Golden Legends Tales of Buried Treasure

According to legend, tons of wealth have been hidden close to an unidentified peak in southeast Arizona that the people who first hid it there called Davis Mountain. This sizable stash was taken from a train carrying smugglers coming from Mexico. But the original loot was taken from a chapel in Matamoras, Mexico, and a bank vault in Monterey. The treasure comprised a cigar box full of diamonds, two sculpture statues of pure gold — one of the Virgin Mary and one of Jesus, sacks of gold and silver, thirty-nine bars of solid gold bullion, and multiple rawhide bags containing ninety thousand Mexican dollars. It is fitting that criminals plundered the bandit smuggler train during its journey through Skeleton Canyon. Following a robbery, fittingly, the bandit smuggler train was robbed by outlaws while going through Skeleton Canyon. The bandits dug up the treasure on Davis Mountain after plundering the smuggling train.  Despite the fact that no modern map of Arizona shows this peak, one o...

South of Tucson, Arizona lies the site of the "Lost Opata Silver Mine." The Catholic Church decided to actively convert Opata and Papago Indians in the 18th century. The Tumacacori Mission 45 miles south of Tucson was the conversion center. Then in 1766, religiosity morphed somewhat to mining a silver deposit. Several mines in the area provided silver for the Spanish crown. One mine was a storage place for the silver, and in a giant room was stacked silver. This mine was the Indians' preferred mine to work. Performing pagan rituals at night in this underground room by reflected candlelight, the Opata Indians believed they had encountered the Virgin Mary in the form of an Indian princess. The silver reflected the light in different ways by candle.  The Indians believed there was a second coming. The princess was kidnapped - their knowledge of the holy family led them to making a bargain. I she would marry the chief to produce a child savior, she could live. Her refusal pro...

Congress, Arizona in 1914 Chuck Stanton's home If it's quantity of gold nuggets and size of gold nuggets you are interested in, Rich Hill, Arizona is the place to be. High karat gold has been produced there for 100 years. It isn't just locals who love the Rich Hill. People from all over the United States and the globe come to Rich Hill seeking to find gold flakes in their pans. You can see them also using dry washers at the bottom of gulches in arroyos or metal detecting the hills. The area covers approximately 52 square miles. Antelope and Weaver creeks have been rich placer spots. North of Stanton all the way to Yarnell have seen their share of hot lode spots. Lodes of historical consequence include the Octave mine, Beehive Mine, and the Dixie-Rincon. Nearly all of this area is claimed due to its past and present richness. It is important to know who owns the land. It is divvied up among private and public entities. Homesteads, placer claims, and lode claims (350) pepper ...

 I've tried to provide a lot of ideas for homemade prospecting equipment over the years. Today I found a video with great ideas for gold pans. In fact, this has to be the best presentation on the subject I have found. You should treat yourself to this channel and learn the who, what, where and how of gold pans. Enjoy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmn67wOWGBA&t=295s

In 1748, the makings of a generational story began when Don Miguel Peralta, a Mexican cattle baron, garnered the rights to the Superstition Mountains. This began the legend of the Lost Dutchman Gold Mine. For 100 years, Peraltas mined Superstition gold. As the story goes, the family over the years brought wagons full of gold back to Mexico. The trips to Arizona were quick, as they were always in fear of Apache attacks. Pedro de Peralta made a final trip to the mines in 1847 - 1848 in the winter. Supposedly, Peralta and his fellow miners blocked the portal for fear of discovery and an imminent attack. On the way back to Mexico laden with gold (about a 100-mile trip to the border) the Apache killed them all. About 20 years later, another Peralta family member wanted to return to the mine. With a contingent of 400 men, this Peralta again entered the Superstition Mountains. All were killed by the Apache save one, according to the popular narrative. A few years later, in 1870, Jacob Waltz ...

A Story of the Passion to Discover, Reported April 19, 2023  As David Hower puts it, " Something is down there. There’s too much scientific evidence now in place to deny it. And the truth about what lies inside that Ohio hillside will emerge, maybe later this year. Until then, Somers will suppress his urge to claw deeper into the earth. But in every other meaningful way, he’ll remain down in that hole until the last shovelful of dirt has been turned over." Treasure Hunters May Have Found Jesse James's Lost Gold (popularmechanics.com)

There are two things common to gizmos designed to separate gold from heavy fines; water and agitation. All agitate, and nearly all use water. This write-up will discuss the mechanism of the highbanker with attention paid to advantages and disadvantages. The Highbanker: An Automatic Power Sluice - Owlcation As is the case with anything, you can really go basic when you start out gold prospecting by using the minimum number of tools. For that matter, all you really need is a pan! However, there are four tools that will help the prospector save time—and time savings ensues more work and a superior gold yield. Here are a few tool suggestions. 4 Important Inexpensive Basic Tools for Gold Prospecting - HobbyLark   Culverts to crevices to old ore piles and grassy areas where gold has been found to stream beds in the hills - these are all places you can discover gold. Knowing about a few of these places can increase your chances of finding color. https://owlcation.com/misc/Not-So-Common-Pl...