The Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine (also known by similar names) is, according to legend, a rich gold mine hidden in the Southwestern United States. The location is generally believed to be in the Superstition Mountains, near Apache Junction, east of Phoenix, Arizona. There have been many stories about how to find the mine, and each year people search for the mine. Some have died on the search.
The mine is named after German immigrant Jacob Waltz (c. 1810–1891), who purportedly discovered it in the 19th century and kept its location a secret. "Dutchman" was a common American term for a German ("Dutch" being the English cognate to the German demonym "Deutsch", and not a reference to the Dutch people).[1]
The Lost Dutchman's is perhaps the most famous lost mine in American history. Arizona place-name expert Byrd Granger wrote, as of 1977, the Lost Dutchman's story had been printed or cited at least six times more often than two other fairly well-known tales, the story of Captain Kidd's lost treasure, and the story of the Lost Pegleg mine in California. People have been seeking the Lost Dutchman's mine since at least 1892,[2] while according to one estimate, 9,000 people annually made some effort to locate the Lost Dutchman's mine.[3] Former Arizona Attorney General Robert K. Corbin is among those who have looked for the mine.[4]
- ^ Richman, Irwin. The Pennsylvania Dutch Country. (2004). Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 0-7385-2458-1. Back cover: "Taking the name Pennsylvania Dutch from a corruption of their own word for themselves, "Deutsch," the first German settlers arrived in Pennsylvania in 1683".
- ^ Blair 1975, p. 12
- ^ Granger, Byrd Howell (1977). A Motif Index For Lost Mines and Treasures Applied to Redaction of Arizona Legends, and to Lost Mine and Treasure Legends Exterior to Arizona. Tucson, Arizona: University of Arizona Press. p. 99. ISBN 0-8165-0646-9.
- ^ Tom Kollenborn (August 3, 2009). "Robert K. Corbin's Legacy". Kollenborn Chronicles. Retrieved September 3, 2009.