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60-608: Tonto National Monument is a National Monument in the Superstition Mountains , in Gila County of central Arizona . The area lies on the northeastern edge of the Sonoran Desert ecoregion, an arid habitat with annual rainfall of about 16 inches (400 mm). The Salt River runs through this area, providing a rare, year-round source of water. Well-preserved cliff dwellings were occupied by

120-536: A mother lode of gold in the Superstition Wilderness and revealed its location on his deathbed in Phoenix in 1891 to Julia Thomas, a boarding-house owner who had taken care of him for many years. Several mines have been claimed to be the actual mine that Waltz discovered, but none of those claims have been verified. Waltz was a miner at Vulture Mine , where he likely stole the gold and came up with

180-695: A Popular Mechanics article was published by Dave Howard in the Nov./Dec. issue , detailing a number of searches for the lost caches of the Beale Papers. In 2023, a Cryptographer named James Simpson decoded the Ciphers of the pamphlet published in 1885, by JB Ward, a Confederate Cartographer. The Ciphers detailed the movement of a team of 30 miners from Virginia to a location of a series of Gold Mines in Arizona's Tonto Mountains, as well as relaying information about

240-525: A chieftain) and is rewarded with a trip to a rich gold mine. He is blindfolded and taken there by a circuitous route, and is allowed to take as much gold ore as he can carry before again being escorted blindfolded from the site by the Apaches. Thorne is said to be either unwilling or unable to relocate the mine. Most likely because Pedro de Peralta had been the Spanish Governor of New Mexico (in

300-551: A crude map to the gold mine. 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'. Furthermore, Wilburn stated that geology indicates that there is no gold in the Superstition Mountains, which are igneous in origin. (However, in some versions,

360-637: A deed originally granted by the Spanish Empire in the 18th century. Trouble came after Willing learned that the deed was entirely bogus. Despite his efforts, Willing was never able to recover the money he gave to Peralta. This land grant was the basis of the James Reavis Arizona land swindle (Reavis became Willing's partner and continued to try to prove the authenticity of the land grant for years after Willing's death). Blair argued that this Peralta story (well known to Arizona residents)

420-601: A lush riparian area which supports large Arizona Walnut , Arizona Sycamore , and hackberry trees. It also serves as a home for native animals such as whitetail and mule deer, mountain lion, bobcat, three rattlesnake species and many more. The area around Tonto National Monument also includes several designated wilderness area , including Four Peaks , Superstition , and Salome Wilderness Areas. Superstition Mountains The mountains were once known in Spanish as Sierra de la Espuma ("Foam Mountain"). The range has

480-406: A maximum elevation of 6,266 ft (1,910 m) and prominence of 1,706 ft (520 m) at Mound Mountain in the far eastern section of the range. The mountains are in the federally designated Superstition Wilderness Area , and include a variety of natural features in addition to its namesake mountain. Weavers Needle , a prominent landmark and rock climbing destination set behind and to

540-465: A rich gold mine in the Superstition Mountains (in many versions of the story, they rescue or help a member of the Peralta family and are rewarded by being told the location of the mine). Waltz is attacked and wounded by marauding Apaches, but survives at least long enough to tell a man called Dr. Walker about the mine. Waltz is also said to make a deathbed confession to Julia Thomas, and draws or describes

600-567: A rich gold vein or cache. But Blair suggested that this core story was distorted in subsequent retellings, comparing the many variants of the Lost Dutchman's story to the game of Chinese whispers , where the original account is distorted in multiple retellings of the tale. There was indeed a Jacob Waltz who emigrated to the U.S. from Germany . The earliest documentation of him in the U.S. is an 1848 affidavit in which Waltz declared himself to be "about 38 years old". A man called Jacob Walz

660-494: A significantly obvious route that follows into the canyon with a left-banking turn at the split in the dry river bed, carrying on for another 1000yds. until it reaches the Arastra. With the discovery of the mines was also the discovery that older maps existed from the times of the mid-1800's, and detailed the outlines of landmarks and locations of both placer lodes as well as the relative locations of mine openings. They all feature

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720-489: A small gold mine to earn in such a relatively brief period. As of 1975, ruins of the Peralta mine were standing. However, the Peralta Mine eventually became unprofitable and after the money was gone Miguel Peralta turned to fraud . Dr. George M. Willing Jr. paid Peralta $ 20,000 for the mining rights for an enormous swath of land – about 3,000,000 acres (12,000 km ) in southern Arizona and New Mexico – based on

780-401: A very picturesque view of Weavers Needle. Miner's Needle is another prominent formation in the wilderness and a popular hiking destination. Lost Dutchman State Park , located on the west side of Superstition Mountain, includes several short hiking and mountain bike trails. Circlestone includes ancient stone monuments. As with most of the terrain surrounding the Phoenix metropolitan area,

840-523: Is a strong likelihood that there never was a second man named Weiser, but rather that a single person named Waltz was, over the years, turned into two men as the legend of the Dutchman's mine evolved. 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. In most versions of the tale, Jacob Waltz locates

900-583: The Henry Wickenburg 's Vulture mine, (which was notorious for being poorly-managed) he could indeed have been a "fence" for those who did work at the Vulture. There was a catastrophic flood in Phoenix in 1891, and Waltz's farm was one of many that was devastated. Afterwards, Waltz fell ill (he was rumored to have contracted pneumonia during the flooding). He died on October 25, 1891, after having been nursed by an acquaintance named Julia Thomas (she

960-652: The Salado culture during the 13th, 14th, and early 15th centuries. The people farmed in the Salt River Valley , and supplemented their diet by hunting and gathering native plants. The Salado were fine craftspeople, producing some of the most flamboyant polychrome pottery and intricately woven textiles to be found in the Southwest. Some of the artifacts excavated nearby are on display in the visitor center museum. The Tonto National Monument Archeological District

1020-465: The 'mine' is actually a cache put there by the Peraltas.) In yet another version of the tale, two (or more) U.S. Army soldiers are said to have discovered a vein of almost pure gold in or near the Superstition Mountains. The soldiers are alleged to have presented some of the gold, but to have been killed or to have vanished soon after. This account is usually dated to about 1870. According to Blair,

1080-534: The 1600s) his family name of "Peralta" was the inspiration for a number of legends in the American Southwest. James Reavis tried to assert that the Peralta family had a Spanish land grant and a barony granted by the King of Spain, which included a huge swath of Arizona and New Mexico, including the Superstition Mountains. The Peralta Massacre is a legend that Apaches supposedly ambushed a mining expedition

1140-454: The 1860s. Thorne claimed that he was taken captive by Navajos in 1854, and that during his captivity he had discovered a rich gold vein. Thorne related his claims to three U.S. soldiers in about 1858. The three soldiers set out to find the gold, but without success. Over the decades, this tale was gradually absorbed into the Lost Dutchman's story. This tale involves two German men, Jacob Waltz and Jacob Weiser. However, Blair argued that there

1200-535: The 1870s. The earliest Lost Dutchman's mine in Arizona was said to have been near Wickenburg , about 180 km (110 mi) north-west of the Superstition Mountains: a "Dutchman" was allegedly discovered dead in the desert near Wickenburg in the 1870s alongside saddlebags filled with gold. Blair suggested that "fragments of this legend have perhaps become attached to the mythical mine of Jacob Waltz". Granger wrote that "fact and fiction blend in

1260-405: The 66-year-old Ruth in the heat of the Arizona summer. However, Ruth ignored Barkely's advice, and set out for a two-week stint in the mountains. Ruth did not return as scheduled, and no trace of him could be found after a brief search. In December, 1931, The Arizona Republic reported on the recent discovery of a human skull in the Superstition Mountains. To determine if the skull was Ruth's, it

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1320-567: The Lost Dutchman State Park. The park was expanded to 320 acres (130 ha) in 1983. It is accessible about 40 miles (64.4 km) east of Phoenix via U.S. Highway 60 , the Superstition Freeway . Hiking and camping are popular activities. There are several paths that go through the brush and cacti. The short "Discovery Trail" is a clear route with several placards giving the natural history of the area. In 2024,

1380-657: The Lost Dutchman's mine. Former Arizona Attorney General Robert K. Corbin is among those who have looked for the mine. Robert Blair wrote "[t]here have been at least four legendary Lost Dutchman's gold mines in the American West , including the famed Superstition mine of Jacob Waltz". One Lost Dutchman's mine is said to be in Colorado , another in California; two are said to be located in Arizona. Tales of these other Lost Dutchman's mines can be traced to at least

1440-532: The North side of the trail, and appear as the last mine on the trail to the plateau, where a camp was found surrounded by a field of golden colored grass. Further exploration of the trail, known locally as the Gateway Trail, provided the discovery of another series of vertical mill sites which were buried in. Seldomly used as the waters released from the dam create an impassible obstacle, the Gateway Trail has

1500-448: The Peralta family sent into the mountains. Some carved stones in the area are referred to as " Peralta Stones " and Spanish text and crude maps on them are considered by some to be clues to the location of a Peralta family gold mine in the Superstition Mountains, although others believe the stones to be modern fakes. A lack of historical records leaves uncertainty as to whether a Peralta family ever had possession of land, or mines, in or near

1560-465: The Rio Salado near the base of the present-day Stewart Dam, it weaves through a labyrinth of trees, and in between three large mounds into the main sections of the trailhead. A series of mines were found along the trail on either side, each with a guidestone carved along the trail pointing in the direction of the mines on the walls of the canyon. The trail continues to an Arastra at about a mile into

1620-479: The Superstition Mountains are in fact volcanic. Lastly, the alleged mine directions Ruth had were from an 1895 newspaper account. Since Ruth's death, there have been several other deaths or disappearances in the Superstition Mountains. Some searchers for the mine have disappeared in likely wilderness accidents. In 1977, 292 acres (118 ha) abutting the Tonto National Forest were set aside as

1680-494: The Superstition Mountains have a desert climate, with high summer temperatures and a handful of perennial sources of water. The elevation in the more remote, eastern portion of the wilderness is higher than the western portion, which lowers temperatures slightly. The legend of the Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine centers around the Superstition Mountains. According to the legend, a German immigrant named Jacob Waltz discovered

1740-557: The Superstition Mountains. Blair insisted that the Peralta portion of the story is unreliable, writing: "The operation of a gold mine in the Superstitions by a Peralta family is a contrivance of 20th century writers". A man named Miguel Peralta and his family did operate a successful mine in the 1860s – but near Valencia, California , not in Arizona. The mine was quite profitable, earning about $ 35,000 in less than one year; Blair described this as "an unusually good return" for such

1800-414: The Superstition Mountains. Famed Apache Geronimo is sometimes mentioned in relation to this story. 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 . Years later, a man called Dr. Thorne treats an ailing or wounded Apache (often alleged to be

1860-429: The deaths of many well-known explorers, like Adolph Ruth, and Frank Fish, who were both familiar with the region and had access to the original maps that were passed along by the Spanish. This would expose the fact that the mass of mining operations of the Spanish were concentrated in that area, and with some effort, additional mines were found along the adjacent trails, leading to the speculation that they were all part of

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1920-596: The documents or opportunity to cross examine him on the stand as was later done with Reavis. Another detail which casts doubt on the story is the fact that, according to Blair, there was never any Dr. Thorne in the employ of the Army or indeed of the Federal Government in the 1860s. According to Blair, the origin of this story can be traced to a doctor named Thorne who was in private practice in New Mexico in

1980-480: The east of Superstition Mountain, is a tall eroded volcanic remnant that plays a significant role in the legend of the Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine . Numerous hiking trails cross the mountains from multiple access points, including the Peralta Trailhead, the most popular. Peralta Canyon , on the northeast side of Superstition Mountain, contains a popular trail that leads up to Fremont Saddle, which provides

2040-401: The key using a seres of 111 ascending alphabets, climbing to the number 2906 in the 112th alphabet, the substitution produced a resulting page of plaintext letters, which were found to conceal Old English Box Ciphers. The first Cipher delivered messages of their order to conceal the location of the mines while James Reavis was under investigation. With a second set of Box Ciphers interwoven into

2100-435: The late 1960s and early '70s, and claimed on at least two occasions to have identified the location of the mine, later to concede he was either mistaken or the locations were "played out," or bereft of gold. Magill's adventures were chronicled in the book The Killer Mountains , by Curt Gentry. One fact against the existence of "Lost Dutchman Mine" is that Waltz was a "placer miner"; while the gold pieces he had were in quartz,

2160-684: The location of a Sentry of the Knights of the Golden Circle, named Jacob Waltz. Mentioning his homestead along the Green River Basin, it showed details behind the directions to take through a canyon to find a "Cave of Millions", known today as the fabled Lost Dutchman Gold Mine. In the Ciphers authored by James Reavis, ringleader of the Peralta Land Grab, a dual-use system was created of the base numbers listed, and with

2220-451: The lost Pegleg mine in California. He had metal pins in his leg, and used a cane to help him walk. In June 1931, Ruth set out to locate the lost Peralta mine. After traveling to the region, Ruth stayed several days at the ranch of Tex Barkely to outfit his expedition. Barkely repeatedly urged Ruth to abandon his search for the mine, because the terrain of the Superstition Mountains was treacherous even for experienced outdoorsmen, let alone for

2280-403: The lost mine legend is that he periodically appeared with large amounts of gold, The Sterling Legend by Estee Conatser reports that a Jacob Walzer sold $ 250,000 in gold to the U.S. Mint during the 1880s and had $ 1500 when he died in 1891. In 1870, Waltz had a homestead of about 160 acres (0.65 km ) near Phoenix where he operated a farm . There is a theory that although Waltz never worked at

2340-597: The map to the Peralta mine was said to be missing. Tantalizingly, Ruth's checkbook was also recovered, and proved to contain a note written by Ruth wherein he claimed to have discovered the mine and gave detailed directions. Ruth ended his note with the phrase " Veni, vidi, vici ." Authorities in Arizona did not convene a criminal inquest regarding Ruth's death. They argued that Ruth had probably succumbed to thirst or heart disease (though, as Gentry wrote, "[o]ne official went so far as to suggest that [Adolph Ruth] might have committed suicide ... While this theory did not ignore

2400-515: The metropolitan region. Lost Dutchman%27s Gold Mine 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 . The location is generally believed to be in the Superstition Mountains , near Apache Junction , east of Phoenix , Arizona . There have been many stories about how to find the mine, and each year people search for

2460-424: The mine in the summer of 1931. His skull – with two holes in it identified as bullet holes – was recovered about six months after he vanished, and the story made national news, thus sparking widespread interest in the Lost Dutchman's mine. In a story that echoes some of the earlier tales, Ruth's son Erwin C. Ruth was said to have learned of the Peralta mine from a man called Pedro Gonzales (or Gonzalez). According to

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2520-556: The mine. Some have died on the search. The mine is named after German immigrant Jacob Waltz ( c. 1810–1891), who purportedly discovered it in the 19th century and kept its location a secret. "Dutchman" was a common American term for a German ("Dutch" being the English cognate to the German demonym "Deutsch", and not a reference to the Dutch people ). The Lost Dutchman's is perhaps

2580-708: The most famous lost mine in American history. Arizona place-name expert Byrd Granger wrote, as of 1977, the Lost Dutchman's story had been printed or cited at least six times more often than two other fairly well-known tales, the story of Captain Kidd 's lost treasure, and the story of the Lost Pegleg mine in California . People have been seeking the Lost Dutchman's mine since at least 1892, while according to one estimate, 9,000 people annually made some effort to locate

2640-455: The name of the river as the Rio Salado on them, further confirming the locations of the mines, as well as being originally used by the Spanish, dating back to an unrecorded period in the history of the Superstition Mountains. As the discovery of these specific locations found encrypted in the ciphers of the Beale Papers were confirmed, it revealed that a number of later explorations had been made there to harness their wealth, leading eventually to

2700-421: 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). Willing died in 1874 before there had been a thorough investigation of

2760-505: The page, it showed an outline of a trail with landmarks starting at the base of a dam near a shallow fenn or ford. At the bottom of the map section was the phrase - For Him That Can Find Jacob Waltz's Mines. The trail was marked with a starting point using the older Cursum Perficio map, from the era of Spanish Exploration and the excursions that they had made into the many canyons of the Tonto Mountains. Taking it's course across

2820-400: The route, and following kerns stacked along the side of the trail, climbed into the plateau along a series of steep switchbacks, where a more ornate series of carvings and pictographs would be found along the canyon walls. A final pillar on the side of the trail in the shape of a man's head and face would be used to locate the entrance to the mine. The entrance to the Lost Dutchman would sit on

2880-570: The secret mine to explain his theft. The legends and lore of the Superstition Mountains can be experienced at the Superstition Mountain Museum on the Apache Trail where artifacts of the Lost Dutchman are on display. Some Apaches believe that the hole leading down into the lower world, or hell, is located in the Superstition Mountains. Winds blowing from the hole are supposed to be the cause of severe dust storms in

2940-447: The small hole when the bullet entered and the large hole when it exited". In January 1932, human remains were discovered about three-quarters of a mile (1.21 km) from where the skull had been found. Though the remains had been scattered by scavengers, they were undoubtedly Ruth's. Many of Ruth's personal effects were found at the scene, including a pistol (not missing any shells) and the metal pins used to mend his broken bones. But

3000-619: 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 . Throughout the 20th century, various expeditions and individuals continued to search the Superstitions for the Lost Dutchman Mine. One of the most professional and serious-minded efforts was led by Oklahoma City private detective Glen Magill, who organized multiple expeditions in

3060-401: The story may have its roots in the efforts of three U.S. soldiers to locate gold in an area of New Mexico, based on an allegedly true story related to them by Dr. Thorne of New Mexico; see above. Blair cited evidence of the historical Jacob Waltz and suggested that additional evidence supports the core elements of the story – that Waltz claimed to have discovered (or at least heard the story of)

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3120-522: The story, in about 1912 Erwin C. Ruth gave some legal aid to Gonzales, saving him from almost certain imprisonment. 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). Erwin passed the information to his father Adolph, who had a long-standing interest in lost mines and amateur exploration. The elder Ruth had fallen and badly broken several bones while seeking

3180-455: The tales", but that there are three main elements to the story: In 1977, Granger identified 62 variants of the Lost Dutchman's story – some of the variations are minor, but others are substantial, casting the story in a very different light from the other versions. In this story (actually two interconnected stories), members of the Apache tribe are said to have a very rich gold mine located in

3240-407: 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". Blair noted that the conclusion of the Arizona authorities was rejected by many, including Ruth's family, and "those who held onto the more romantic murdered-for-the-map story". Blair wrote that "the national wire services picked up

3300-610: Was born in September 1810 in Württemberg . Blair suggested that this Waltz could be the same Waltz who later came to be regarded as the legendary Dutchman, and that he Americanized the spelling of his family name. Note that tombstone pictured shows birth year as 1808. Waltz relocated to Arizona in the 1860s, and stayed in the territory for most of the rest of his life. He pursued mining and prospecting, but seems to have had little luck with either. An alternate view which better fits

3360-472: Was eventually incorporated in the Lost Dutchman's story, in a severely distorted version, following the renewed interest in the Lost Dutchman's mine in the 1930s. 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

3420-429: Was examined by Dr. Aleš Hrdlička , a well-respected anthropologist who was given several photos of Ruth, along with Ruth's dental records . As Curt Gentry wrote, "Dr. Hrdlicka positively identified the skull as that of Adolph Ruth. He further stated, after examining the two holes [in the skull], that it appeared that a shotgun or high-powered rifle had been fired through the head at almost point-blank range, making

3480-749: Was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966. The Lower Ruin and Upper Ruin are archeological sites that were NRHP-listed in 1989. The National Monument is surrounded by the Tonto National Forest , which includes low plains, desert scrubland , and alpine pine forests. The Upper Sonoran ecosystem is known for its characteristic saguaro cacti. Other common plants include: cholla , prickly pear , hedgehog, and barrel cactus (flowering from April to June); yucca , sotol, and agave ; creosote bush and ocotillo ; palo verde and mesquite trees; an amazing variety of colorful wild flowers in good years (February to March); and

3540-464: Was unsuccessful, Thomas and her partners were reported to be selling maps to the mine for $ 7 each. 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. Ruth disappeared while searching for

3600-469: Was usually described as a quadroon ). Waltz was buried in Phoenix at what is now called the Pioneer and Military Memorial Park . Blair had little doubt that Waltz related to Thomas the location of an alleged gold mine. As early as September 1, 1892, The Arizona Enterprise was reporting on the efforts of Thomas and several others to locate the lost mine whose location was told to her by Waltz. After this

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