The Silver Madonna and Other Tales of America's Greatest Lost Treasures by W.C. Jameson
Authors: W.C. Jameson
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into the range in pursuit of gold.
For years, the Superstition Mountains remained quiet and undisturbed. Few other than Apache Indians passed through the area, and they remained constantly on guard against the return of the intruding miners. Unknown to the Indians at the time, the Mexican Revolution of 1821 marked the end of the Spanish reign in the region, thus prohibiting them from returning to the mountains to extract more of the gold.
Many years later in Mexico, a man named Peralta learned of the rich gold mines in the Superstition Mountains that the Spanish had been forced to abandon. For decades, the Peralta family operated several successful gold mines in the Mexican state of Sonora as well as southern Arizona, which at the time was part of Mexico. They became intrigued with the possibility of extending their interests into the Superstition Mountains. After obtaining geological, geographical, and engineering information on the Superstition mines, Don Miguel Peralta II organized a party to travel to the isolated and still dangerous range with the hope of locating gold and reopening the existing shafts.
During the following months, Peralta employed geologists, engineers, and laborers as well as dozens of armed guards for protection against marauding Indians. By the time the Peralta expedition departed Mexico for the Superstition Mountains, it numbered over four hundred men.
On arriving in the range the Peralta Expedition, employing the Spanish maps, relocated several placer mines and reopened some of the more productive shafts. The laborers worked as long as eighteen hours each day, seven days per week.
As it turned out, mining gold in the Superstition range was as profitable for Peralta as it had been for the Spaniards, and an immense fortune in the ore had been mined and shipped from the range. During the 1840s Peralta, now in his sixties, learned of the impending Treaty of Hidalgo, an agreement that would grant that part of Mexico to the United States. The treaty was to take effect in 1848, so Peralta hurried to mine as much gold as he could before being forced from the area.
In addition to having to deal with the approaching deadlines of the treaty, Peralta also had to contend with the growing number of raids by the Indians. Miners, guards, and hunters often fell victim to Apache arrows. Over time, talk of the Curse of the Superstition Mountains occupied the conversations of the Mexicans.
As the time to depart the area approached, Peralta, like the Spanish before him, covered and camouflaged all of the mine shafts, believing it would serve as a deterrent to others who might come to the range in search of the gold. Peralta was hopeful he would be able to return and reopen the mines in the future.
After having tons of gold loaded onto mules, Peralta transported his wealth back to Mexico via a series of pack trains. Because time was limited, and because of the abundance of gold and the shortage of mules, Peralta was forced to bury millions of dollars’ worth of ore at a number of secret locations not far from the shafts.
One such pack train consisting of twenty mules, each carrying heavy leather sacks filled with gold ore and led by a contingent of armed and mounted guards, wound its way through the canyons and out of the range on its way to Mexico City. As mules and guards passed single file along a narrow trail that paralleled Camp Creek, they were ambushed by Apaches.
Panicked, the guards bolted, only to be overtaken by the Indians and slaughtered. Moments later, the excited and milling mules were rounded up. The Apaches considered mule meat a delicacy and were anxious to herd the animals back to their campground. On the other hand, the Indians cared little for gold other than for ornaments such as armbands and necklaces. Within minutes, they cut the packs away and scattered the gold in the creek bed. To this day, hikers along Camp Creek still pick up gold nuggets from the sands and gravels of this
For years, the Superstition Mountains remained quiet and undisturbed. Few other than Apache Indians passed through the area, and they remained constantly on guard against the return of the intruding miners. Unknown to the Indians at the time, the Mexican Revolution of 1821 marked the end of the Spanish reign in the region, thus prohibiting them from returning to the mountains to extract more of the gold.
Many years later in Mexico, a man named Peralta learned of the rich gold mines in the Superstition Mountains that the Spanish had been forced to abandon. For decades, the Peralta family operated several successful gold mines in the Mexican state of Sonora as well as southern Arizona, which at the time was part of Mexico. They became intrigued with the possibility of extending their interests into the Superstition Mountains. After obtaining geological, geographical, and engineering information on the Superstition mines, Don Miguel Peralta II organized a party to travel to the isolated and still dangerous range with the hope of locating gold and reopening the existing shafts.
During the following months, Peralta employed geologists, engineers, and laborers as well as dozens of armed guards for protection against marauding Indians. By the time the Peralta expedition departed Mexico for the Superstition Mountains, it numbered over four hundred men.
On arriving in the range the Peralta Expedition, employing the Spanish maps, relocated several placer mines and reopened some of the more productive shafts. The laborers worked as long as eighteen hours each day, seven days per week.
As it turned out, mining gold in the Superstition range was as profitable for Peralta as it had been for the Spaniards, and an immense fortune in the ore had been mined and shipped from the range. During the 1840s Peralta, now in his sixties, learned of the impending Treaty of Hidalgo, an agreement that would grant that part of Mexico to the United States. The treaty was to take effect in 1848, so Peralta hurried to mine as much gold as he could before being forced from the area.
In addition to having to deal with the approaching deadlines of the treaty, Peralta also had to contend with the growing number of raids by the Indians. Miners, guards, and hunters often fell victim to Apache arrows. Over time, talk of the Curse of the Superstition Mountains occupied the conversations of the Mexicans.
As the time to depart the area approached, Peralta, like the Spanish before him, covered and camouflaged all of the mine shafts, believing it would serve as a deterrent to others who might come to the range in search of the gold. Peralta was hopeful he would be able to return and reopen the mines in the future.
After having tons of gold loaded onto mules, Peralta transported his wealth back to Mexico via a series of pack trains. Because time was limited, and because of the abundance of gold and the shortage of mules, Peralta was forced to bury millions of dollars’ worth of ore at a number of secret locations not far from the shafts.
One such pack train consisting of twenty mules, each carrying heavy leather sacks filled with gold ore and led by a contingent of armed and mounted guards, wound its way through the canyons and out of the range on its way to Mexico City. As mules and guards passed single file along a narrow trail that paralleled Camp Creek, they were ambushed by Apaches.
Panicked, the guards bolted, only to be overtaken by the Indians and slaughtered. Moments later, the excited and milling mules were rounded up. The Apaches considered mule meat a delicacy and were anxious to herd the animals back to their campground. On the other hand, the Indians cared little for gold other than for ornaments such as armbands and necklaces. Within minutes, they cut the packs away and scattered the gold in the creek bed. To this day, hikers along Camp Creek still pick up gold nuggets from the sands and gravels of this
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