![Cover of a "Map of the Lost Dutchman" Area by J. Allan Stirrat Copy 1948 and Reprinted in 1959](https://i0.wp.com/www.destination4x4.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/LostDutchmanMap.jpg?resize=800%2C836&ssl=1)
. The tale, rooted in mystery and intrigue, has captivated treasure hunters and historians for over a century. The legend of the Lost Dutchman’s Gold Mine is set against the backdrop of the American expansion westward during the 19th century. Following the California Gold Rush of 1849, prospectors flocked to the West in search of fortune, transforming the region’s demographics and economy. The Arizona Territory, with its rugged landscape and mineral wealth, became a focal point for these adventurers.
Jacob Waltz: The Dutchman
![Photograph take of Jacob Waltz after his arrival in New York.](https://i0.wp.com/www.destination4x4.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/JacobWaltz.jpg?resize=800%2C1009&ssl=1)
The central figure in the legend is Jacob Waltz, a German immigrant often referred to as “The Dutchman,” a term that mistakenly identified his German origin. Waltz was born on September 20, 1810, in Württemberg, Germany, and emigrated to the United States in the 1830s. After participating in the California Gold Rush, he moved to the Arizona Territory in the 1860s, where he gained a reputation as a skilled prospector.
Jacob Waltz lived out his later years in Phoenix, Arizona. The Dutchman lived in an adobe houses located in the northeast corner of section 16, Township 1 North, Range 3 East. The site is located today near the southwest corner of 16th Street and Buckeye.
On February 19th, 1891, his adobe home is abandoned when the Salt Creek flooded over running its’s banks. The flooding is severe and local papers at the time, do not mention Watlz, yet did headline “SEVERAL PEOPLE PROBABLY LOST”.
Waltz died on October 25, 1891 at the home of a black woman Julia Thomas after months of illness. Thomas had be housing the old man since . When the Dutchman passed, a candle box under his bed contained 48 pounds of the rich gold ore. The source of the gold is believed to be a “lost” gold mine of Jacob Waltz, the Dutchman, the Lost Dutchman Goldmine.
Unfortunately, the facts of the gold mine end with the death of Jacob Waltz, and the legends spring to life with rumor and tall tales.
The Last Days of Jacob Waltz.
On his deathbed in the early morning of October 25, 1891, Waltz is said to have revealed the location of the mine to Julia Thomas, a local woman who had cared for him during his final illness. Unfortunately, the old prospector was suffering from pneumonia, so, at best communication would be labored and difficult.
When the old man passed, Holmes and Thomas were in possession of a incredible secret and 48 pounds of rich gold ore. According to historians Tom Kollenborn, the Dick Homes took possession of the gold ore and took it to Goldman’s Store in Phoenix were it was assayed. The assay report stated the ore to be worth $110,000 a ton in 1890’s dollars.
Whatever was said a few things came from the events to the Dutchman’s death. Dick Holmes, Julia Thomas and Reiney Petrasch were the only people around when the old miner passed. Weather or not the true story of his last mine is the subject of debate from multiple factions from these two parties.
Julia’s Search
After Waltz’s death, Julia Thomas was convinced of the mine’s existence and its potential to transform her life. She, along with her adopted son Rhinehart Petrasch and his brother Hermann set out for the Superstition Mountains on August 11, 1892. They hoped to find the mine based on the directions supposedly provided by Waltz. However, the harsh and rugged terrain of the mountains, coupled with the elusive nature of Waltz’s descriptions, made the search extremely challenging. August in Arizona was probably not a good choice.
Despite her determination, Julia Thomas never found the Lost Dutchman’s Gold Mine. Her repeated failures and the high cost of the expeditions depleted her resources. Eventually, she was forced to abandon the search and return to her life in Phoenix Later in life, she would tell her story and sell maps to the Lost Dutchman’s gold mine. It remains confusing why someone would purchase a map to a gold mine from someone who didn’t find it, is also a mystery.
Following her search, Julia sold her story to Pierpont C. Bicknell who first published the tail in The San Francisco Chronicle on January 13th, 1895.
First Description of the Mine
Published in The Saturday Review, November 17th 1894
“In a gulch in the Superstition Mountains, the location of which is described by certain landmarks, there is a two room house in the mouth of a cave on the side of the slope near the gulch. Just across the gulch, about 200 yards, opposite the house in the cave, is a tunnel, well covered up and concealed in the bushes. Here is the mine, the richest in the world on the side of the mountains, is a shaft or incline that is not see steep but one can climb down. This, too, is covered carefully. The shaft goes right down in the midst of a rich gold ledge, where it can be picked off in big flakes of almost pure gold”
The Disappearance of Adolph Ruth
![Lost Dutchman Mine searcher Adolph Ruth](https://i0.wp.com/www.destination4x4.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/AdolphRuth.jpg?resize=800%2C800&ssl=1)
The lost Dutchman Mine makes natioanl attention following the search for and death of Adolph Ruth.
Adolph Ruth was born in the mid-19th century and worked as a government employee in Washington, D.C. His passion for adventure and treasure hunting led him to explore various parts of the American Southwest in search of lost mines and legendary treasures. Ruth was particularly captivated by the tale of the Lost Dutchman’s Gold Mine, a legendary gold mine purportedly hidden in the Superstition Mountains of Arizona.
Ruth lost his life by following a map he acquired and then initiated his search in the middle of June, 1931. His remains are found near Weavers Needle, by an investigation reported on by the Arizona Republic. His skull is found with a large hole which may have been caused by a firearm or scavenging animals. Regardless, the news paper published the story and the Lost Dutchman Gold mine is a national story.
Legacy
Following the death of Jacob Waltz, the location of the Lost Dutchman’s mine was lost forever. The dying miner may have shared the location of his mine with three people, Julia Thomas, Dick Holmes and Herman Petrasch. However, even this claim is unclear. All three of these people searched for the lost mine, and all three passed into history penniless, or with no apparent success.
The Legend of the Lost Dutchman’s gold mine is grown by the stories of these three people and those who listened to them. The tale over time becomes sensationalized, expanded, convoluted, romanticized and even led to the death of some. In 1832, The Coolidge Examiner claimed that nine people including Adolph Ruth had lost their lives searching for the treasure. The original tale has been expanded to include murders, apaches, mexican bandits and the Peralta.
The Lost Dutchman’s Gold Mine
Obviously, anyone would be interested in a map to the Lost Dutchman’s Gold Mine. Sadly, you need to keep looking… In the meantime, here is a map of locations associated with the lore of the lost mine.
People Associated with the Lost Dutchman Gold Mine
![]() Adolph RuthEarly Life and Background Adolph Ruth was born in the mid-19th century and worked as a government employee in Washington, D.C. His passion for adventure… |
![]() Herman PetraschHerman Petrasch ( April 6 1864 - 23 Nov 23, 1953 ), Photo by Desert Magazine January 1954 Issue Herman Petrasch of Phoenix, Arizona, is… |
![]() Jacob Waltz the “Dutchman”Photograph take of Jacob Waltz after his arrival in New York. Jacob Waltz, often referred to as "Dutchman," was a German immigrant whose life became… |
![]() Julia ThomasJulia Thomas, a figure of historical significance in Phoenix, Arizona, was born in the mid-19th century. Her role in the passing of Jacob Waltz serves… |
![]() Rhinehart PetraschRhinehart Petrasch of Phoenix, Arizona, is best known for prospecting and ranching, and was said to have spent considerable time searching for the Lost Dutchman… |
Historic Newspaper Accounts
![]() Mesa Free Press – A Curious FindMesa Free Press. (Mesa, AZ) 9 Nov. 1894, p. 1. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/item/sn95060636/1894-11-09/ed-1/. A Curious Find. P. C. Bicknell is back… |
![]() San Francisco Chronicle – Jan. 13, 1895On January13th, 1895, an article from the San Francisco Chronicle entitled A Mine in the Superstition Mountains announced to the world, Jacob Waltz and what… |
![]() The Coolidge Examiner – Lookout Station on Superstition MountainLost Dutchman Mine searcher Adolph Ruth Adolph Ruth was a nove treasure hunter whose pursuit of the legendary Lost Dutchman Mine led to his mysterious… |
![]() The Coolidge Examiner – Search for Adolph Ruth in the Superstition MountainsThe Search for Adolph Ruth in the Superstition Mountains ends it tragedy as reported by the Coolidge Examiner on December 18, 1931. After months of… |
![]() The Coolidge Examiner – Search for Ruth SuspendedLost Dutchman Mine searcher Adolph Ruth The Coolidge Examiner of August 7, 1931 announces the Search for Rush Suspended due to heat in the Superstition… |
![]() The Coolidge Examiner – The Search for Ruth Still FutileLost Dutchman Mine searcher Adolph Ruth The Coolidge Examiner of July 17, 1931 headlines the "Search for Ruth Still Futile" as he is lost looking… |
![]() The Kansas City Journal, Sunday February 17, 1895The Kansas City Journal, Sunday February 17, 1895 outlines the initial legend of the Lost Dutchman Gold Mine. The Kansas City Journal, Sunday February 17,… |
![]() The Saturday Review, November 17, 1894A Mythical Mine Headline in The Saturday Review, November 17, 1894 J.C. Bicknell's newspaper articles on the Lost Dutchman Mine, published in the late 19th… |
Further Reading
![]() The Curse of the Dutchman’s Gold by Helen CorbinThe Curse of the Dutchman's Gold by Helen Corbin Helen Corbin's The Curse of the Dutchman's Gold is the first book I have read on… |
Pingback: Julia Thomas - Destination4x4
Pingback: Rhinehart Petrasch - Destination4x4
Pingback: The Saturday Review, November 17, 1894 - Destination4x4
Pingback: The Kansas City Journal, Sunday February 17, 1895 - Destination4x4
Pingback: The Coolidge Examiner - The Search for Ruth Still Futile - Destination4x4
Pingback: The Coolidge Examiner - Search for Ruth Suspended - Destination4x4
Pingback: Search for Adolph Ruth in the Superstition Mountains - Destination4x4
Pingback: The Coolidge Examiner - Lookout Station on Superstition Mountain - Destination4x4