The Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine
Somewhere in Arizona's Superstition Mountains, legend says, is a mine full of gold that an old German prospector found and never revealed.
What was reported
Jacob Waltz, a German immigrant known as 'the Dutchman', lived near Phoenix in the late 1800s. People said he had found a rich gold mine in the rugged Superstition Mountains to the east. When he died in 1891, he left only vague clues about its location.
Thousands of people have searched for the mine since, following maps, clues and legends, some involving Apache warnings that the mountains are sacred and should not be disturbed. The mountains are dangerous in summer heat, and search parties have had to be rescued.
Explanations offered
Geologists say the Superstition Mountains are volcanic and unlikely to hold rich gold, though gold has been found nearby. Many historians think Waltz's gold may have come from somewhere else, perhaps a mine where he worked. The legend lives on in a state park named after it.
- When
- Searched for since 1891
- Where
- Superstition Mountains, Arizona, USA
- Witnesses
- Prospectors, searchers and storytellers
- Status
- Never found
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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