Lost German Mine

Quest for the Dutchman's Gold, the 100-year Mystery: The facts, myths and legends of the Lost Dutchman Mine and the Superstition Mountains (1991) by Robert Sikorsky

An expanded version of Fool's Gold (1983).

Robert Sikorsky? Really? The helicopter guy?

This is an interesting book that alternates chapters on the older history of the area with the more recent experiences of the author.

The author pretty much covers the entire soap opera from the Spanish conquistadores to the present.

The Peraltas were Mexicans that mined the area before it became part of the U.S. in 1848. They abandoned gold while fleeing Apaches on their last expedition in the area. This gold became known as massacre gold.

Jacob Waltz, of German descent, was the Dutchman of the title. It is still not clear if he actually found a mine, stole gold from another mine, or harvested massacre gold. On his deathbed, he left instructions on how to find the mine, yet no one could find it.

The large number of unsolved murders in the area are explained by some as a conspiracy to conceal the location of the lost mine (or mines). Note that more murders occur in one year in Milwaukee than occurred over several decades in the area of the Superstition Mountains. More people in Milwaukee? Yes, but it is supposedly a civilized area. One wonders what the people of Milwaukee are trying to conceal. Heh.

It appears that the author was somewhat sceptical of the myths and legends until a young Apache offerred to reveal to him the location of the lost mine. The young Apache was killed in a car accident before he could actually reveal the location. Another victim of the conspiracy?

One thing we can conclude about the lost mines: if they exist, they are extremely well concealed to have eluded detection by hundreds of dedicated searchers over the decades.

Note that these lost mine/treasure stories are a staple of the local history of many areas, not just the Superstition Mountains.