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 The
Superstition Mountain has served as a beacon to
treasure hunters and the curious, attracting them
from around the world. Fortunes have been made and
lost in the search for the Lost Dutchman Mine,
however, the mine has never been found. Some claim
the majestic beauty and tranquility of the region is
the only treasure man will find in the Superstition
Wilderness Area.
The Lost Dutchman Mine was name after Jacob Waltz,
an old German prospector mistakenly called the “Old
Dutchman.” He allegedly discovered a rich gold vein
in the Superstition Mountain region east of Phoenix.
Hermann Petrasch was probably one of the most
persistent seekers of Waltz’s mine. You might say
Hermann was the “father of all modern Dutch
hunters.” Hermann and his brother Rhinehart began
their search for the mine with Julia Thomas in the
summer of 1892.
Carl Gottfried Hermann Petrasch was born in
Hennersdorf, Germany on the 24th day of April 1864.
Hermann arrived at the Port of Entry, New York, New
York in the spring of 1869. He had left Germany with
his father Gottfried when he was only five years
old. Herman accompanied his father to the town of
Whatcom, Wash. Herman’s father traveled widely
throughout the West, first Washington, Montana,
Colorado, and finally to Arizona. Hermann lived in
Arizona almost 60 years and most of those years were
spent in and around the Superstition Mountain area.
Petrasch did not apply for United States citizenship
until October 1938.
 Hermann
Petrasch arrived in Arizona shortly after the death
of Jacob Waltz in October of 1891. He came to
Arizona at the request of his brother Rhinehart.
Rhinehart wanted Hermann to assist Julia Thomas and
him in the search for Waltz’s gold mine in the
Superstition Mountains. Rhinehart claimed that he
and Julia had the clues to locate Waltz’s rich gold
mine.
Rhinehart Petrasch had been residing in Phoenix for
some time and helped Julia Thomas with her business.
Some historians believe Rhinehart became a close
associate of Jacob Waltz in his final days at
Julia’s residence on West Jackson Street in Phoenix.
Rhinehart learned a few meager clues during this
period some believe, but not enough to find the
mine. Waltz may or may not have mumbled out any
clues in the final days of his life. If any clues
were given out, surely Waltz would have given them
to Julia, his caregiver during his long illness.
As the end became apparent for the “Old Dutchman” he
called Julia and Rhinehart to his side, some say,
and gave them the final clues to his rich gold mine
in the Superstitions. This would have been fine, but
Julia and Rhinehart had been celebrating a bit to
much and their minds were a little foggy. This they
would regret when they wandered aimlessly in the
mountains searching for Waltz’s mine.
Julia and Rhinehart tried to put the pieces together
after the death of old “Jake.” Their first decision
was to find another partner they could trust. Julia
accepted the idea of inviting Rhinehart’s brother
Hermman to join them in the search for Waltz’s mine.
Hermann was living in Colorado at the time.
Early in August of 1892, shortly after Herman
Petrash’s arrival in Phoenix, Julia Thomas,
Rhinehart and Hermann Petrash began to organize
their expedition to search for the Lost Dutchman
Mine. Julia Thomas had purchased a team, wagon, and
camping gear for their expedition into the
Superstition Mountains. The group departed Phoenix
before sunrise on August 11, 1892, with little
fanfare. The party moved slowly along the old
Tempe-Lehi Road. They spent their first night at
Marysville Crossing. The next morning they turned
southeastward toward Superstition Mountain and the
desert flatland west of the mountains. The second
day of travel eastward across the desert toward the
western face of Superstition Mountain proved
difficult until they found some wagons tracks. These
wagon tracks lead northeast toward Superstition
Mountain, but crossing washes became very difficult
for their overloaded wagon.
Somewhere along this point the group realized they
had to abandon the wagon.
They spent their next night under the cliffs of
Superstition Mountain. At sunrise the next morning
they were packing up their two horses and decided to
walk toward the northwestern end of Superstition
Mountain. Julia Thomas was searching for La
Sombrero, the pointed peak she said Jacob Waltz had
told her about.
NEXT WEEK - PART II |
