They are encircled by U.S Route 60 on the south Arizona State 88 on the northwest, and Arizona 188 on the northeast. Kino is believed to have had a rich goldmine somewhere in the Superstition Mountains. (However, in some versions,[14] the 'mine' is actually a cache put there by the Peraltas.). It is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. except on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year. There have been tales ofU.S. Armysoldiers that are said to have stumbled onto a river of almost pure gold in or near the Superstition Mountains. To determine if the skull was Ruth's, it was examined by Dr. Ale Hrdlika, a well-respected anthropologist who was given several photos of Ruth, along with Ruth's dental records. Years later, a man called Dr. Thorne treats an ailing or wounded Apache (often alleged to be a chieftain) and is rewarded with a trip to a rich gold mine. each. The stories differ from here onward. Granger wrote that "fact and fiction blend in the tales",[3] 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. Mysteries Of The Superstition Mountains - Grunge.com Since Ruths death, there have been numerous other deaths or disappearances in the Superstition Mountains. They believed that the entrance to the underworld itself lay somewhere in among these peaks, and that powerful spirits roamed the withered landscape. (Latin Heart Reader / Wikimedia Commons). 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. Mysterious bodies turned up in the Superstition Mountains all through the 1960s and 70s, with at least five people found dead with bullet holes to the skulls, and with other bodies found minus the heads, which were never found. Over the years, subsequent search for the mines has only lead to heartache and death. Ive driven by this place countless times without ever checking it out. January 1933 a Mining electrican named J.A. Because of what we have discovered at the site, Arcana Exploration believes we have proof for the first time that there is a common link between Waltz and the Peraltas. The praying hands formation at the Superstition Mountains range. A lack of historical records leaves uncertainty as to whether a Peralta family ever had possession of land, or mines, in or near the Superstition Mountains. Barkely urged Ruth to abandon his search for the mine: The headless remains of prospector James A. Cravey were discovered in the mid-1940s. The museum itself is clean and well organized for the small space it is currently occupying and boasts loads in local history. 6 episodes that go absolutely nowhere. Take a cinematic tour to the Superstition Mountains, home of the Lost Dutchman Mine. Students 11-17 $4.00 Weiser was the mans best friend and confidant. You need at a bare minimum, at least a three- man team. The soldiers are alleged to have presented some of the gold, but to have been killed or to have vanished soon after. The story differs but heres the most common take, mind you there are over 100 different versions of the Story. The mine is named after German immigrant Jacob Waltz,18101891. 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. He had metal pins in his leg, and used a cane to help him walk. Lost Dutchman State Park | Arizona George Johnston, who first tried to find the treasure in the 1950s, was still working for the Superstition Mountain Lost Dutchman Museum up until his August 30, 2017, death at age 97. 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. Then his body would finally be found wedged into a remote and inaccessible crevice, with the official cause of death a mystery. This is your spot. Barkely urged Ruth to abandon his search for the mine: the area and the mines cursed and full of devils.. July 3, 1947 James A Cravey, age 62, a retired photographer, was reported missing after he had chartered a helicopter June 19, 1947 to drop him off in the Superstition Mountains to look for the Lost Dutchmans Mine. May through September And, where praytell do most folks believe said El Dorado is safely hidden Why, in the Superstition Mountains, near Apache Junction. And, where praytell do most folks believe said El Dorado is safely hidden Why, in the Superstition Mountains, near Apache Junction. 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. As the mountains have a desert climate and few water resources, there is not much vegetation here. If you loved watching old westerns you will love this place. 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. One of the most prominent such tales is that of an affluent mining family from Mexico, the Peraltas, although some versions of the story say they were ranchers. but their camera was. My husband has been enthralled with all the wonderful tales of the mountains since his college days a long time ago. In many areas they cannot, and will not for any reason land, and actually have designated no fly zones. Two prominent landmarks here are the Weavers Needle and the Miners Needle. Tack a map onto a wall, toss a dart and chances are youd hit an outskirt of nowhere with a small Fort Knox in its hills. By what name was Dark Mountain (2013) officially released in Canada in English? For the next 20 years, he falls in and out of consciousness, whenever he wakes its just garbled speak and horrific tales; hes enveloped in kaleidoscopic delirium Something, a doctor once told his family, having chewed at his sanity and left nothing but brittle bones. He dies, screaming from a nightmare in 1891. Up on the mountain, if someone breaks a leg; it will take at least two on the team to get you down; it is dangerous for three healthy climbers, much less one with broken body parts. Along with the body was found a mysterious note ensconced within a bottle, which said that he had broken his leg and needed help, but which also stated that he had had managed to find the legendary Lost Dutchmans Mine. Superstition Mountain Museum is located in an area full of legend, history and intrigue. More please. From this base he easily could have worked a gold mine in the Superstition Mountains. In the version in which the Apaches killed the Peralta Family, the surviving member then went on to get embroiled in a brawl fight years later. Anyway, the great west after Grant decided to Manifest Destiny and promote those great plains maybe theyll forget all that Civil War squabble if they start to settle into lands without so much emotional baggage tended to promote El Dorado like tales. Subscribe Today! Walking along tyre tracks saying they are in the middle of nowhere at a treasure location. Want to feel like youre in a horror movie and quite possibly high on Peyote? There have been many books, films, and cartoons about the Lost Gold of the Superstition Mountains. See production, box office & company info. Legend of the Superstition Mountains: With Keenan Johnston, Mark Dodson, Frank Augustine, Wayne Tuttle. Producers included Tamara Blaich, Jennifer Harrington, and Megan Peterson with cinematography by Pyongson Yim and editing by Jennifer Harrington. The Superstition Mountain Historical Society was formed on December 27, 1979. A doctor from Illinois, Doctor Abraham Thorne, provided his service to treat the indigenous people of the Southwest. Its estimated worth is around 200 million dollars. The Village exhibit includes two brush structures, some call Wickiups (the Apache people call them Gowah --our home); a cooking area and hide drying rack. , Barry Storm declared to have nearly escaped from a mysterious sniper he later called Mr. Ruth ignored Barkelys help and set out for a two-week stint into cliffs. Then around 1692, the Jesuit padre father Eusebio Francisco Kino arrived. In January 2011, three sets of remains assumed to be those of the lost men were retrieved. This is trails end; this is the domain of the Dutch Hunters. These trails traverse from the desert floor up into the edges of the mountains. The mountain is also frequented with mysterious sounds that many people have claimed to have heard. Wednesday Sunday Intrigue Journal. Superstition Mountain at night. Randomly stopped by on my way home from Lost Dutchman State Park and I was super happy I did! There have been tales of, soldiers that are said to have stumbled onto a river of almost pure gold in or near the Superstition Mountains. We had a 7-hour drive ahead of us and we wanted to start early. Apache Junction, AZ 85119-8409, Phone options: A must see if you are by the Superstition Mountains. The Superstition Mountain Museum collects, preserves and displays the artifacts, history and folklore of the Superstition Mountain region and the Apache Junction area. Many people took the landmark to be the Weavers Needle but had no luck finding any gold nuggets in its vicinity. Months pass, years some say, until one day Jacob comes back battered and bloody atop a lame mule. January 7, 2023 12:00 pm - April 29, 2023 3:00 pm, Desert Safety and Survival (March Sold Out), Weaving Class with Nanabah Aragon (March Sold Out). [10] Trouble came after Willing learned that the deed was entirely bogus. The park offers 134 campsites, each with a picnic table, barbeque grill, and fire pit, and 68 equipped with electric hook-ups and water. Fake AF. Early on during the Spanish Conquest, Conquistadors such as Francisco Vazquez de Coronado (1535) came to the American southwest (New Spain) in search of gold trying to locate, Montezumas Seven Cities of Cibola. In March of 2011, three filmmakers disappeared in the Superstition Mountains of Arizona while documenting their search for the Lost Dutchman mine. Lost Dutchman State Park is located near the Superstition Mountains in central Phoenix, about 40 miles from Phoenix. The multi-acre museum site soon saw the addition of a historic Cossack 20-Stamp . Some have died on the search. [26], Blair wrote that "the national wire services picked up 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. Hike to Praying Hands in Lost Dutchman State Park - The Outbound As the mountains have a desert climate and few water resources, there is not much vegetation here. The Supers are east - northeast of Phoenix. The gift store was absolutely fantastic and was filled with high-quality books about Arizona and southwest history, folklore, Native Americans, and the Wild West. Yet it is also a place of fabled mysteries, talk of dark curses, strange disappearances and deaths, high strangeness, and a secret treasure that it allegedly holds close to it, reluctant to ever give it up. A TwinTygr Film. In 1952 there was a man named Joseph Kelley, who went out into the mountains to find the treasure and proceeded to vanish from the face of the earth. The neighboursJulia Thomas, Rhinehart Petrasch, and Hermann Petraschspent weeks looking for the gold, but failed to find it. Waltz relocated to Arizona in the 1860s, and stayed in the territory for most of the rest of his life. 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). We provide an historical context that includes the region's Native American people, the life of early western settlers, local geology and industry as well as the legends promoted through film and media. In appreciation, Gonzales told Erwin about the Peralta mine in the Superstition Mountains and an antique map of the site. The Lost Gold Mine At Superstition Mountain.