ArizonaRealCountry.com 7 January 2019 The mystical Superstition Mountains and the legend of Jacob Waltz’s lost treasure will no doubt spark the imaginations of dreamers and adventurers for many years to come. The old Dutchman was alleged to have said, “I know of a treasure that will make twenty men millionaires.” Over the years since his passing, we have seen his prophecy come true. On the other hand, there are those rife to say “the only treasure to be found is the beauty and tranquility of the Superstition Mountain area.” Today the history of the region proves to be yet another source of richness. This is a treasure that can be reviewed and shared by anyone who wishes to take the time to do so. Immediately following the Civil War it became of paramount importance for this country to count its losses and move forward. The Civil War and Reconstruction period immediately following were two of the most difficult times to confront the fledgling United States of America. The country needed to refill her coffers and unify into one grand establishment... it was manifest destiny for the country to reach from coast to coast. Arizona played a large part in allowing that unification to take place. Recognizing Arizona’s richness in mineral wealth, and her vast agricultural contribution, in 1863 President Lincoln wasted no time in declaring this area “Arizona Territory.” While the rumor of Jacob Waltz’s great wealth may have inadvertently influenced decisions made toward Arizona achieving statehood, there were two major events that took place that definitely did. These events were far beyond anything that the Dutchman could have comprehended. Apache Junction and the Apache Trail proved to be integral participants in moving the country forward. It is a curiosity that so much material has been related through the years concerning this one insignificant immigrant, whose wealth has supposedly never been relocated or enjoyed by anyone, save himself. Perhaps this writer is too pragmatic where the Jacob Waltz issue is concerned, especially when one considers the seeming lack of absolute information available upon which to draw reliable conclusions. While living in the Phoenix area, it is conjecture that Waltz walked over and prospected a true bonanza in an area located some forty miles east. Less than a year after his demise, this same area became known as the Goldfields, in the Superstition Mining District. Ironically, while the old man lay laughing in his grave, Julia Thomas, a woman with whom he had spent his last bedridden days and to whom he had offered obscure clues to the location of his treasure, went searching the Superstition Mountain region . . . she found nothing. Upon her return to Phoenix, she decided that the best way to recoup her losses was to produce maps disclosing By Hank Sheffer, “The Old Storyteller” the location of Waltz’s treasure. They were based loosely on the information he gave her before his death but were as worthless as the trip she had taken. The irony of the whole situation is threefold: 1) Julia Thomas walked over the same ground Waltz traveled earlier; 2) The only money she ever accrued, even remotely relating to Waltz, was through the sale of her bogus maps; and 3) Jake’s gold never originated in the Goldfield area. The missing gold has remained as elusive to treasure seekers over the last hundred years as it was to Julia Thomas. Old Jacob Waltz died on October 25, 1891, taking with him whatever secrets he had. On the other hand, in 1892, the discovery of gold in the Goldfields opened that area with a vengeance. By 1893, it was well on its way to becoming a true boomtown. Upon careful examination, it was discovered that the gold samples supposedly possessed by Jacob and Julia proved to be inconsistent with ore found in the Goldfield area. Perhaps that became the fourth and greatest irony of all. That is to say, Jacob Waltz missed it too. The discovery of gold in the Superstition Mining District was one of those two major events mentioned earlier. The names of some of Arizona’s most prominent pioneers were all directly linked with the perpetuation and prosecution of the success of Goldfield. It became instrumental in the rough and tumble territory achieving statehood. The other event that walked hand in hand with Goldfield was the construction of Roosevelt Dam. It is necessary to understand the happenstance in Arizona Territory at that time to keep the significance of these events in proper perspective. For many years immediately following the Civil War, talk about becoming a state had been bandied about. John M. Irwin related in an article to the North American Review, 1893, his sentiments concerning the issue when he wrote: The Territory of Arizona is knocking at the door of Congress and asks admission into the Union of States. The condition of a Territory is dependence upon the National Government. That of a state is independence in all things excepting when a constitutional limitation is imposed. A Territory is a vassalage. A State is an equality. A Territory is under tutelage. A State is a full grown man with no master. A State governs itself, elects its own officials and enacts its own laws. A Territory is governed by officials appointed by the President of the United States, and in the past, these officers have usually been selected from the older states and have little or no knowledge of the people or the country they are sent to rule. A territorial legislature can, it is true, enact laws, but these laws are subject to the approval or disapproval of Congress, which knows little and cares less about the needs of a region hundreds of miles away. A Territory has no vote in Congress and no voice in the election of a President. A citizen of a territory is a citizen of the United States, but because he crossed an imaginary line he has lost the privileges held by other citizens who remain in the States. A Territory is taxed but has no representation. Its existence is an anomaly and as soon as it can fulfill the conditions it should be received into the Union and given all the rights and privileges of Statehood... Arizona should be a State. Very early on, another pioneer, Jack Swilling, made some other observations. He saw the importance of agriculture and the control of water. He knew that the man who could pull the strings of control to supplying water to a desolate land would control some very substantial strings. Goldfield, and other locations like it, was proving both Irwin and Swilling correct. There can be no doubt that Goldfield grew by leaps and bounds during her first few years of existence. News of Goldfield’s growth in the Superstition Mining District was reported daily by the Arizona Republican. W. A. Kimball, the owner of the Kimball Stage Line servicing Goldfield and Mesa “is completing the construction of the Kimball House.” W. C. White, proprietor of the Mammoth Saloon, advertised frequently in the same paper, as did the Lamb Brothers for their “fine corral and Lamb Brothers Hotel measuring 20 feet by 50 feet, a two-story building.” Mr. Kimball has continued construction “completing a new stable, corral, and bunkhouse for the benefit of the ever-increasing number of miners arriving in camp.” There are approximately 100 people in camp working. During this same time frame, it is intimated “there is a need for a Post Office facility to service the area,” once again reinforcing the rapid growth of the town. On October 7, 1893, the Arizona Republican reported the establishment of the needed post office. It is not inconsistent to believe the post office was located in the Farmers Exchange on the main street which ran through town. This is supported by evidence from an article which reflected, “There was a runaway stage team in front of Farmers Exchange while waiting for packages to be loaded aboard.” It is indeed fortunate that a man by the name of Lewis H. Eddy spent a great deal of time in the Superstition Mining District. It is through his foresight to chronicle daily occurrences that we have the wealth of documented information about this area in existence today. His byline appropriately enough was Prospector and can be seen in many news publications of that era. On November 26, 1893, the Arizona Republican once again reported the glowing success of Goldfield, stating that investors from across the Atlantic were showing great interest in the area. They declared in headlines, THE OLD STORYTELLER Gold Is Where You Find It continued on page 8 The other event that walked hand in hand with Goldfield was the construction of Roosevelt Dam.