Lost Dutchman State Park is named for the famous "Lost Dutchman mine". This story has been developed over several generations of treasure seekers, and began actually during the Spanish occupation of the area. It is a fact that a land grant was issued in 1872 to a man named Peralta. From there, it's hard to tell fact from fiction. The legend has evolved over 152 years to include unsolved murders, forged documents, shifting locations, Apache Indians, and anyone connected to the infamous Spanish-Mexican Peralta family as well as two (or more) German immigrants. Several books have been written either entirely on this mine and legend, or at least including it in the overview of other lost mines. One good source is the book Lost Bonanzas, by Harry Sinclair Drago (1966). The book contains the stories of lost mines in 7 western states. The Lost Dutchman mine has inspired hundreds if not thousands of treasure hunters, and historians interested not only in the mining aspect but western history. No surprise, there is a Lost Dutchman Mining Association. It's a part of a larger organization. Check out the blog at Gold Prospectors Association of America. They have educational opportunities for folks interested in learning about the hobby and an occasional "annual" rendezvous that looks like a great opportunity to meet other hobby miners.
The buildings have been maintained and restored nicely, filled with shops of various types, and offering everything from snack to full meals in the saloon where dance hall girls will deliver your your order to your table.
The ceiling of entrance to the saloon is adorned with hundreds of pairs of boots.
We never found an explanation for the tradition, but it beats business cards for atmosphere!
Across the street from Goldfield is the Superstition Mountain Museum and gift shop. The small museum is a good source for local information and history, as are the many books on local topics that the gift shop has in stock. There are buildings around the grounds that relate to the local history too. One is the Elvis Chapel that was featured in an Elvis Presley movie. They offer very popular free lectures on relevant local history and other aspects of the area every Thursday. The recent one, on a local amethyst mine, included a discount on amethyst jewelry. You should have see the overflow in the parking lot!
Thursday, Feb 1 - We aren't here to look for the mine, that's for sure. But viewing the landscape that figured largely in the history of it is fascinating.
A rock formation known as "Weaver's Needle", for instance, was one of the few stable landmarks used as a clue to the mine's location whenever it was described.
We took a day trip on the Apache Trail (Hwy 88) as far as Canyon Lake and then east to Tortilla Flat. About half way up we had a chance to view the "needle". The small peak to the right in the photo is the far-away "needle", looking like a dollop of whipped cream.
It is a part of the larger Superstition Mountains formation (plural - as opposed to The Superstition Mountain where we are camped). From a distance it doesn't look very imposing but as a landmark it's useful as it's isolated and easily seen. The difficulty is, how far from the needle formation, and in which direction is the mine? The needle is visible from quite a distance leading searchers to wander over hundreds of miles of rocky, arid desert land.
The Apache Trail (Hwy 88) was established first as a footpath/horse/stagecoach road. it is a really narrow, winding road with some pretty amazing switch-backs. It would take us past three lakes if we choose to go to the end, but that's not even possible currently, as landslides closed the whole road in 2019 when storms caused flash flooding. A post on the Watson's Wander blog from 2013 has a good map of the original road and some photos from Tortilla Flat. The half of the road closest to the park is open now, so we were able to visit the historic settlement of Tortilla Flat. (Not the related to Steinbeck's book, or the movie, which are based in California).
The historic site was at one time a stagecoach stop, and has now been in continuous operation for over 100 years.
Tortilla Flat has burned to the ground at least once, and been totally flooded at least once, but still it survives. At one point it served as a supply source for the development of the dams, now it serves primarily tourists and those who have boats of various sorts at the marina at the edge of town. More of the history is here in a Jan, 2024 article
Now, the town is a peaceful tourist stop. The residents of Tortilla Flat have taken good advantage of building on their history. There's an old time photography business alongside the small museum, a saloon offering meals, and of course, the largest business in town has a variety of snacks and souvenirs.
Resident Sheriff Karen and the mayor keep the peace.
A friendly, laid-back sheriff greats visitors on the sidewalk and keeps the peace with her ready sidearm (a fully loaded squirt gun!). Other period costumed cowboys and dancehall girls wander the streets, creating an atmosphere of having gone back in time.
The nearby marina on Canyon Lake offers scenic boat tours on the Dolly Steamboat so visitors can learn more of the area's history while enjoying the scenery.
The reunion we're headed for happens in Glendale, Arizona so we pack up in the morning and head that direction. Stay tuned!
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