There May Be a Long-Lost Gold Mine in the Arizona Mountains By: Mae Rice For more than a century, adventurous souls have sought the Lost Dutchman Mine, and since 1891, more than a hundred people have claimed to find it. For the last 150 years, people have risked their lives to go in search of Arizonas lost gold, silver and other buried treasures. 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). Click here to read the original article. Learn how your comment data is processed. Waltz fell ill and died in 1891, but not before revealing the location of an alleged gold mine to Julia Thomas, the neighbour who cared for him. As early as Sept 1, 1892, a local newspaper relates . Flannigan made several unsuccessful attempts to return to the find, but he dreaded the desert and never went very far from the river. The Cerro Colorado Mine, which sits a little less than 20 miles from the Arizona-Mexico border, produced mostly silver but also small amounts of gold, lead, and copper. In 1916, two miners found an old Spanish saddle bag filled with $16,000 worth of smelted gold near the site of the Peralta Massacre. Come and visit Goldfield Ghost Town today! Pegleg's questionable character and his reputation for drinking and lying add to the controversy surrounding the legend of his lost mine. During the 1830s and 1840s, Pegleg settled down and started a trading post along the Oregon Trail in Idaho, specializing in the sale of horses. Some favorites include: Doc Thornes Lost Gold Mine: Next to the Lost Dutchmans Gold, the most talked about and searched for treasure in Arizona over the last century remains Doc Thornes gold. Robsons Mining World, Wickenburg: Pan for gold with guided instruction and view the worlds largest collection of antique mining equipment.. "The Arizona Expeditions: Third Arizona Expedition" +/-Manuscripts "Chlorutahlite Mining in Utah"; "Gold and Silver Tales" "The Daughter of Julius Caesar" "A Lost Gold Mine of the Mojave Desert" "The Miracle Nugget of Mariposa" "Chapultepec Canyon and the Gold Cache in Cedar Valley" "The Very Peculiar Record of Mary L. Black" That is, until Miguel Peraltas family stumbles upon the site and start mining the gold. The quartz veins of the mine produced 366,000 ounces of gold over the next century. Since there is more than one version of the story, there are many contradicting facts. Six Planets are Retrograde, What Does that Mean for You? Eleanor Mell, Creative, Top 10 Sites to Find a Property Caretaking Job, Hidden Melbourne: An Insiders Guide to the Citys Best-Loved Local Spots, How Finding a Dream Job in Bonaire, Dutch Caribbean Turned Us Into Digital Nomads, ModernDayNomads.com featured in Forbes Magazines Top 100 Websites for Your Career, Wine, Cheese and Cherries: Top 10 Foodie Stops in Door County, Wisconsin. Waltz fell ill and died in 1891, but not before revealing the location of an alleged gold mine to Julia Thomas, the neighbour who cared for him. Two of the most famous lost mines are the Lost Dutchman Mine of Arizona and Pegleg Smith's Mine of Southern California. Then, in 1891, he died . What i, Magic hour castle walks. Lonely humans will become infatuated with AI-fabricated personas. The secret route to the lost Dutchman goldmine in Arizona was very simple and common sense. If only it were that easy. When we arrived, the parking area held a variety of license plates, from California to Florida. 480.982.0276 Lost Mines & Buried Treasure of the Southwest by Thomas Penfield, Lost Cities & Ancient Mysteries of the Southwest by David Hatcher Childress, Lost Gold and Silver Mines of the Southwest by Eugene L. Conrotto, Lost Mines & Buried Treasures of Arizona by W.C. Jameson, Southwest Treasure Hunters Gem & Mineral Guide: Where & How to Dig, Where to Find Gold in the Desert by James Klein, 3 Thrillseekers wanted to travel to Sweden, Ecuador or Canada in July with World Nomads, Worldwide: Getty Images Awarding $10,000 Grants to 3 Instagram Photographers, New Creative Opps for Travelers in Switzerland, Montana, Michigan, California & Marfa, Texas, Hey Dutchman Hunters! Granger distinguished three main elements to the story, with the most complete version of the story incorporating all three legends. Thank you! Here's the thing about the House on the Rock it's certainly a sight to behold, but it's no museum. When he reached the top of the butte, he discovered free particles of gold scattered about. Lynx Lake Mineral Withdrawal Area & Gold Panning Trail, Prescott. He gathered the black pebbles thinking they were copper and carried them to Los Angeles where he later discovered they were gold. Tour the historic Mammoth Gold Mine and visit the Goldfield Museum. Pegleg, also known as Thomas Smith, lost his leg to an arrow during a trapping expedition in the fall of 1827. Water was found just in time to save their lives, for Wormley already had become delirious. Scientists in China Discover Rare Moon Crystal that Could Power Earth, When Well Know if NASAs Asteroid Impact Test was a Success, What Screaming Black Holes are Telling Us, The First Native American Woman Travels into Space with NASA's Crew-5 Mission. International mysteries, vintage maps, hidden treasure Explorers Justin and Emiliano are on the case. None of these maps featured any real location of the mine. They were friendly, and he gave her hints about the mine's location. Shasta, Californias Mysterious Volcano, is an Enigma Waiting to be Explored, Three New Species of Snakes Discovered in Graveyards and Churches in Ecuador. Above it were two quartz veins, one narrow and the other sixteen feet wide. The second significant gold discovery was made by Pauline Weaver (of Weavers Needle fame) in 1862 on the Colorado River at La Paz. Adams understood to have been a San Bernardino colony Mormon, in 1886 heard from a Mexican, a story of a rich gold deposit, and forming a party of 22 men, struck eastward to a point supposed to have been near Fort Apache, where the Diggings were found. The country for miles around was searched carefully to find the source of his wealth, which could not have been very far distant. 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. #s. Statue of Scotlands beloved poet, Robert Burns, Loch Ness, Nessie map and Urquhart Castle Ruins, S, Christmas lights on the historic Sanquhar Tolbooth, Flock and ruins, Sanquhar Castle, Scotland. The lost padre gold mine of Arizona. He kept the location hidden, perhaps in hopes of one day being able to take advantage of its riches when the timing was right. Below, in the sand of the wash, was almost a pavement of gold nuggets. The Apache separated into several bands, whose trails were followed by small detachments of soldiers, the most westerly by Sergeant Crossthwaite and two privates, Joe Wormley and Eugene Flannigan. Night skies are getting 9.6% brighter every year, How skills-based training can build the workforce of the future, Parents, boys also have body image issues thanks to social media. Usually, the story ran that the Indians would bring in gold and silver, but would refuse to tell the secret of their wealth. Whatever his reasoning, Waltz was never able to cash out. 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. Officials initially cited the cause of death as naturalfrom thirst or a heart conditionbut this did not explain the bullet holes and Ruths undischarged pistol found with the remains. The location is generally believed to be in the Superstition Mountains, near Apache Junction, east of Phoenix, Arizona. Updated June 25, 2020 The lapse of time had made Adams very uncertain in his location, but he remembered that it was in a deep canyon running in an easterly direction, at a point where a gold ledge was sharply defined on the sides of the gulch, and near two black buttes. As early as Sept 1, 1892, a local newspaper relates how Thomas and others were trying to locate the mine. It has been looked for in Colorado, California and in two places in Arizona the other one being near Wickenburg, 180 km north-west of the, Granger distinguished three main elements to the story, with the most complete version of the story incorporating all three legends. lost dutchman state park - arizona gold mine stock pictures, royalty-free photos & images Tourists walk along the buildings on Main Street in the old mining ghost town of Goldfield, Arizona.. the old gold mining town of bisbee, az. 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Roadrunner Prospectors Club, Phoenix. It is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. except on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year. Who doesnt love a good mystery? (Jameson, 2009). During his travels through the desert, he discovered the three buttes described in Pegleg's legend and finds gold nuggets. The area is dotted with ancient cliff dwellings and caves, many showing signs of former habitation. Asteroid Ryugu Has Dust Grains Older Than the Sun. 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. In fact, there is a man who claims to have found Pegleg's Lost Mine in 1952. Up to8,000 people each year go hunting for a legendary gold mine, guided by cryptic maps like these. After his leg was amputated, his friends fashioned him a wooden leg, thus earning him the name Pegleg. Wormley reached the river, almost demented from his sufferings, and was unable to guide a party back into the desert. In 2006, all of Arizonas gold production came as a fortuitous byproduct of copper mining. It is not certain who these people were; some believe they were Salado or Hohokam Indians who populated this part of Arizona several centuries ago. Desert Geological Terms, Home | About | Contact Us | Feedback | Privacy | Site Outline | Advertising on DesertUSA | Hotels, New Evidence About the Lost Dutchman Mine, 7 Smartphone Apps to Improve Your Camping Experience. 480.982.7661 A medical examiner ruled that Ruth died of natural causes (i.e., that broken leg, plus starvation), but some maintain that he was murdered because he knew too much about the legendary mine. The Ashleys were never able to retrace Palmers path to the ledge. 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. The individuals who truly believe in a particular legend, spend the greater portion of their lives collecting data and facts about the lost mine they so eagerly seek. Pegleg Smith was a rugged mountain man who traded furs and supplies, rustled horses and trapped beaver. The legend continues to evolve: recent additions are versions in which the gold is really a secret treasure trove of the Knights of the Golden Circle, a Confederate secret society active during the American Civil War (1861-1864). 928.443.8000 However, when asked if theyd been lucky as of late in their gold-seeking endeavors, one man was only willing to say that he finds enough to keep him interested.. He led two expeditions into the country but found no less than four such formations such as he remembered and the bonanza never was discovered. What will happen to society when AI lovers fool millions of people? The expedition never returned, and the members of the party were later found dead at the foot of the San Ysidro Mountains. The Lost Dutchman Mine is also the most sought after in American history. We must ask ourselves the toughest question of all -- "Do I believe there is still gold to be found in the desert?" In many versions of the story, Weaver's Needle is a prominent landmark for locating the lost mine. The most significant and debilitating bout occurred in 1849 after gold was discovered at Sutter's Mill the previous year. When his father later examined the specimen, he noticed the underside of the quartz was covered with fine wire gold and pinhead nuggets. 623.934.6882 Related Books & Gifts - Trading Post There is another lost mine, equally as famous as the Pegleg mine, which has crazed the minds of prospectors and treasure seekers for years. It is a fact; however, that the Cibicu Indians of the Cherry Creek Valley knew of the existence of a rich placer field. Lost Mines & Buried Treasure of the Southwest by Thomas Penfield, Adventures Unlimited Press, 2004. Prominent among the lost mines stories of Northern Arizona was that of the Adams Diggings. Most indefinite are the details, and the various locations indicated lie anywhere from the Colorado River through to Globe. Superstition Mountains. Through the years, truth and fiction about this mine have been irrevokably mixed up, producing 62 varieties of the legend. Required fields are marked *. of gold. There are three Indian legends of black-coated gold in the desert that support Pegleg's legend. Stories abound of riches buried by Spanish explorers or Native Americans, as well as tales of precious ore pulled from mines whose . It was during one of Waltzs prospecting trips that he somehow discovered the location of hidden gold in the Superstitions. The Weaver - Rich Hill district is located near the intersection of four townships, each one being one of Arizona's top gold areas. (Jameson, 2009). Hundreds of "lost mine" stories have been localized everywhere over the West. Its location is not exactly known but it is rumored to be somewhere within either the Superstition Mountains which is near the Apache Junction on the eastern side of Phoenix, Arizona. Lost Pick Mine of Old Arizona: Hidden Gold Remains Hidden By Andrea Aker December 29, 2009 8325 7 Excerpt from In Old Arizona by Marshall Trimble, the state's official historian. 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