The Lost Dutchman - In Plain View

For treasure hunters that have long searched for the Lost Dutchman Mine, they will enjoy being lead through a 24 years search and discovery from clues left behind on the Peralta Stone Maps. As the author, Donald W. Jacobson, states, "Finding the Peralta Mine--which later came to be known as the Lost Dutchman Mine--isn't a story by itself. Since my finding the mine in March of 1993, I've learned it was only a part of a labyrinth created by one man obsessed with driving future treasure hunters in circles. His name, I'm sure, was Manuel Peralta." As the story unfolds Jacobson continues, "In my finding the Lost Dutchman Mine, you might say, I got the cart before the horse. It was not the Peralta Stones Maps that began my adventure in search of the mine but it was my discoveries that led me to understand the clues left behind on the Maps. As the Peralta Stone Maps revealed, there were actually five hiding places for "treasures" alluded to and discovered by me during my quest to find the mines. By using a simple code, Peralta obligated his time to the hiding of mines--and in some cases, treasures--on four stone maps. Over time, I was able to figure out the meanings and locate the landmarks from my search in finding the mine." "As my adventure evolved, more discoveries were made; codes were deciphered and meanings connected through my understanding of the history of the times; viewing many landmarks; and actually finding the clues left behind by Peralta and his men. This history covers a long span--from 1846 to 1893. Many important dates help to tell the story; such as when the Mexicans closed the mine in 1847, to those that happened to find it before and after the death of the Dutchman in 1891."