Gone. His skull with two bullet holes was recovered about six months after he disappeared. SUPERSTITION MOUNTAINS GHOST, LOST MINES, MURDER AND MAYHEM, Geronimo was oftentimes sometimes discussed in the story. The family is later attacked and butchered in the so-called, Jacob, meanwhile, the lone survivor, is near catatonic. Phoenix Ghosts - Superstition Mountains: Ghosts & More 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. For the first time ever, Arcana Exploration has undeniable physical proof that the mine exists, proof that is to say, photographic physical documentation that many of the generally excepted clues, are in fact real and do exist and are physically present in one location. Front View of the Peralta Stones. Who killed him and then separated his head from his body remains unknown. His campsite and vehicle were recovered shortly afterward. (Chris J / Flickr). Reports of inexplicable sounds, sightings, and events have led to claims of supernatural beings and even aliens. Get-rich-quick schemes are as American as the Fourth of July. They were supposedly dug up in the desert, in area east of Gold canyon and Tucson in the late 1940s byTravis E Tomlinson. What is the Story Behind the Superstition Mountains - YouTube Barkely urged Ruth to abandon his search for the mine: the area and the mines cursed and full of devils.. [21], Were it not for the death of amateur explorer and treasure hunter Adolph Ruth, the story of the Lost Dutchman's mine would probably have been little more than a footnote in Arizona history as one of hundreds of "lost mines" rumored to be in the American West. A group of modern day treasure hunters search for the Lost Dutchman mine in the Superstition mountain range of Arizona. Arizona. Several trails lead from the park into the Superstition Mountain Wilderness and surrounding Tonto National Forest. Some places have long been thought to be simply no good. But what they actually found has been a hidden secret that people have been trying to piece together for last 125 years. Tales of these other Lost Dutchman's mines can be traced to at least the 1870s. In-Season 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 . A doctor from Illinois, Doctor Abraham Thorne, provided his service to treat the indigenous people of the Southwest. [12] Thorne related his claims to three U.S. soldiers in about 1858. 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. That was circa 1850. Months pass, years some say, until one day Jacob comes back battered and bloody atop a lame mule. 2: Cashiers for questions about whats happening at the museum and local area Since James Reavis, "the Baron of Arizona", was convicted of fraud when the Peralta family genealogy and other documents to support the land grant (and a barony associated with that land) were determined to be forgeries it also raises questions about the original purchase of the land grant by Dr. George M. Willing Jr. (the transaction had supposedly occurred at a primitive campsite to the southeast of Prescott without the benefit of the typical documentation; instead of a notarized deed, the conveyance was recorded on a piece of greasy camp paper bearing signature of several witnesses). After traveling to the region, Ruth stayed several days at the ranch of Tex Barkely to outfit his expedition. In January 2011, three sets of remains assumed to be those of the lost men were retrieved. Then the Apaches killed Jacob Weiser,or according to some, Waltz himself did it. We are currently in the process of planning for a return trip to further document our findings. The short "Discovery Trail" is a clear route with several placards giving the natural history of the area. [29][clarification needed]. Near Apache Junction, Arizona there is a place called the Supersition Mountains where legends and superstitions come alive to tell their ghostly tales. Want to climb a perilous cliff? Ruths response? , Barry Storm declared to have nearly escaped from a mysterious sniper he later called Mr. Ahh, heres the chronological faux-pass. For a small fee you can see items owned by locals and learn all about the local history. It is believed that all were killed except for two Peralta family members who were severely wounded but managed to escape. If you need rescued, they will land two miles away and hike in to get you. The Dutchman " was a German immigrant named Jacob Waltz. We will share as much as we can for now, but as I stated earlier we are preparing for a return trip, and the location has to remain secret. 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. Ive driven by this place countless times without ever checking it out. Other storytellers claim that the Peralta Family escaped with gold, but another family died in the massacre. The mans campsite would be found to hold many books on the lost mine, and this would join a further three more mysterious deaths in 2010 and 2011 in the same area, all of whom had been seeking the legendary Dutchmans Mine. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. [32] Much of the truth has laid obscured in old Spanish, Jesuit and Catholic Church documentation, including maps, expedition journals, and diaries and in many cases with those buried in long ago lost and forgotten graves. Seniors $6.00 (65 and older) Nobody has been able to interpret them correctly. The Lost Gold Mine At Superstition Mountain. 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). Here is a place of sprawling rugged wilderness, encompassing the Superstition Wilderness Area and drawing in hikers, rock climbers, campers, and all manner of those looking to enjoy the natural splendor and outdoor activities on offer. Wednesday Sunday Over the years, subsequent search for the mines has only lead to heartache and death. At the low elevations, you will encounter tall saguaro cactusand Ponderosa pines at higher levels, and these are generally near the streams. The story differs but heres the most common take, mind you there are over 100 different versions of the Story. Devils Tower in Wyoming: A National Monument and a Geological Wonder, Ennedi Plateau and Aloba Arch: Home to Exquisite Natural Formations and Extinct Animals, Fingals Cave: The Musical Geometry of Natures Domain, The Moeraki Boulders of New Zealand: Naturally Formed Spherical Boulders from the Paleocene Era, Scaly-foot Gastropod: A Snail with an Iron Armour That Lives Near the Hydrothermal Vents, Stanford Torus & Bernal Sphere: Model Space Colonies for Mankind to Set up Base in Space, Coconut Crab: The Monstrous Predator that Might Have Killed Amelia Earhart, Mammoth Camera: When George Lawrence Built an Enormous Camera for One Particular Picture, Nixons Pyramid: The $6 Billion Safeguard Program Which Lasted One Day, Market Theater Gum Wall: The Sticky Story of a Wall Decorated in Chewing Gum, Sanaa, Yemen: The Cradle of Arabian Ancestry, A Strange Predatory Link Between Killer Whales and Moose, Balut: A Filipino Delicacy Not Many Have the Stomach to Digest, Leonardos Robot: Leonardo da Vincis Mechanical Knight and Other Robots, Mowgli was Real: Dina Sanichar, the Indian Boy Raised by Wolves, Green Boots: Dead Climbers Not Brought Back from Mount Everest Now Serve as Milestones. 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. Very similiar to big foot hunters. He would take this secret location practically to his grave, but as he lie dying from a bout of pneumonia in 1891 he allegedly told all, laying out the secret location of the lost and cursed Apache treasure, giving detailed but cryptic instructions on how to navigate the rough terrain to the entrance, as well as scrawling out a crude map to it all as he lay on his deathbed. (St. Johns, Apache County, Arizona Territory [Ariz.]) 18851903, September 8, 1892, Image 2", Dunning, B. The museum itself is clean and well organized for the small space it is currently occupying and boasts loads in local history. To begin with, there was never any real Dutchman involved with the lost gold mine. There was indeed a Jacob Waltz who emigrated to the U.S. from Germany. each. But the map to the Peralta mine was said to be missing. Hike to Praying Hands in Lost Dutchman State Park - The Outbound Most likely because Pedro de Peralta had been the Spanish Governor of New Mexico (in the 1600s) his family name of "Peralta" was the inspiration for a number of legends in the American Southwest. There are a few walking trails that are great for beginners and still enjoyable for more experienced walkers as well. The stones are named for an obscure "Peralta family", said to be an old and powerful Mexican family. X., who seemed to be guarding the area. Tries to portray danger and incidentin fact nothing going on. He had metal pins in his leg, and used a cane to help him walk. OH, I almost forgot there is no cell phone service absolutely none. Want to feel like youre in a horror movie and quite possibly high on Peyote? Legend of the Superstition Mountains: With Keenan Johnston, Mark Dodson, Frank Augustine, Wayne Tuttle. John D. Wilburn in his book Dutchman's Lost Ledge of Gold (1990), wrote that the Bulldog Gold Mine near Goldfield, Arizona, fits very well the description Jacob Waltz gave as the location of his 'lost mine'. During Kinos time other Missionaries in California and Mexico were jealous and suspicious of Kino because, while they were poor and struggled his missions were rich and flourished, they said he had a secret gold mine from which he took rich gold and funded his missions and rancheros amassing 50 thousand head of cattle making him the Southwests first mega rancher. About Lost Dutchman State Park. [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. [42] The park was expanded to 320 acres (130ha) in 1983. Superstition Mountain Lost Dutchman Museum - Find yourself in the Old West Thorne fills every pocket, flap of clothing, and fleshy orifice with the nuggets. There is a $7 day use fee to enter the park, which is waived if you're camping ($15/night).