Results: The True Story and Legends in the Wild, Wild West ** Part Ten ** Superstition Mountain and the Lost Dutchman Mine. In failing health, Jacob Waltz moved to the Salt River Valley in 1868 and filed a homestead claim on 160 acres of land on the north bank. .

Waltz died of pneumonia in Phoenix, Arizona Territory on October 25, 1891, in the home of Julia Thomas. Clues attributed to Waltz, both during his lifetime and as a deathbed revelation, have not yet resulted in finding the source of his gold. Did Jacob Waltz have a rich gold mine in the Superstition Mountains?

Shortly after Waltz's death Julia Thomas, Rhinehart and Hermann Petrasch traveled to the Superstition Mountains to locate Waltz's rich gold mine. After several weeks in these rugged mountains Thomas and the Petrasches returned to Phoenix empty handed and broke. The Petrasch brothers and their father hunted for Waltz's mine for the rest of their lives. Julia Thomas was the first searcher for the Dutchman's Lost Mine. The rapid growth of the Dutchman legend may be largely attributed to Julia Thomas and P.C. Bicknell. Disappointed and broke Thomas produced several maps with misinformation on them. She sold these maps hoping to compensate for her losses. Do you think selling these maps was a good idea?

Many Arizona pioneer historians believed Julia Thomas gave an interview to Pierpont C. Bicknell, a free lance writer and lost mine hunter, shortly after her return from the Superstition Mountains in September of 1892. Bicknell probably paid her a token fee for the story. Ironically Julia Thomas and the Petrasches walked over the rich gold deposits at Goldfield in September of 1892 without discovering them. The rich Black Queen was discovered in November of 1892, and the rich Mammoth Mine was discovered on April 13, 1893. The Mammoth Mine produced about three million dollars worth of gold bullion in four years. Do you think the Mammoth Mine was the Lost mine?

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. 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. Unfortunately, some mysteriously vanish without a trace, while others die in an equally strange fashion. 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. However, within a few days, he vanished, never to be seen alive or heard from again. 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. 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. Would you search for this lost gold mine?

Tortilla Flat is an authentic remnant of an old west town, nestled in the midst of the Tonto National Forest, in the Superstition Mountain Range. Tortilla Flat started out as a stagecoach stop in 1904 and neither fire nor flood has been able to take away this historic stop along the Historic Apache Trail. Mosey on down the boardwalk and visit the Superstition Saloon and Restaurant. Real saddles serve as bar stools where you can enjoy a cold brew or sarsaparilla. The unique wallpaper is made from real dollar bills from visitors all around the world. Have you visited Tortilla Flats and and the Superstition Saloon?