This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. The first season of the entertainment program comprised six episodes. Based on the report from Prairie Ghosts, the general take on this story is that he, along with a miner by the name of Jacob Weiser, was given a map to the treasure site by the surviving Peralta whose life the two are reported to have saved. Time will tell whether any of its great mysteries are ever solved. Legend of the Superstition Mountains premiered on the History Channel on February 8, 2015. Don Miguel Peralta was the head of a powerful and wealthy Mexican family from Sonora, and they were either ranchers or operated mines or did both. Further legends claim the conquistador and his men were bearing their own reserves of gold, looted from previous expeditions, but ended up leaving it behind when they escaped whatever was killing … There are many stories about hidden gold in the Superstition Mountains, and these usually mention the Peralta Family. The Superstition Mountain Range has had more disappearances than most other U.S. mountain ranges. The lost Dutchman Gold mine is generally believed to be somewhere near or in the Superstition Mountains in Arizona. Nevertheless, the mystery hooks new “Dutch hunters” like Capen every year—each one of them convinced their fate will be measured in carats. However, the doctor did not know the path to the place as he was blindfolded by those accompanying him. It was the map on the stones that showed the trail into the Superstition Mountains, where the famous Lost Dutchman Mine was supposed to be. Superstition Mountain Tragedies. The legend of the lost gold continued to attract people, and, in 1932, a veterinarian in the Park Service, Adolph Ruth, decided to go treasure hunting. How the Superstition Mountains got their name, legend Asked and Answered: Meet 95-year-old George Johnston, president emeritus of the Superstition Mountain Museum; he can tell you all you need to know However, within a few days, he vanished, never to be seen alive or heard from again. Taking to Facebook, series host Wayne Tuttle confirmed that the show is uncertain to return for Season 2, with history yet to make a decision on its future: “Whenever history channel decides.” However, Tuttle notes that the first season is still airing … However, the mountains are also where three unusual disappearances occurred that still haven’t been solved to this day. Legend Of The Superstition Mountains on the History Channel. Legend of the Superstition Mountains Season 2 is in limbo at History.. Thorne sold the ore for $6000 and became a wealthy man. The news would let us know if the gold has been found, the part of the mystery is that the gold is still buried somewhere in the Superstition Mountains. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. If this were true, it would substantiate the allegation. Animals like deer coyotes, pumas and bobcats live here, existing alongside birds, rodents, snakes, and other reptiles. If you find the above article inaccurate or biased, please let us know at [email protected]. Among all things mysterious and eerie stands Superstition Mountains, a mountain range located to the east of Phoenix, Arizona in the United States of America. 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. A doctor from Illinois, Doctor Abraham Thorne, provided his service to treat the indigenous people of the Southwest. Two Pennsylvania Dutchmen, Jacob Waltz and Jacob Weiser, were prospecting for gold in the area, when, one night, they happened to save a man’s life in a bar brawl. In any case,  the event led to the naming of the Massacre Falls after it. Categories & Site Details: Famous Treasure Stories, Field Research, Gold, Gold & Doubloons, Metal Detectors, Mining Legends, Mysteries, Spanish History, Treasure Sites in America Day 1 They are bound on three sides by U.S. Route 60, Arizona State Route 88, and Arizona State Route 188, and are visible from miles away. Following the discovery of what are believed to be maps engraved on stones which point the way to the Dutchman’s treasure, many have gone hunting. 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. Denver Post reported that his remains were found “wedged in an inaccessible crevice.” Still, even though his body was found, his death remains a mystery. This is sacred ground. Supposedly a mine with fabulously rich gold deposits. Superstition Mountain, located east of Phoenix, is famous for the Lost Dutchman’s Mine where millions of dollars worth of gold is hidden. Many other mysterious deaths in the Superstition Mountains followed that of Ruth’s in the subsequent years, including two soldiers from the U.S. Army. Three more hapless explorers tried their luck in July 2010, and three sets of human remains were recovered in 2011. The weather in the Superstition Mountains is notoriously unpredictable, with storms seeming to come out of nowhere and accompanied by abrupt drops in temperatures. They began extracting the gold ore from the site, eventually attracting attention from the community. These steep, jagged volcanic mountains were formed over 29 million years ago and they cover an area of 160,000 acres. Later, he remarked that he had noticed a towering rock formation nearby, but otherwise remained clueless about the whereabouts of the place. Two prominent landmarks here are the Weaver’s Needle and the Miner’s Needle. His skull was discovered with a hole made by what AZ Central reports to be an “Army-style .44 caliber revolver.” There has been much speculation as to who killed him and why, but no conclusions have been drawn. Among the many legends to have emerged from the area, one of the most enduring ones is that of The Lost Dutchman’s Gold Mine. In the 1890s, people said Dutch Jacob’s Mine, as it was first known, lay within a five-mile radius of Weaver’s Needle, the dramatic, 1000-foot-high column of volcanic rock in the heart of the Superstition Mountains. Nobody has been able to interpret them correctly. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are as essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Superstition Mountain has an elevation of 5,024 feet. Legend of the Superstition Mountains The Superstition Mountains are an enigmatic land with a cursed history. Then, Jacob Waltz comes along — a Germany-born prospector who, according to Grunge, was mistaken as being Dutch. Stretching across 160,000 acres of unforgiving Arizona desert may reside a $200 million fortune – lost gold that is the epicenter of a 500-year-old mystery. Lost Dutchman’s Mine | Legend in the Superstition Mountains Many Have Tried and Many Have Died. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. When they immigrated to Pennsylvania from Deutschland (Germany), the locals mistook Deutsch for Dutch. The search, nevertheless, still continues. Petroglyphs at Hieroglyphic Canyon in the Superstition Mountains. Initially, there were next to no clues which could have identified him. The six episode first season concluded March 15 on History. It is said that these legends drew the attention of Adolf Hitler. However, there were no directions to the conquest mentioned in his diary. Customary to most mysterious stories, there are several takes on how the mountain became the housing place of the legendary Dutchman’s mine. September 15, 2015 – Series host Wayne Tuttle updates on the status of Legend of Superstition Mountains, confirming that a second season remains up in the air at History. To underline his great find, he had also written ‘Veni, Vidi, Vici’ (I came, I saw, and I conquered) in his diary. Looking around the corner of the structure, the sky was once again covered with dark clouds. Although the speculation and uncertainty surrounding the validity of these stories does contribute a great deal to the mystery of the Superstition Mountains, the slew of disappearances and even deaths of those who have gone searching for its treasures adds a great deal of eeriness to it. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. The rest of his remains were found a month later about a mile away. He turned out to be the surviving Peralta, and, to express his gratitude, he gave them directions to his family’s gold mine in the Superstition Mountains. Located east of Phoenix, the Superstition Mountains stretch across 160,000 acres of desert, and somewhere in these almost supernatural-looking canyons is a reported … Morning image of the Superstition Mountains of Arizona. It is rumoured that if the stones are put together in the right way, they are a map to the Peralta Family’s gold deposits. They either mined or found enormous gold deposits in the Superstition Mountains. Eventually, the conquistador ordered his men to flee and he never returned to the mountains, which they called Monte Superstición, thus giving the mountains the name of Superstition. "Legend of the Superstition Mountains" airs on History and H2. Other storytellers claim that the Peralta Family escaped with gold, but another family died in the massacre. The remaining Spanish fled in fear and dubbed the mountains ‘Monte Supersticion’ (Superstition Mountain.’) Spanish Francisco Vázquez de Coronado Expedition (1540 - 1542) ( Public Domain ) The next part of the legend speaks of a Jesuit priest by the name of Father Eusebio Francisco Kino, who is said to have arrived in the region around 150 years after de … The closest approximate was a German miner of the Pennsylvania German community. (Doug Dolde / Wikimedia Commons). These are rectangular, cross-shaped, and heart-shaped stones with etchings of a horse, a priest, a dagger, a trail, topographic features, and Spanish inscriptions. They removed his blindfold and let him take away as much as he could carry. As the mountains have a desert climate and few water resources, there is not much vegetation here. Travis Tumlinson, a policeman, discovered the Peralta Stones on a roadside near the Superstition Mountains in the 1940s. While popular with campers, hikers, and adventure seekers, these mountains are also known for their exceedingly hot summers, freezing winters, harsh winds, unpredictable storms, treacherous terrain, and mysterious happenings. In any case, that surviving member is then told to have confided in Jacob Waltz, a man whose mistaken nationality was used to christen the hidden treasure, telling him where exactly in the Superstition Mountains that he could have found it. Superstition Mountains in Lost Dutchman State Park outside of Phoenix, Arizona. The stories differ from here onward. It is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. except on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. "Legend of the Superstition Mountains" airs on History and H2. Therefore, they brought him to the burial site where he found a stack of gold nuggets which were worth a pretty penny. The mountains on the other side hadn’t changed, but the sky was clear. It is generally featured as an element of the legend of the Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine. The Supers are east – northeast of Phoenix. There are numerous hiking trails that hikers can access from multiple points, one of the more well-known ones being the Peralta Trailhead. However, things can go wrong. Having abandoned modern civilization to live with the tribe for several years, the Apache people wanted to thank the doctor for the medical attention that he had provided to them. Superstition Mountains: In 1845, ... Also the area has had reported time shifts and dimensional shifts as well as a past that included pygmies guarding the mountains. However, before Jacob could bear witness to the expanse of gold ore hidden in the mountain, another person is believed to have gone to the treasure site. The Apaches were either enraged over the violation of their sacred mountains or wanted to steal the gold from them. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. The Superstition Mountains' elevation is about 5,000 feet at their highest level. Combine these with the legends of the indigenous Pima Indians and the mountains live up to their name. An untold number of prospectors have searched the Superstition Mountains for the mine. He died of pneumonia in 1891 and, according to the three neighbours who cared for him, he left them the box of gold under his bed and directions to the gold mine. In 2015, the History Channel aired a six-part docuseries following a team of five “Dutch Hunters” — the term used to describe folks who, uh, spend a lot of their time hunting for the Lost Dutchman’s Gold Mine — as they trek through the Superstition Mountains on a quest to locate the mine. 12 Superstition Mountains - Gold Fever Read another story from us: Legends Surrounding Devils Tower – America’s First National Monument. DNA testing may confirm that a skeleton recently found in the Superstition Mountains about 60 miles east of Phoenix is the remains of Capen. The Peralta massacre was the alleged killing of a Mexican family by Apaches in about 1848. Some believe John was looking into another time period through the portal. He had acquired maps that he was sure would lead him straight to the gold. One such person is Adolph Ruth, a person who AZ Central described as someone “who had a longstanding obsession for locating the fabled Lost Dutchman Mine.” He elected to head into the mountain in search for the treasure. As George Johnston from the Superstition Mountains Museum suggests, there are a great number of tragedies linked to the Superstition wilderness, and the Prairie Ghosts website lists a large number of disappearances and deaths in the area surrounding the mountain and mine over the last century, though some of those may be as legendary as the mine itself, so take … The hellhole supposedly also sends out tremendous winds, and these cause the infamous dust storms of the region. As long people didn't go looking for the Lost Dutchman Mine, then the Thunder God doesn’t seem to bother them. Fear gripped him and he rode off. This comes as no surprise, especially considering that this mountain range is believed to have a pretty odd history which all centers around an alleged hidden treasure: the fabled Dutchman’s mine, a treasure which has taken the lives of many who have gone in search of it. This was a Mexican family which had amassed quite a bit of wealth by way of mining sectors of the Superstition Mountains. 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. The Superstition Mountains of Arizona in morning light with Saguaro cactus. Evening view of Superstition Mountains near Phoenix, Arizona. On the Ground in the Superstition Mountains By September of 1996, I had not yet actually been to the Superstitions to check my theories about the map, so my wife and I took a trip to the mountains. The Pima Indians famously feared the mountain that they knew as Ain-we-gophon (Superstition Mountain). The Legends: Superstition Mountain, located east of Phoenix, is famous for the Lost Dutchman’s Mine where “millions of dollars’ worth of gold” is allegedly hidden, but has never been verified.According to the legend, Jacob Waltz, a German immigrant, discovered a mother lode of gold in the Superstition Wilderness and revealed its location on his deathbed in Phoenix in … In as much as the range of mountains is recognized for its breathtaking canyons and beautiful volcanic peak, its reputation for being spooky precedes it, oftentimes overshadowing its natural beauty. March 15, 2015 – In a Youtube video released prior to the Season 1 finale, co-host Eric Deleel confirmed that Legend of the Superstition Mountain s Season 2 is in limbo. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. It was at this point that the tale of the Dutchman’s Mine was spun. These are tall, volcanic formations in the wilderness and are popular as hiking destinations. According to AZ Central, the standard version of the treasure’s history begins in the 1800s with the Peralta family. Those who discovered the mine were in grave danger, especially if they took any gold from this spot. The Lost Dutchman State Park, which opened in 1977 and has the Peralta Trail, is also a nod at the legend. In this article, we put the legends aside and focus our attention on some baffling events reported by those who visited the mountains and experienced something truly unusual. (Latin Heart Reader / Wikimedia Commons). Unfortunately, some mysteriously vanish without a trace, while others die in an equally strange fashion. Fact Analysis: STSTW Media strives to deliver accurate information through careful research. While rescuers found a strange note he had written stating “P.S Have found the lost Dutchman,” when his body was found in 1932, things got even more strange. To begin with, there was never any real Dutchman involved with the lost gold mine. The history of this mountain would astound you. The mountain is also frequented with mysterious sounds that many people have claimed to have heard. Weaver’s Needle, a peak located in the Superstition Mountains. 72 talking about this. It’s a vast, forbidding place east of Apache Junction whose parapets are visible from downtown Phoenix on a clear day. The Pima Indians famously feared the mountain that they knew as Ain-we-gophon (Superstition Mountain). Many people took the landmark to be the Weaver’s Needle but had no luck finding any gold nuggets in its vicinity. The praying hand’s formation at the Superstition Mountains range. Jacob Waltz took to returning to the mountains only when he needed the gold. These include Barry Storm’s book Thunder God’s Gold, published in 1945, detailing his own efforts to find the gold, and the Glen Ford and Ida Lupino movie, Lust for Gold, from 1949. Hanna-Barbara, Jean Giraud, and Don Rosa have incorporated the story in their cartoons. There is a Superstition Mountain Museum at 4087 N. Apache Trail, Highway 88 in Apache Junction. The Superstition Mountains are indeed the keepers of countless memories, fascinating stories, and unbelievable theories. There have been many books, films, and cartoons about the Lost Gold of the Superstition Mountains. 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Despite all the uncertainty surrounding the history of the Superstition Mountains and some of the inexplicable occurrences which have happened there, people generally agree on one thing: mysterious, eerie, and strange all are descriptions which adequately describe the Superstition Mountains. Then the Apaches killed Jacob Weiser, or according to some, Waltz himself did it. 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. These cookies do not store any personal information. (Chris J / Flickr). Some believe that he fell to his death, but once again, that is not conclusive. 73 talking about this. Based on information shared by the Lost Dutchman Days, a doctor by the name of Abraham Thorne was brought to the area where the treasure was buried. The Haunted Treasure of the Espectros, a 1962 juvenile adventure novel by Gordon D. Shirreffs, is a pastiche of the Lost Dutchman legend. Some have perpetuated a legend about an opening and a spiral stairway that leads into a subterranean land of Reptoids. The Superstition Mountains, furthermore, are the abode of the Thunder God, and he causes the frequent regional thunderstorms. Check here for schedule. Legends of the Superstition Mountains. Ellen Lloyd - AncientPages.com - The beautiful and mysterious Superstitious Mountains have been a source of mystery and legend since early times. The two Jacobs found the gold but refused to tell anyone else where it was. In the year 1870, with his consent, they blindfolded him and took him on a 20-mile trip to an unknown location piled with gold ore. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. The legend of The Lost Dutchman’s Gold Mine lies at the confluence of fact and fiction. Documented by Timothy Draper. That legend supported the fears of what might happen to explores and hikers in the Superstition Mountains. It goes something like this: German prospector Jacob Waltz came to Arizona sniffing for gold in the 1860s. Two prospectors saved his life and, in gratitude, he gave them directions to the gold mine, thus setting off a wild goose chase that continues to the present day. The newcomers, thus, became the Pennsylvania Dutch. Instead, he went missing and his skull was found 6 months later with two large circular holes. After he had spent many years in their midst, the Apache Elders decided to reward his selfless service with gold. On 8 June 2019, a fire broke out in the Superstitions Wilderness area and soon spread across 26,000 acres. First you drive to the outskirts of Phoenix and find Apache Junction, then pick up the old Apache Trail (route88) and go about 35 miles to Tortilla Flat, site of the old stage coach – Pony express stop, along the Apache Trail. On the east side of Phoenix in Arizona lies the spectacular range of the Superstition Mountains that straddle the Tonto National Forest and the Superstition Wilderness area. While this is speculation and not necessarily factual, there was a report released indicating that in 1912, some lucky persons discovered $18,000 worth of gold ore in the general vicinity where the alleged murders happened. The neighbours—Julia Thomas, Rhinehart Petrasch, and Hermann Petrasch—spent weeks looking for the gold, but failed to find it. A note in a bottle found floating down the Salt River said that he needed help on account of his leg and that he had found the Lost Dutchman’s gold mine. Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube. It is one of the most mysterious mountains in the world—with legends of Roman emperors buried deep within its bowels, lost civilizations living in its chasms, and strange beasts prowling its forested surface. The story line was interesting, sometimes feels like a setup. View of two Native American Apache women outside their cloth covered wickiups in a camp in Arizona. With Frank Augustine, Eric Deleel, Mark Dodson, Keenan Johnston. Then, in as recent as 2010, Phoenix New Times covered the story of Jesse Capen, a 35-year-old man from Denver, Colorado who vanished in the Superstition Mountains while hunting for the famous treasure.