The Lost Adams Diggings refers to an 1864 prospecting expedition that allegedly discovered rich gold deposits in a remote Southwestern canyon before Apache warriors massacred most of the party on September 27. Survivor Adams spent decades searching without success, while conflicting accounts from other survivors like Brewer and Snively created multiple competing theories about the canyon’s location. Geological surveys have consistently found no gold mineralization in proposed sites, and the lack of authenticated artifacts after 150 years suggests the legend may be exaggerated. The following sections examine the historical evidence and ongoing mysteries surrounding this persistent treasure tale.
Key Takeaways
- In 1864, prospectors found massive gold nuggets in a canyon before Apache warriors massacred most of the camp on September 27.
- Only four men escaped the attack, including Adams who searched unsuccessfully for the site until 1886 despite multiple expeditions.
- Proposed locations include Rio Salado-Alamocito drainage, Zuni Mountains, and Black Range, all featuring similar zig-zag canyon descriptions.
- Geological surveys from the 1930s-50s found no gold mineralization in proposed areas, contradicting the legend’s claims.
- After 150 years without authenticated artifacts or successful recovery, the treasure remains one of the Southwest’s most enduring mysteries.
The 1864 Discovery and Fatal Apache Attack
How did a chance revelation during an Apache raid transform into one of the American Southwest’s most enduring treasure legends? On August 20, 1864, Edward Adams’s expedition departed Sacaton with 6-22 prospectors, guided by young Pima scout Gotch Ear who’d disclosed gold locations during Apache attacks on Pueblos.
These Native alliances proved temporary. Upon reaching the canyon, miners collected hen’s-egg-sized nuggets and established weapons strategies for defense while constructing a cabin. Apache Chief Nana initially permitted creek mining but forbade passage beyond the waterfall.
When prospectors violated this boundary, Nana’s warriors massacred the camp on September 27. Adams and Davidson escaped after discovering five mutilated bodies at the zig-zag canyon entrance, witnessing their burning cabin from above—their fortune lost beneath scorching hearth stones. The gold had been cached beneath the cabin hearth, where miners had hidden their accumulated nuggets. Thirteen days later, a military patrol from Fort Apache found the two survivors.
Three Men Who Survived to Tell the Tale
While Apache warriors reduced the mining camp to smoldering ruins, four men escaped the September 27 massacre through circumstance and calculated evasion.
You’ll find legendary survivors Adams and Davidson hiding together, witnessing their companions’ slaughter before nighttime flight brought military rescue.
Dr. Sturgeon nursed Adams back to health at Fort Apache.
Brewer, leading the supply detachment out September 10, fled eastward to Santa Fe’s safety, later purchasing a Mexican ranch—suggesting successful gold hoarding.
Snively, “the German,” survived apart in a cave with personal gold intact, traveling 125 miles to Pinos Altos.
Each account conflicts on critical details: survivor numbers, camp locations, and gold retrieval success.
Adams searched relentlessly until 1886 without relocating the site, while Brewer’s single Arizona expedition and subsequent wealth fueled speculation he’d secretly returned to extract the cached treasure. The massacre site preserved a Spanish-era cannon, a haunting relic that Walt Nichols would discover a century later in the 1950s mountains. Adams had first discovered gold in the canyon’s close-sided walls back in 1837, seventeen years before this ill-fated expedition met its violent end.
A Century of Treasure Hunters and Failed Expeditions
Adams himself refused to abandon hope of relocating his lost fortune, launching his first documented return expedition on August 20, 1864—barely eleven months after the massacre—from Sacaton near Casa Grande with twenty-two men (only five identifiable: Gotch Ear, Edward or John Adams, John Brewer, Jack Davidson, and John Snively).
He returned in 1874 to the Reserve and Mogollon Mountains, then scoured Socorro County repeatedly over twelve years, drawing maps with detailed landmarks for Dr. Sturgeon. His critical error—mistaking Gila Peak in Arizona for Cookes Peak in New Mexico’s Black Range—misdirected his lifelong efforts.
Adams continued his search until 1886, spending more than two decades pursuing the canyon of gold before finally abandoning his quest. Throughout his searches, Adams reportedly displayed a large gold nugget the size of a hen’s egg as proof of his discovery, fueling continued interest in the legend.
Where Could the Lost Canyon Be Hidden?
Since Adams’ death without recovering his fortune, treasure hunters have proposed at least five distinct geographic zones across Arizona and New Mexico as potential locations for the lost canyon. Each theory interprets Adams’ geological formations and ancient trails differently:
- Rio Salado-Alamocito Drainage: Western Rio Salado’s canyons and mesas match descriptions, with Gallinas Mountains positioned 60-70 miles northwest of Ojo Caliente. This aligns with multiple witness accounts.
- Zuni Mountains-Malpais Region: The Fort Craig-to-Fort Wingate road near Pie Town offers Continental Divide proximity. However, northeastern travel from Springerville challenges this interpretation. Davidson’s daughter’s 1929 map pointing to the Zuni Mountains fueled widespread searches in this area.
- Black Range Area: Documentary evidence, including 20,000 aerial photos, identifies a cannon in Black Canyon. Geological formations here match descriptions between Datil and Sawtooth Mountains.
You’ll find these zones share common interpretive challenges: crossed wagon roads, distinctive peak alignments, and zig-zag canyon entrances that resist definitive identification. Search efforts have continued since the 1870s, with notable figures like Henry Woodrow spending decades pursuing the elusive gold nuggets believed to be hidden in either the Gila or Apache National Forests.
Why Geology and History Cast Doubt on the Legend
Despite generations of treasure hunters identifying promising canyons with zig-zag entrances and distinctive peak alignments, the geological record presents significant obstacles to the Lost Adams Diggings narrative.
Mineral studies of proposed locations north of the Bursum Caldera reveal undeformed Mesozoic sediments and Tertiary basalts—geology fundamentally incompatible with gold deposits.
The bedrock geology itself contradicts the treasure tale—wrong rock types, wrong age, wrong mineralization potential.
Geological surveys conducted by professional engineers in the 1930s and 1950s documented zero mineralization in areas matching Adams’ descriptions.
You’ll find Adams himself searched territories from Springerville to the Gila wilderness, demonstrating profound uncertainty about the original site.
Historical documentation shows the story grew increasingly distorted after 1884, while earliest expeditions contained contradictory details. Modern mines near Santa Rita and Pinos Altos successfully produce gold and silver, yet none align with the Adams story’s geographic descriptions.
The absence of authenticated artifacts after 150 years, combined with Adams’ inability to relocate his discovery, undermines the legend’s credibility substantially.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Happened to the Gold Adams Carried in His Pocket After Escaping?
Adams sold his pocket nuggets for $13,000 in Pinos Altos, providing tangible proof amid treasure myths and gold speculation. You’ll find this documented sale substantiated his canyon discovery, though the main cache remained lost, fueling ongoing Southwest legend.
Did Any Descendants of the Survivors Continue Searching for the Mine?
You’d think family legacies would’ve inspired treasure hunting traditions, but no—survivors’ descendants apparently weren’t foolish enough to chase Adams’ contradictory tales. Only legend-seekers, not kin, continued searching after 1886, wisely avoiding the family business of futile gold-hunting.
Are There Modern Metal Detector Restrictions in the Suspected Search Areas?
Yes, you’ll encounter strict metal detector regulations across suspected search areas. National Forest supervisors enforce restriction enforcement in archaeologically sensitive zones, while tribal lands remain completely off-limits. Federal laws like ARPA systematically prohibit detecting at historical sites without permits.
What Became of the Guide “Gotch Ear” During the Apache Attack?
Gotch Ear wasn’t present during the Apache attack—he’d already departed after receiving payment. Like vanished guides who knew ancient artifacts’ locations, legend suggests Apaches killed him shortly afterward, though no confirmed reports exist of his fate beyond hidden tunnels of history.
Has Ground-Penetrating Radar Been Used to Locate the Burned Cabin Site?
No documented evidence exists of ground-penetrating radar deployment at suspected cabin sites. Historical searches relied on traditional archaeological methods—visual surveys, oral histories, and physical excavation—rather than modern geophysical technology, limiting historical accuracy of site identification.
References
- https://socorro-history.org/HISTORY/PH_History/200410_adams_diggings2.pdf
- https://the-outcrop.squarespace.com/lost-adams-diggings/2019/9/1/the-bare-bones-of-the-lost-adams-diggings-tale
- http://www.frontiershadows.com/index.php
- https://npshistory.com/publications/usfs/region/3/tucker-fitzpatrick/chap19.htm
- https://www.treasurenet.com/threads/the-lost-adams-diggings.154868/
- https://freshchileco.com/blogs/the-fresh-chile-company-podcast/enchanting-people-of-new-mexico-ed-adams
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvOlfE4Iksw
- https://www.truewestmagazine.com/article/the-lost-adams-diggings/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_Adams_Diggings
- https://www.goldfeverprospecting.com/loaddipa1.html?viewfullsite=1
