of him could be found after a brief search. But what they actually found has been a hidden secret that people have been trying to piece together for last 125 years. Supposedly a mine with fabulously rich gold deposits. This account is usually dated to about 1870. Both fabled and mythical, they have helped to drive the legend of the Lost Dutchman Mine. Even though some have said the stones story is much older (it is true the source information is likely much older) than the Dutchmans time and therefor there is no connection, they are going to be slapping themselves in the face trying to overcome their denial when they realize the stones leadto the same birds nest. Famed Apache warrior Geronimo was oftentimes sometimes discussed in the story; because its always good to shoehorn a celebrity into an urban legend. The mine is named after German immigrant Jacob Waltz,18101891. Trust at your own peril if you dare to tread into HISTORYs Legend of the Superstition Mountains. Starring Sage Howard, Andrew Simpson, and Shelby Stehlin. In March of 2011 three filmmakers set out to find the mine and document their entire process. In gratitude, Gonzales told Erwin about the Peralta mine in the Superstition Mountains, and gave him some antique maps of the site (Gonzales claimed to be descended from the Peralta family on his mother's side). Tack a map onto a wall, toss a dart and chances are youd hit an outskirt of nowhere with a small Fort Knox in its hills. Its now the 1870s. His body has never been found. The mysterious deaths and disappearances go on and on. And, amazingly, a few of these people were also found in the same headless state as Adolph Ruth. Superstition Mountain Museum is located in an area full of legend, history and intrigue. Reports of inexplicable sounds, sightings, and events have led to claims of supernatural beings and even aliens. One of these was a veterinarian and treasure hunter named Adolf Ruth, who in 1931 made his way to these wind-swept wilds, armed with what he at the time claimed to be the actual original map to it. At the time he had ventured out into the Tonto National Forest in search of the legendary treasure, having looked for it on several occasions in the past and accumulating hundreds of books and hundreds of pages of research on the matter. Back in those days, the American term for German was Deutsh one misspelling here, an illiterate vagrant telling tall tales over there, a shoddy reporter, and Deutsh suddenly transformed into Dutch. 3: Gift Shop and Event Manager Dave McElligott DARK MOUNTAIN is the chilling reconstruction from their footage of their last days. There have been countless such deaths and disappearances in the region over the years, many of them with missing heads or gunshot wounds to the head. Many people have dismissed them as a hoax. 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. There are still those who obsessively search for it and try to decode its secrets, but no one has ever really quite managed to find it, to the point that many skeptics question whether it ever really existed at all. Capens corpse was found three years later in November 2012 by a local search and rescue organization, stuffed into a crevice.

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