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. Here's the thing about the House on the Rock it's certainly a sight to behold, but it's no museum. Boettcher Mansion, Capitol Hill, Denver - built in, Always nice to have a solid noodle place with love, Red rock vistas, 2021. The second legend concerns an Indian woman who was wandering about the desert in a state of dehydration. Get counterintuitive, surprising, and impactful stories delivered to your inbox every Thursday. The famous legend began during a trapping expedition down the Colorado River in the late 1820s or early 1830s. Offers gold prospecting private instruction, day trips & vacationsin the Weaver Mountains from Sept-June. Pegleg Smith was a rugged mountain man who traded furs and supplies, rustled horses and trapped beaver. Governor A.P.K. The third Indian legend is about a Yaqui Indian who lived and worked near Warner's Ranch. Want to read up on some other Arizona mysteries? 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 miners Dakota Fred and his son Dustin are determined to make a fortune no matter the risk. 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. Take a private tour of NYCs American Museum of Natural History from home! Thorne pretended that the sand was of little value, but furtively took all that he could. 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The records do not account for any gold that was sold locally or given to family or friends. The root of this story is the effort of three US soldiers to locate gold in New Mexico based on what Dr Thorne allegedly told them. Since its early Gold Rush days, Arizona has produced in excess of 498 tons or 16 million troy ounces (ozt.) The desire for gold can be so great that it motivates men to endure unbelievable hardships including starvation, dehydration and death. Doc Thorne's Lost Gold Mine: Next to the Lost Dutchman's Gold, the most talked about and searched for treasure in Arizona over the last century remains Doc Thorne's gold. Free, no day use fee. Digging for Gold Today As was common in the West, the first discoveries of gold were placer deposits, followed by lode deposits found near Apache Junction, Big Bug, Bullhead City, Chloride, Globe, Oatman, Pearce, Quartzsite, Salome and Tombstone, which yielded the lions share of the states early gold supply. Where to Find Gold in the Desert by James Klein, Gem Guides, 1994. Dig Here! (Jameson, 2009). Today, the consensus among geologists is that the Superstitions are unlikely to contain a secret gold mine. There are men who have claimed to have found Pegleg's lost Mine. Hundreds of "lost mine" stories have been localized everywhere over the West. Two of the most famous lost mines are the Lost Dutchman Mine of Arizona and Pegleg Smith's Mine of Southern California. Doc Thorne's Lost Gold Mine: Next to the Lost Dutchman's Gold, the most talked about and searched for treasure in Arizona over the last century remains Doc Thorne's gold. 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 Lost Spanish mines In Arizona. Since its early Gold Rush days, Arizona has produced in excess of 498 tons or 16 million troy ounces (ozt.) There are multiple versions of the Pegleg legend as well as other stories of black nuggets that seem to correlate with some of the facts stated in Pegleg lore. 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. Other members were, Bob Groom, the noted pioneer; Al Sieber, the foremost Indian campaign scout of the Southwest, Willard Rice and Dan OLeary. Doc is just one of an endless stream of treasure hunters in search of the. 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. Many legends of lost treasure from Arizonas early Gold Rush days still remain to this day. On one occasion, Alchisay, a Chiricahua Apache scout, is known to have pawned a nugget worth $500 for $10 worth of supplies, and later to have redeemed the gold, of which he seemed to know the full value. But the mine remains shrouded in mystery, so much so that it might not exist at all. The second significant gold discovery was made by Pauline Weaver (of Weavers Needle fame) in 1862 on the Colorado River at La Paz. It's near a 1,000-foot-tall rock tower! His partner had been killed, and he had escaped only by a miracle. As you probably guessed, they were fakes. Further west, around Tysons Wells, also has been found placer gold, though none of these discoveries seem to exactly fit the special conditions of the Lost Soldier mine. It is a fact; however, that the Cibicu Indians of the Cherry Creek Valley knew of the existence of a rich placer field. Not only is it 600 miles of mountains, lakes and rivers, but leaving late in the season means the winter may derail their plans. As he was nearing death in 1891, Waltz was being cared for by Julia Thomas, an acquaintance with whom he shared the golds location. Wild beaches, snow-capped mountains, dense woods, and lush rainforests can be found across America. The best times to visit this trail are September through May. Apache Trail Tours, Apache Junction: Two-hour jeep tour to the foothills of the Superstition Mountains with guided instruction on gold panning and how to tell the difference between real and fools gold. Panning equipment provided. He was believed to be part of Pauline Weavers original exploration party that traveled along the Hassayampa River. Pegleg, also known as Thomas Smith, lost his leg to an arrow during a trapping expedition in the fall of 1827. 480.982.0276 During the robbery, they were confronted by a small contingent of Mexican soldiers and police and a battle ensued. The Lost Dutchman State Park, which opened in 1977 and has the Peralta Trail, is also a nod at the legend. Your email address will not be published. Thorne is later unable or unwilling to reveal the location of the mine. The country has been thoroughly prospected since that time and mines of importance have been worked in that vicinity, but the nearest approach to the discovery of the old-time bonanza has been in the finding of placer gold in several of the gulches. One of the most popular Arizona legends also happens to be one of the most deadly: the Lost Dutchmans gold mine. This is a popular trail for hiking and mountain biking, but you can still enjoy some solitude during quieter times of day. Waltz and his partner, Jacob Weiser, worked the mine and allegedly hid one or more caches of gold in the Superstitions. Goldfield Ghost Town, Goldfield: Stop in at the Prospectors Palace to learn the art of panning from a gold historian. 928.443.8000 Ben took a nugget from the prospectors stock that was about the size of a man s thumb and showed it to a chief who was especially friendly with him. 602.274.2521 Several trails through the Superstition wilderness reference the mythical mine: there's Treasure Loop trail, Peralta Trail, and Dutchman's trail. Why 2023s Venus-Jupiter conjunction wont be bettered until 2039. Henry Wickenburg came to Arizona in 1862. Then, in 1891, he died . 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Of course, most of these tales were merely inventions or distorted dreams. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 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. International mysteries, vintage maps, hidden treasure Explorers Justin and Emiliano are on the case. All human development, from large cities to small towns, shines light into the night sky. 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. Efforts at tracking him failed. 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. Often, there is a map (sometimes called a "waybill") purportedly showing the location of the mine. When Waltz died, the 29-year-old Thomas sold her bakery, got a group together, and went searching for the mine. In addition to the bank, the bandits looted the citys cathedral. The Vulture Mining Company was born. Lonely humans will become infatuated with AI-fabricated personas. Maricopa County. There have been 428,000 ounces of gold mined here, the vast majority of which comes from the Vulture Mine near Wickenburg. Scott Taylor/Flickr Golden Circle, a Confederate secret society active during the American Civil War (1861-1864). {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. from the Netherlands) because he was, The Lost Dutchman Mine is also the most sought after in American history. The Lost Gold of the Tumacacori Judge Barnes and the Mysterious Spanish Priest By Gregory McNamee From the time Europeans first arrived in what is now Arizona, the region's lore has been full of tales of lost gold mines and forgotten treasures, of "Apache gold and Yaqui silver," in folklorist J. Frank Dobie's words. But theres enough to it to encourage people to go after that gold. the historic main street. Experience this 4.0-mile loop trail near Gold Canyon, Arizona. After one hundred and twenty- five plus years incredibly, the Lost Dutchman Gold Mine has been found, proving that the legend is more than mere myth and as predicted by Jacob Waltz himself "No miner will ever find my mine". Then, to recoup the cost of the failed expedition, Thomas started selling maps that she claimed would lead people to the mine. So far. 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. Arizona Mineral Rights & Mining Claims In the morning they found the spring fairly paved with gold nuggets. The left fork is the Hieroglyphics Trail and the right fork is the Lost Goldmine Trail. 8230 Lost Mine Rd. 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. Copyright 2007-2023 & BIG THINK, BIG THINK PLUS, SMARTER FASTER trademarks owned by Freethink Media, Inc. All rights reserved. His quest was to find gold. The miner confided his discovery to Dr. DeCourcy, and they made plans to search for the buttes as soon as he was well enough to travel. A cryptic map of the gold mine, or just a fake? He claimed that he was the only survivor of a party that had found wonderful placer diggings somewhere near a hat-shaped hill over beyond the Tonto. Weiser was killed by Apaches or, according to some, by Waltz himself. Basin. But to find the big gold payout, theyll put their lives on the line by diving deep beneath the raging waters of one of Alaskas wildest creeks. Most popular of lost mine stories in pioneer days was that of the Ni**er Ben. In 1891, a miner named A.H. Peeples, who had been prospecting with the Weaver Party, told an editor what he knew of the legend. Hundreds of lost mine stories have been localized everywhere over the West. And not just crackpots: former attorney general of Arizona Bob Corbin was one of the many mine-seekers. Later, Pimas and "Apaches" (some of whom may have been Yavapais) occupied parts of the region. Redwoods provide habitats for many forest creatures and pull more carbon out of the air than any other tree species. Vekols Buried Silver Ingots: Just a few miles north of the old ghost town of Vekol, near Casa Grande in Pinal County, lies a legendary cache of 300 silver ingots, each weighing 25 pounds. 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. 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. Many were willing to tell me where I could buy my own panning tools and I also learned that gold is easiest to find after a hard rain. 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