Steve Jenkins
Jr. Member
I live in Cave Creek and have heard folks mention that some local land owners have believed that the LDM is in the Cave Creek mining district since I moved here.
I know there are arguments that it is not and the majority view is that it is not. I am not looking for arguments against I can list many. I am looking for any information that supports the position. I will list a few for starters.
1-many old timers believed that Waltz’ mine was North of Phoenix both while he was alive and in the first few years after his death. Waltz usually left Phoenix as discretly as possible and traveled east when heading out to his mine. I have heard he came back into Phoenix from the north and traveled straight down central street to the assay office on his return.
2- in the early days after his death and before all the books were published many of the first generation of Dutch hunters traveled north to the Cave Creek mining district in search of his mine. One of these was Jim Bark of the Bark notes, one of the very first writings involving the LDM. At one time he believed the LDM was on property that was part of the Sears-Kay Ranch just Northeast of modern day Cave Creek which was located roughly in the middle of the Cave Creek Camp Creek mining District.
As a result of Jim’s interest in the area he developed a relationship with Perry Sears and eventually became a hand on the ranch. It was here Jim learned the ranching skills to ultimately buy an interest in and run his own ranch in the Superstions. Jim owned an interest in one of the ranches that made up the Barkley operation. Jim ultimately married Perry Sear’s sister Lena. It was Lena’s disdain with the heat of Central Arizona summers that caused them to move to California.
3- when Waltz was alive the Superstition range ran much further north. The north half was renamed the McDowels after the fort after Jacob Waltz died.
4- Waltz mentioned the “Old Military” road in one of his clues. The military did not routinely travel through what we now call the Suoerstions. They may have traveled through there as needed but not routinely. The “New military Road” is what is now Cave Creek road. It was built to streamline the support and supplies between Ft McDowel and Ft Whipple. It passes right by what is now known as the Sears-Kay ruins, a Hohokom Indian ruin that was once on Ranch property. The “Old Military road” was an ancient Pima footpath that the Calvery began using in interactions with the Pima and later as a supply route between the two forts before the new road was completed. The old road passed roughly along the road known today as Pima Road. Back in the day it passed through the Sears-Kay ranch. Today it terminates at the intersection of Cave Creek road aka the new military road just northwest of the town of Cave Creek and just a few miles from the Sears- Kay ruin.
5- one of the clues left by Waltz was Black Mesa. While the Supers has a Black Mesa the Cave Creek area also had a Mesa called Black Mesa, both then and now.
6- Waltz spoke of the Needle not Weavers Needle. Pinacle Road is called that because of Pinacle Peak. Pinacle Peak is in plane view over long parts of the Old Military road, the new military road and the hill on which the Sears Kay Ruin sits on. Back in the day Pinacle Peak was called “Miners Needle.”
7- Waltz spoke of a “Thunder God” an archeological structure worshiped by the Apache. The most prominent object one sees as they approach the trail leading to the Sears-Kay ruin is an unusual and large stone object that looks like the head or a great warrior. It was revered by the Apache.
8- Waltz spoke of a Spanish arastra. There is or was remains of an old arastra on what was once Sears- Kay property.
9- the geology of the area is ideal for gold. The mountains to the west of the new military road are veined with Quartz and the washes that run down from them were commonly paned for gold and most of them have mining roads alongside that head up to former mines.
10- “no miner would look for my mine where it is”or something to that affect.
I know there are arguments that it is not and the majority view is that it is not. I am not looking for arguments against I can list many. I am looking for any information that supports the position. I will list a few for starters.
1-many old timers believed that Waltz’ mine was North of Phoenix both while he was alive and in the first few years after his death. Waltz usually left Phoenix as discretly as possible and traveled east when heading out to his mine. I have heard he came back into Phoenix from the north and traveled straight down central street to the assay office on his return.
2- in the early days after his death and before all the books were published many of the first generation of Dutch hunters traveled north to the Cave Creek mining district in search of his mine. One of these was Jim Bark of the Bark notes, one of the very first writings involving the LDM. At one time he believed the LDM was on property that was part of the Sears-Kay Ranch just Northeast of modern day Cave Creek which was located roughly in the middle of the Cave Creek Camp Creek mining District.
As a result of Jim’s interest in the area he developed a relationship with Perry Sears and eventually became a hand on the ranch. It was here Jim learned the ranching skills to ultimately buy an interest in and run his own ranch in the Superstions. Jim owned an interest in one of the ranches that made up the Barkley operation. Jim ultimately married Perry Sear’s sister Lena. It was Lena’s disdain with the heat of Central Arizona summers that caused them to move to California.
3- when Waltz was alive the Superstition range ran much further north. The north half was renamed the McDowels after the fort after Jacob Waltz died.
4- Waltz mentioned the “Old Military” road in one of his clues. The military did not routinely travel through what we now call the Suoerstions. They may have traveled through there as needed but not routinely. The “New military Road” is what is now Cave Creek road. It was built to streamline the support and supplies between Ft McDowel and Ft Whipple. It passes right by what is now known as the Sears-Kay ruins, a Hohokom Indian ruin that was once on Ranch property. The “Old Military road” was an ancient Pima footpath that the Calvery began using in interactions with the Pima and later as a supply route between the two forts before the new road was completed. The old road passed roughly along the road known today as Pima Road. Back in the day it passed through the Sears-Kay ranch. Today it terminates at the intersection of Cave Creek road aka the new military road just northwest of the town of Cave Creek and just a few miles from the Sears- Kay ruin.
5- one of the clues left by Waltz was Black Mesa. While the Supers has a Black Mesa the Cave Creek area also had a Mesa called Black Mesa, both then and now.
6- Waltz spoke of the Needle not Weavers Needle. Pinacle Road is called that because of Pinacle Peak. Pinacle Peak is in plane view over long parts of the Old Military road, the new military road and the hill on which the Sears Kay Ruin sits on. Back in the day Pinacle Peak was called “Miners Needle.”
7- Waltz spoke of a “Thunder God” an archeological structure worshiped by the Apache. The most prominent object one sees as they approach the trail leading to the Sears-Kay ruin is an unusual and large stone object that looks like the head or a great warrior. It was revered by the Apache.
8- Waltz spoke of a Spanish arastra. There is or was remains of an old arastra on what was once Sears- Kay property.
9- the geology of the area is ideal for gold. The mountains to the west of the new military road are veined with Quartz and the washes that run down from them were commonly paned for gold and most of them have mining roads alongside that head up to former mines.
10- “no miner would look for my mine where it is”or something to that affect.
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