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The Official Online Edition of the Kollenborn Chronicles

Tom Kollenborn - is a noted author and historian of the Superstition Wilderness. He is also one of the leading experts on the Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine legend and has written numerous articles and books about the Apache Trail and related history. Tom shares his experience with the public every week in the Apache Junction News with a publication called the "Kollenborn Chronicles".

This website is made possible because of Mr. Kollenborn's extensive research and dedication of preserving the history of the Superstition Wilderness and the historic Apache Trail of Arizona. Many of Tom's books can be purchased at attractions along the Apache Trail and at Amazon.com        Click here to review Tom's publications


Secrets Of The Missing - By Tom Kollenborn © 07/26/2010

The past five or six decades have produced a variety of missing person reports within the contemporary boundaries of the Superstition Wilderness Area. Many of these missing person reports have been resolved when the missing person shows up at home or in another state claiming he didn’t think any one would miss him. A vast majority of these missing person reports are resolved by telephone calls between relatives of the missing person. However, there are those reports that defy explanation and no clues have ever been found. Many involved strange incidents involving prospectors and treasure hunters.

Some of these missing person cases are actually very bizarre. For example Adolph Ruth was reported missing in early June of 1931. The mountains were searched for almost eight weeks in the hottest part of the summer. Yet, no sign of Ruth was discovered. On December 10, 1931, Ruth’s skull was found near the First Water- Charlebois Trail just north of Bluff Springs Mountain and south of the Red Hills. The rest of his skeletal remains were found January 6, 1931. Ruth’s death was responsible for much speculation ranging from suicide, accidental death to homicide. His death still confuses many and its cause is still speculated.

Ruth’s disappearance was followed by Charley Williams, a World War I veteran, who went into the Superstition Mountains searching for gold. On January 5, 1935, Williams was reported missing. On January 8, 1935 Williams stumbled out of the mountains with a pocket full of gold nuggets telling a weird tale about being injured and not remembering anything. Eventually Williams’ gold was confiscated by the United States Government because it was dental gold, not natural gold. Williams was never charged for illegal possession of gold, but again there was a tremendous amount of speculations about his disappearance... [Click Here To Read More]


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