Tag Archives: Arizona legend

The Lost Goldmine

Text: “Legend has it that a German settler moved to the Phoenix, Arizona area and was working in the Peralta Mine of the Superstition Mountains in East Phoenix, about one hour from the city of Mesa. In the late 1900s, that man was said to have become wealthy by stumbling across a section of that mine that was closed off to everyday miners. After stumbling upon the gold, he became extremely rich, and he left Phoenix to live a life enshrouded in wealth. After much time, the man grew old, and seeing the way the gold had changed his life, he didn’t want to take its source of origin to the grave. He told a nurse in his hospital the location of the hidden mine. Rumors spread regarding its location, and many people have tried to find the lost gold in the Superstition Mountains. The Superstition Mountains are rumored to be some of the most treacherous in the U.S., so if you were to get lost, you most likely wouldn’t find your way out and be left for dead. Countless bodies have been found in the mountains. People have been found with their heads removed and lost to the point of dehydration and starvation, The gold is said to be cursed as it has never been found, and those who seek it out never return.”

Context: My informant – a 29-year-old man living in Mesa, Arizona  – told me this story, drawing on a legend he had heard from one of his old bosses. My informant works in construction and infrastructure, and he was once on a job site near the base of the Superstition Mountain Range. On a lunch break, he and his coworkers began to wander into the mountains, which their boss proceeded to warn them about, calling upon the story of the lost goldmine and those who go missing in the mountains. My informant described how his boss was extremely adamant about not going into the mountains because of the legend and how many get lost in the range, and to this day, he still hasn’t ventured into them.

Analysis: After hearing this legend from my informant, I recalled a piece written by Tok Thompson on proverbs in Ethiopia. In the article, Thompson explores the rich cultural landscape of Ethiopia through the lens of Amharic proverbs. In Amharic culture, wealth is perceived as a transformative force in social relations, yet it is also believed to be determined by destiny, making the pursuit of wealth futile. The proverbs critique greed and highlight the futility of chasing wealth, which stands in stark contrast to the belief in capitalist societies like the United States, where wealth is often equated with hard work. Ethiopians value a full and meaningful life regardless of wealth, a sentiment reflected in their proverbs. 

While the legend my informant described to me doesn’t come from Ethiopia, I see a lot of Amharic cultural narratives within it. The legend tells the story of one lucky man who discovered a lot of gold in the Superstition Mountains, and when he revealed its location on his deathbed, people quickly sprung into action to find the goldmine and claim it for themselves. While the mountain range is inherently treacherous, people are still able to explore them and hike through them; however, if someone seeks out the gold that the man discovered years ago, they go missing. I feel that this legend is similar to the Amharic proverbs regarding wealth in the sense that they both discuss the consequences of greed, and how chasing wealth is a fool’s errand. My informant told me that the man who found the gold in the legend merely stumbled upon it, asserting that it was by luck. However, when people go out into the Superstition Mountains with a purpose of claiming the riches, they are never to be seen again. The legend of the lost goldmine in the Superstition Mountains, as recounted by my informant, echoes themes found in cultural narratives from around the world, including Ethiopia. The legend warns against the pitfalls of greed and the futile pursuit of wealth. While the story of the German settler who stumbled upon the gold speaks to luck, the fate of those who actively seek out the treasure serves as a cautionary tale. Through these cultural narratives, we are reminded of the folklore that transcends borders and generations. 

References:

Thompson, Tok. “Getting Ahead in Ethiopia: Amharic Proverbs about Wealth.”

Proverbium, 2009, 367-386.

Grand Canyon Vampire Encounter

Nationality: American (California/Arizona)
Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Residence: Scottsdale, Arizona
Performance Date: 3/20/2021
Primary Language: English

Informant’s Background:

My informant, JD, is a undergraduate student at Arizona State University. He currently lives in Scottsdale, Arizona. His family is American and he was born somewhere in California, but his family moved to Arizona shortly after his birth.

Context:

My informant (JD) and I (AT) are friends, after meeting online through a mutual friend during the pandemic. I asked him if he had any folklore to share.

Performance: 

JD: “So when my dad was hiking the Grand Canyon and it was like 3AM in the morning and he had his headlight on… He saw a dude walk past him without a headlamp on and the dude was like REALLY pale and he was kind of like staggering about and… he didn’t look at him or say anything and my dad was overall kind of creeped out about the guy.”

AT: “When did your dad tell you this story?”

JD: “Uhh… He just said it to me after his trip. In my kitchen, I think.”

Informant’s Thoughts:

JD: “I think it’s kind of weird. One thing he did say is-just jokingly, I guess, that it might’ve been a vampire or something but he was getting vampire vibes from the dude.”

Thoughts:

I think it’s interesting how grim situations can be made light by comparing them to pre-existing myths and legends, such as those of vampires in this case. I don’t believe its my place to say whether or not the informant’s father’s encounter with this forest wanderer was a vampire encounter or not. But if theoretically it wasn’t a vampire encounter, then this could have been a meeting with someone who is potentially lost, mentally ill, or otherwise seriously unwell, and potentially dangerous, but the father is able to change the narrative into a humorous and mythical encounter by mentioning the possibility of the person being a vampire, thus recontextualizing the original grim and bleak encounter into a more fantastical, funny, and spooky story.


Legend of the Lost Dutchman’s Gold Mine

Nationality: American
Age: 21
Occupation: Student
Residence: University of Southern California/Scottsdale, AZ
Performance Date: 3/10/15
Primary Language: English

“So in 1540, the Spanish arrived in what’s modern day Phoenix. The area was inhabited by Apache Indians who considered the Superstition Mountains the sacred ground of the Thunder God. Coronado, one of the main conquistadors in the area, was in search of a golden city and heard from Apache stories that the mountains did, in fact, have gold. The Apache refused to help the Spanish and told them they would be cursed if they trespassed. The Spanish, didn’t take heed and instead led a troop into the range and began disappearing one by one. Despite trying to keep everyone together, more men would disappear and their bodies would be found days later headless and completely mutilated. Conquistadors fled the mountain, vowing never to return. However, 200 years later the Peralta family received a land grant that encompassed the supposed gold treasure hidden in the mountains. Mining operations occurred, though in small doses to keep the Apache happy. The Peralta brothers eventually found the gold they were searching for but were unable to collect it before the American-Mexican war began. The Peralta’s then heard rumors that the Apache were coming to attack them for their intrusion on sacred grounds and concealed the entrance to the mine. They didn’t make it out of the range however, as the Apache trapped them and killed all the brothers except one who escaped. He didn’t dare come back for another 16 years before leading another expedition with 400 men, all of whom were ambushed while ascending the range and savagely ripped apart. It’s rumored that the ghosts of the Peralta’s still roam the range, waiting to attack any people trying to find their lost gold mine.”

When my roommate began telling me this story when I asked him one afternoon about stories he might know about Arizona, many memories of my childhood rushed back as I too knew the story of the Peralta’s and their supposed hauntings of the Superstition Mountains. The informant, who grew up in Scottsdale, Arizona, about 45 minutes from the Supersitions said he heard the story through his elementary school where teachers sometimes brought up the story when recalling Arizona’s history. I have experience with the story due to many family members living in the area, and when I’ve gone to visit them I’ve taken hikes through the Supersitions where my uncle would recite the story to me, though I had forgotten most of the legend until my roommate retold it.

The informant said that when he and his friends were older, they would sometimes drive then hike to one of the rumored areas of the mine to see if anything would happen. Nothing occurred the first two times they went out there besides a friend or two trying to scare others in the bushes. On the third time, however, he and his friends recall hearing footsteps behind them that accompanied a fait metal clank. He recalls it scaring the daylights out of everyone and has since never returned. I loved hearing this legend due to my fascination with the Wild West. Furthermore, due to my familiarity with the location of the legend, it gives me a feeling of both suspense and excitement to know I’ve ventured through where the legend occurred.