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The legend of the Lost Dutchman mine began after his death
Less than a year after Waltz's death, the Phoenix Gazette newspaper printed a story about the strange behavior of a Mrs. E. W. Thomas, former owner of Thomas' ice cream parlor in Phoenix. She reportedly quit her business and embarked on an extended search for a lost gold mine in the Superstition Mountains. Thus began the myth of Jacob Waltz's lost mine. People began referring to Waltz as "the Dutchman" a term often applied to German immigrants. It is based on the mispronunciation of "Deutsch Mann". The story of "the Lost Dutchman's Mine" spread rapidly.
Over the past hundred years, thousands of people have gone into the Superstition Mountains searching for the Dutchman's mine. Some never returned. At least, seven gold seekers were murdered in these mountains. No one ever found the Dutchman's gold mine.
Superstition Mountains, Arizona
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No one ever found the Dutchman's gold
Some people think that Jacob Waltz never had a gold mine. They suppose he may have stolen the gold or won it gambling. Some people think he may have stumbled upon a bit of the legendary Peralta gold. Others even believe he found the fabulously rich lost Peralta gold mine of previous legends. Many people still think that the Dutchman had a rich gold mine in the Superstitions, and that he took its secret location to his grave.
Prior to 1848, the Arizona territory belonged to Mexico. According to early legends, two wealthy Mexican landowners named Peralta had financed many prospecting expeditions into the Arizona territory and eventually discovered a rich deposit of gold in the Superstition Mountains. They mined the gold and shipped ore back to Mexico via mule trains. On their last expedition, Apache warriors surprised the mule train and massacred all of the Peralta workers. The Indians had no use for the shiny yellow rocks, but they prized the tasty flesh of the mules. The warriors supposedly scattered the gold ore upon the ground and took the mules. During Jacob Waltz's life, many people told stories of the lost Peralta gold and the lost Peralta mine.
No one knows the truth about the Dutchman's mine. Did he find a rich deposit of gold in the Superstition Mountains? Did he find the Peralta mine or find some of the scattered Peralta gold? Is it all just a myth?
You can still search for the Lost Dutchman Mine
You can visit the Superstition Mountains and search for the lost Dutchman's mine. The Superstition wilderness area lies about 30 miles east of Phoenix just past Apache Junction and near the reconstructed mining town of Goldfield. Lost Dutchman State Park with its campground lies at the foot of the mountains. Jerry Gargalione, proprietor of the Goldfield Bed and Breakfast would be happy to rent you a room in Goldfield and regale you with tales of the Dutchman's gold. The best time to visit this area is late fall through early spring when the temperatures are more bearable. Intense heat and lack of water makes the Superstition Mountains inhospitable and dangerous during the summer. Be careful! There are still a lot of crazy gold seekers crawling through those rugged mountains.
