Arizona Notes

The Superstition Mountains areThe Superstition Mountains are

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to the myth of the Lost to the myth of the Lost DutchmanDutchman

•Learning Goals: Learning Goals: •Identify how mining Identify how mining influences the impact of the influences the impact of the location of resources.location of resources.

•Describe the impact of myths Describe the impact of myths on the culture of Arizona.on the culture of Arizona.

• Journal Question: Journal Question: Imagine that Imagine that you work in an Arizona mine. Write you work in an Arizona mine. Write a journal entry about a day in your a journal entry about a day in your life.life. You can include in your entry You can include in your entry something about people trying to something about people trying to steal from the mine and that some steal from the mine and that some of the minerals are taken and of the minerals are taken and buried. This will turn your mine buried. This will turn your mine story into a treasure myth.story into a treasure myth.

• Mining is a very important industry Mining is a very important industry in Arizona. It raises a lot of money in Arizona. It raises a lot of money for the economy of the state. for the economy of the state. There are many stories relating to There are many stories relating to lost mines in Arizona. Mark Twain lost mines in Arizona. Mark Twain supposedly wrote, “A gold miner is supposedly wrote, “A gold miner is a liar standing next to a hole in the a liar standing next to a hole in the ground.” Many people have lost ground.” Many people have lost money on miners promoting fake money on miners promoting fake mines. Yet, in order to understand mines. Yet, in order to understand Arizona, a person must learn about Arizona, a person must learn about the mining history and lost the mining history and lost treasure myths of the state.treasure myths of the state.

1.1. The earliest The earliest SpanishSpanishexplorers in explorers in ArizonaArizona were were looking for looking for goldgoldand they wanted and they wanted NativeNative AmericansAmericansto to givegive it to them. it to them.

             

 

             

 

             

 

             

 

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2.2. A Spanish A Spanish missionarymissionary, , named named Marcos Marcos de Nizade Niza, he was , he was probably the probably the first first SpaniardSpaniard to enter to enter Arizona. He Arizona. He was looking for was looking for the the SevenSeven CitiesCities of of CibolaCibola..

       

    

3. Marcos De Niza had a 3. Marcos De Niza had a guideguide named named Estevanico Estevanico on his on his journey. De Niza journey. De Niza sent Estevanico to sent Estevanico to scoutscout ahead looking ahead looking for better for better routesroutes & & dangerdanger. After visiting . After visiting an area named an area named VacapaVacapa, near , near SonoraSonora. . Estevanico scouted Estevanico scouted ahead and was ahead and was supposedly supposedly killedkilled by by Native AmericansNative Americans..

4. The 4. The peoplepeople that continued on that continued on after after EstevanicoEstevanico was was killedkilled saw a saw a giant citygiant city that that shimmered with shimmered with goldgold and and silversilver off in the off in the distancedistance. . HistoriansHistorians believe that the believe that the mica-inflected mica-inflected clay of the clay of the adobeadobe pueblos may have pueblos may have created an created an optical illusionoptical illusion when reflected by the setting when reflected by the setting sunsun. The . The explorersexplorers that that survived went back to survived went back to Mexico Mexico CityCity and spread the word that and spread the word that the the Seven Cities of CibolaSeven Cities of Cibola existed.existed.

5. Shrouded in mystery, the 5. Shrouded in mystery, the Lost Dutchman gold mineLost Dutchman gold mine is not only allegedly is not only allegedly extremely extremely richrich in gold, but in gold, but is also said to have a is also said to have a cursecurse upon it. The upon it. The SpanishSpanish decided to explore the area decided to explore the area even though the even though the Apache Apache IndiansIndians in the area in the area threatenedthreatened them with them with deathdeath. Many Spanish . Many Spanish disappeareddisappeared when they when they started to explore. The started to explore. The mountains do contain mountains do contain goldgold and and silversilver..

        

   

Native Americans have supposedly cursed the Superstition mountains because they told the Spanish to stay out.

6. About 6. About 4545 miles south of miles south of TucsonTucson, Arizona sits the , Arizona sits the Tumacacori MissionTumacacori Mission. This . This 1818thth century century CatholicCatholic Church was once manned Church was once manned by Spaniards in the by Spaniards in the hopes of hopes of convertingconverting the the pagan Opata and Papago pagan Opata and Papago Indians Indians to to ChristianityChristianity. . The The missionariesmissionaries had a had a second goal when they second goal when they discovered discovered silversilver in the in the area in 1766.  Quickly, area in 1766.  Quickly, they put the they put the IndiansIndians to to work as work as slavesslaves mining mining the silver in several the silver in several mines throughout the mines throughout the area.area.  

MinerMiner

7. One night the Indians tied 7. One night the Indians tied an Indian an Indian PrincessPrincess to the to the silversilver because she refused because she refused to to marrymarry the Indian the Indian ChiefChief. . The Chief The Chief poisonedpoisoned the the princess. When the princess. When the SpanishSpanish found out about found out about what the what the IndiansIndians did they did they sealedsealed the mine with the the mine with the deaddead princess and princess and silversilver inside. According to the inside. According to the legend, both the silver and legend, both the silver and her skeletal remains still her skeletal remains still lie hidden somewhere near lie hidden somewhere near the Tumacacori Mission.the Tumacacori Mission.

8. The 8. The mythsmyths and and lost mineslost mines help show that even help show that even though the growth of though the growth of Arizona is recent there is Arizona is recent there is still a lot of history to be still a lot of history to be explored. Marshall Trimble, explored. Marshall Trimble, an Arizona historian states, an Arizona historian states, “If ya stumble on a rock, “If ya stumble on a rock, don’t cuss it– cash it.” The don’t cuss it– cash it.” The goldgold and and silversilver rushes rushes created dramatic changes created dramatic changes in 19in 19thth century Arizona. century Arizona. The myths presented in The myths presented in this slideshow are just a this slideshow are just a few of the many stories few of the many stories about lost mines and about lost mines and treasure in Arizona.treasure in Arizona.

                         

  

Jacob Waltz, the Jacob Waltz, the Lost DutchmanLost Dutchman

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