Now that you bring it up I recall that quote. Very intriguing isnt it?
Found this interesting page with some names dates and possible newspaper references to run down at the Apache Junction Public Library site.
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http://www.ajpl.org/aj/superstition/stories/index.htm
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http://www.ajpl.org/aj/superstition/stories/Origin%20of%20Dutchman%20Mine.pdf
THE ORIGIN OF THE LOST DUTCHMAN MINE STORY
by Tom Kollenborn (c) 1979, 1999
The Superstition Mountain has served as a beacon to the treasure hunters and the curious, attracting them from
around the world. Fortunes have been made and lost in the search for the Dutchman?s Lost Mine, however the mine has
never been found. Some claim the majestic beauty and tranquility of the region is the only treasure man will find in the
Superstition Wilderness Area.
The mine was named after an old prospector mistakenly called the ?Old Dutchman.? Jacob Waltz allegedly
discovered a rich vein of gold in the Superstition Mountain region east of Phoenix.
Hermann Petrasch was probably one of the most persistent seekers of the Jacob Waltz?s gold. You might say
Hermann Petrasch was the ?father of all modern Dutch hunters.? Hermann and his brother Rhinehart began their
search with Julia Thomas in the summer of 1892.
Carl Gottfried Hermann Petrasch was born in Hennersdorf, German on the 24th of April, 1864. Hermann arrived at
the Port of Entry, New York, New York in the spring of 1869. He had left Germany with his father Gottfried when he was
only five years old. Hermann accompanied his father to the town of Whatcom, Washington. Herman?s father traveled
widely throughout the West, first Washington, Montana then Colorado and finally to Arizona. Hermann Petrasch lived in
Arizona almost sixty years and most of those years were spent in and around the Superstition Mountain area. Petrasch
did not apply for United States citizenship until October 1938.
Hermann Petrasch arrived in Arizona shortly after the death of Jacob Waltz, of Lost Dutchman Mine fame, in
October of 1891. He came to Arizona at the request of his brother Rhinehart. He wanted Hermann to assist Julia Thomas
and him in the search for Waltz?s gold mine in the Superstition Mountains. Rhinehart claimed Julia and he had the
clues to locate Waltz?s gold mine.
Rhinehart Petrasch had been residing in Phoenix for some time and helped Julia Thomas with her business.
Some historians believe Rhinehart became a close associate of Jacob Waltz in his final days at Julia Thomas? residence
on West Jackson Street in Phoenix. Rhinehart learned a few meager clues during this period. Waltz mumbled out
several clues during those final days, but most were to Julia and not Rhinehart.
As the end became apparent for the ?Old Dutchman? he called Julia and Rhinehart to his side and gave them the
final clues to his rich gold mine. This would have been fine, but Julia and Rhinehart had been celebrating a bit much
and their minds were a little foggy. This they would later regret when they were wandering aimlessly in the mountains
east of Phoenix.
After the death of ?Old Jake,? Julia and Rhinehart tried to put the pieces together. Their first decision was to find
another partner they could trust. Julia accepted the idea of inviting Rhinehart?s brother Hermann into the partnership.
Hermann was living in Colorado at the time.
Early during the month of August 1892, shortly after Herman?s arrival, the three began the organization of the
expedition. Julia bought a team, wagon, and camping gear. Later they would find out the wagon and team was a mistake.
The group departed from Phoenix on August 11, 1892 with little fanfare. At the close of the first day the party was
camped along the Salt River south of the old Maryville crossing on the river. The second day they traveled eastward
across the desert toward the western facade of Superstition Mountain arriving in the area south of Bull Dog Peak somewhere.
At this point they realized the team and wagon would be useless in the mountains. The abandoned the wagon
and decided to pack the team. The next morning they packed up the horses and started toward the northwestern end of
Superstition Mountain in search of ?La Sombrero.? According to Hermann Petrasch they camped in Needle Canyon just
north of Weaver?s Needle for three weeks. Spirits were high among the three when they began their search, but the
torturous summer heat began to take its toll.
Toward the end of the third week the expedition collapsed from exhaustion, lack of food and water. The search
for the Waltz?s mine was abandoned and three returned to Phoenix defeated and unsuccessful. A local newspaper, the
Arizona Weekly Gazette, noted the expedition with the following excerpt on September 1, 1892, ?A Queer Quest, ?Another
Lost Mine Being Hunted By A Woman.?
This prospecting venture reduced Julia Thomas to financial ruin. She and the Petraschs were in a somewhat
destitute situation with no source of income or a place to reside. Julia soon departed company with the Petraschs and
married a farm laborer named Albert Schaffer on July 26, 1893.
At Schaffer?s encouragement Julia produced maps with what information she could remember. She became
very resourceful and began producing excellent maps illustrating how to locate the lost gold mine of Jacob Waltz.
These fraudulent sheets of paper were probably the first maps to the Dutchman?s Lost Mine.
It is also quite apparent Julia Thomas gave Peirpont C. Bicknell and interview about the Lost Dutchman Mine.
Bicknell chronicled the mine in a San Francisco Chronicle article on January 13, 1895, making reference to most of
Thomas? clues.
The abandonment of the Petraschs by Julia Thomas left them on their own. Rhinehart worked around Phoenix
for a while and eventually moved to Globe. Rhinehart worked as a caretaker at an archaeological ruin in Globe for many
years before committing suicide on February 5, 1943. Rhinehart was known as ?Old Pete? around Globe and Miami.
Hermann had many jobs working for different cattlemen around the Superstition Mountain area. He was an
excellent carpenter and worked at the old Reavis Ranch for the Clemans Cattle Company in the 1930?s. He eventually
settled near the bank of Queen Creek near the Martin Ranch. The Martin?s looked after the old Hermann for many years.
Hermann had a host of friends including my father. Newspaper reporters, authors and magazine writers visited him
from time to time. Many wrote articles about Hermann and his search for the old ?Dutchman?s? mine.
My father and I visited old Hermann Petrasch in October of 1952. He said he was ailing a bit, but was still willing
to talk about the Superstition Mountain and the fabulous Lost Dutchman Mine. Herman passed away on November 23,
1953. The awful irony of the Petrasch-Thomas episode is that their journey into the Superstitions in that blistering hot
August of 1892 had led them directly through the area where the Black Queen and Mammoth mines were discovered
later that year. Julia Thomas and the Petraschs were not successful in finding any gold, but four other men were. It
was in April 1893, after a flash flood the famous Mammoth Mine was discovered. This mine produced two million dollars
in gold bullion when gold was worth twenty dollars a troy ounce. Some believe the Mammoth Mine or Bulldog Mine was
the source of Waltz?s bonanza ore.
The legend continues today.
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