Heres a roundup of the best mining clubs, tours, dig sites, claim staking, books and historical information to help you start your own quest for Arizona gold. Unfortunately, Ruth was dead by the time his note was found. Adventure Reality-TV Brothers Josh and Jesse Feldman head into the rugged desert of southeast Arizona to track the history of a legendary Apache chief said to have buried two strongboxes of gold somewhere in the region's imposing mountains. "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" Arizona Gold Mining Adventure, Phoenix. 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. Above it were two quartz veins, one narrow and the other sixteen feet wide. Written by James Harvey McClintock in 1913, compiled and edited by Kathy Weiser/Legends of America, updated July 2020. With new miners, new claims, new machines and new ways to pull gold out of the ground, the stakes are higher than ever. Pegleg's questionable character and his reputation for drinking and lying add to the controversy surrounding the legend of his lost mine. Asteroid Ryugu Has Dust Grains Older Than the Sun. 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. Less than a days journey from the river, the three men separated, after the horse had dropped dead. When the mines closed, the towns died, and their remains have become ghost towns and tourist attractions. The body of one "dutch hunter" (as they are known to locals) was found in the Superstition Mountains as recently as 2012. As early as Sept 1, 1892, a local newspaper relates . Pegleg Smith was a rugged mountain man who traded furs and supplies, rustled horses and trapped beaver. This evidence, along with the stories and records of gold transport issued by Waltz, confirms the legend of the Lost Dutchman. Apache Before the Storm, Edward S. Curtis, 1906. You'll receive your first newsletter soon! There have been 428,000 ounces of gold mined here, the vast majority of which comes from the Vulture Mine near Wickenburg. We must ask ourselves the toughest question of all -- "Do I believe there is still gold to be found in the desert?" This event led to the California Gold Rush, a time when gold fever plagued even the most innocent and content of men. The country for miles around was searched carefully to find the source of his wealth, which could not have been very far distant. Briefly narrated, it is this: In the summer of 1869, Abner McKeever and family were ambushed by Apache Indians on a ranch near the Big Bend of the Gila River. Related Books & Gifts - Trading Post 8230 Lost Mine Rd. The district into which the party penetrated has been thoroughly prospected during the past twenty years and contains many mines of demonstrated richness. It wasn't until after the 1849 Gold Rush that Pegleg returned to California to organize a prospecting party to search for the butte where he found the black gold nuggets. The best hidden gems and little known destinations - straight to your inbox. Click here to read the original article. 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. Find a club in your city: Goldminers HQ, Desert Gold Diggersclubs with gold claims in Arizona, Legends of America Treasure Clubs, Gold Mining Tours & Instruction 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. (Conrotto, 1991). Where can you find these magnificent perennial plants? 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. At age 66, he went to the Superstitions alone, over the objections of his son and family. All he could be induced to do was to toss his arms and say, Plenty gold here; go hunt. Ben did hunt for years and was outfitted several times by A.H. Peeples, who believed that he finally died of thirst on the desert. The Indians would not harm him, evidently on account of his color. However, the article that appears here is far from verbatim. Word traveled fast and, after Weaver found gold, every miner who had not yet struck it rich in California headed for Arizona. Over the years, additional grants from Arizona State Parks and private developers helped build three trailheads, two parking lots . During his travels through the desert, he discovered the three buttes described in Pegleg's legend and finds gold nuggets. He later earned a teaching certificate, served asTheodore Roosevelts right-hand-man in the Rough Riders, and become an Arizona State Representative. Why 2023s Venus-Jupiter conjunction wont be bettered until 2039. Each step into the desert may bring you a little closer to a fortune. The mines involved usually contain a high-value commodity such as gold, silver or diamonds. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); DesertUSA Newsletter -- We send articles on hiking, camping and places to explore, as well as animals, wildflower reports, plant information and much more. By the 1860's large discoveries of gold were occurring in the Bradshaw Mountains, especially along the Hassayampa . Pegleg's Lost Mine - video Riding on Gold - Pegleg Smith Maricopa County is also popular for prospecting because much of the gold here is found in sizable pieces that can be found with metal detectors . 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. The largest exploring and prospecting expedition Arizona ever has known since the days of Coronado originated on the tale of a prospector named Miner. By 1869, water was once again flowing from the ancient Hohokam canals for the first time in 400 years into the fertile land of what would later become known as Phoenix. Finder of this note please give to Howard Peterson. Later, after the Indian died in a fight, $4,000 worth of gold was found in his bunk. 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. While on the butte, she saw a railroad construction camp where she was given water, food and time to rest. To keep up with the pace of change, organizations that havent already can benefit greatly from exploring skills-based training. In one story, a miner is crossing the desert between Yuma and Warner's Ranch, when he climbs up one of three buttes to get a better sense of his location. Skeleton Canyon Treasure: During the late 1800s, a gang of bandits conducted a raid on the city of Monterrey in the Mexican state of Nuevo Leon. Since its early Gold Rush days, Arizona has produced in excess of 498 tons or 16 million troy ounces (ozt.) Peck, discoverer of the famous Peck Mine at Alexandria. For almost 120 years now, theyve been looking for it. The lure, he said, continues to draw treasure hunters from all over the world to the Superstitions. According to legend, this was when he spotted the large quartz outcropping, which later became the Vulture Mine. But the mine remains shrouded in mystery, so much so that it might not exist at all. During the robbery, they were confronted by a small contingent of Mexican soldiers and police and a battle ensued. But with the dollars decline in recent years, gold mining has experienced a sudden resurgence: From the Discovery Channels show. Efforts at tracking him failed. 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. The soldiers dug out coarse gold by the aid of their knives. As you probably guessed, they were fakes. Though the Indians pressed handfuls of the nuggets upon him, Thorne still persisted that the stuff was worthless and refused to take any, convinced that he could again find the treasure. He packed his saddlebags with approximately $7,000 worth of gold and continued on to Los Angeles. 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. Wickenburg established a farm near this settlement, now known as the town named in his honor. In 1853, Pegleg organized a second search party which had no greater success in finding the butte where he found his treasured black-coated gold nuggets. Since its early Gold Rush days, Arizona has produced in excess of 498 tons or 16 million troy ounces (ozt.) 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. To help you get started on your journey, I will share with you some of the most famous legends and tales about lost mines and how they were once discovered and then lost again. Six Planets are Retrograde, What Does that Mean for You? Southwest Treasure Hunters Gem & Mineral Guide: Where & How to Dig, Pan and Mine Your Own Gems & Minerals, GemStone Press, 2008. A man of that name was born in Wrttemberg in 1810 and emigrated to the U.S. From the 1860s onward, hehomesteaded in Arizona, pursuing mining and prospecting as a hobby a quite unsuccessful one. 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. There are three Indian legends of black-coated gold in the desert that support Pegleg's legend. But with the dollars decline in recent years, gold mining has experienced a sudden resurgence: From the Discovery Channels show, Gold Rush Alaska, where six men risked it all to strike it rich mining the Alaskan wilderness to a distinct rise in gold claims filed in Arizona. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. It was during one of Waltzs prospecting trips that he somehow discovered the location of hidden gold in the Superstitions. It is said that Pegleg got drunk while in Los Angeles, started a brawl in the local saloon and was quickly kicked out of town by the authorities. #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. But Ruth did indeed find the Lost Dutchman, according to a message in a bottle. Attempts have been made to locate it at, The Lost Dutchman Gold Mine has been situated in four quite distinct locales. Jacob Snively hit the first major gold strike around 1857 with sizeable nuggets found in the Gila River near Gila City, Arizonas first boom town. It is possible that the mountain was the Harqua Hala. Granger distinguished three main elements to the story, with the most complete version of the story incorporating all three legends. Offers gold prospecting private instruction, day trips & vacationsin the Weaver Mountains from Sept-June. Doc is just one of an endless stream of treasure hunters in search of the. Shasta, Californias Mysterious Volcano, is an Enigma Waiting to be Explored, Three New Species of Snakes Discovered in Graveyards and Churches in Ecuador. Safford commanded the recruits from Tucson and was elected commander-in-chief of the party at the camp near Grant. On his way out of California, he stole 300 to 400 horses and drove them to Taos, New Mexico where he planned to sell them. When he arrives in Los Angeles, he shows his friends the nuggets and organized an expedition to return to the desert to bring back more gold. Where to Find Gold in the Desert by James Klein, Gem Guides, 1994. American mining history in Arizona begins after the American-Mexican war in the 1840's. In the 1850's prospectors from the played-out gold fields of California began exploring more of the American West in search of gold and silver. 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