Besides the Lost Dutchman’s Lost Mine, there is evidence of seven to eighteen other mines in the Superstition Mountains. Seven of the mines were reported by Charles M. Clark, the telegrapher in the city of Maricopa (south of Phoenix) in 1874 when he grub-staked Ramon Peralta Gonzales. Ramon came to search for his relative’s mines, and he had a map showing the location of several mines. The map indicated a tributary canyon intersecting a river from the southeast. This canyon was Canyon Fresco. This tributary had a smaller tributary intersecting it from the east. There were markings near the junction indicating a mine. But, he told the bartender (Clark) who saw the map, that Canyon Fresco had many mines in it. Ramon claimed there were 7 mines which his family had been working.
Many Lost Dutchman researchers caim that there is actually 10 mines in the Superstition Mountains which were owned by the Peralta Family. The Peralta Stone Maps specifically the Heart Map is the source of their claim. The Heart Map has a stone insert when in place completes a trail map to the location of the treasure. Underneath the stone insert, there is a number 10 with the mine symbol next to it along with the number 1847. My guess is 1847 is either a date of the map’s creation, or it is some measurement or distance.
It is also argued there are a total of 18 other mines in the Superstition Mountains because of the phrase on the Priest Map which translates to “I go 18 places”. These places are probably observation points along the trail on the heart map and mountain map and not actually 18 mines. If you count the dots along the trail, you will get 18 points. These points were places to view certain key landmarks which may be identified as shown on the maps.
Reference books:
- The Lost Dutchman Newsletters, Volume 1, June 1989 Through May 1990, Southwest Publications, Colorado Springs, Co, 1990, pgs 22-23.
- The Sterling Legend, The Facts Behind the Lost Dutchman Mine, by Estee Conatser, Gem Guides Book Company, California, 1972
- Lost Dutchman Mine Discoveries, Jay Fraser, Affiliated Writers of America, Tempe, Arizona, 1988
- Thunder God's Gold, Barry Storm, Schuse Publishing, Goldfield, Az, 1986, pgs 32-35.
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