Sandia Mountains Lost Treasure or Mines

[TC-NM]

I've been looking for information concerning hidden treasure (or mines) located in the Sandia Mountains, NM. There was a story written in Lost Treasure or Treasure magazine about 20, 25 or 30 years ago, I think? What I recall in the story during the Pueblo Revolt of 1680 Pueblo Indians hid or covered entrance sites to what were Spanish mines.

Anyone heard or have any leads to this legend? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

TC-NM

 

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[johnnycat]

I've got an article somewhere on your question.Something about 20 mules worth of gold and silver. I'll try to find it and PM you.

 

[TC-NM]

Hey Johnnycat,

Any luck in finding the article on "20 mules of gold and silver. . ."

TC-NM

 

[jorge del norte]

Cool post, when I was in the USAF a rock climber buddy of mine and I went in search of a mine just bellow the Sandia Peak, we found it and went in it, It didn't go very far though, it had fallen in and was kind of dangerous...
I heard there were more mines, but never looked for them.

Check this google book link out......but keep in mind it is listed as fiction.
http://books.google.com/books?id=zs...&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=3&ct=result
geo

 

[goldseeker7]

The story may be the Isleta Pueblo lost mine, south of Alb. Legend is the Padre thereabouts had a rich gold mine that his indians worked.
Raiders would ambush the workers on the trail frequently thus they began to refuse to work. The Padre decided to go fetch some of the gold in there and then conceal the mine.. he was captured or killed by Apache raiders on his return way out.

 

[johnnycat]

Hey Johnnycat,

Any luck in finding the article on "20 mules of gold and silver. . ."

TC-NM

I looked and for the life of me I can't remember where I saw the article. I'll try and get back to you. I've been working on a stagecoach robbery West of Albuquerque and it's really tying us up.

John

 

[JOE(USA)]

Hey Johnnycat,

Any luck in finding the article on "20 mules of gold and silver. . ."

TC-NM

I looked and for the life of me I can't remember where I saw the article. I'll try and get back to you. I've been working on a stagecoach robbery West of Albuquerque and it's really tying us up.

John

John,
Why did you go and say that about the stagecoach robbery!! Now I want to hop a plane to Albuquerque. LOL. We GOT to get together for some detecting the next time I'm out that way. Joe

 

[Roadquest]

M. P. Henson told me several years ago that he did not think this one to be real.
The way I look at it is. Do your research. And, if you believe it to be real. Go search for it.
Roadquest

 

[cptbil]

TC-NM
Say, TC !
I do alot of TH'ing & Prospecting in NM
Fact is,
Me'n "Doc" have several that we are going to "hit!" on our trip,
This year...
Fact is, several are in The Caballo Mnts (So. of TC)
But!
Back to the original subject
I have all kinds of "leads" for the Sandia & NM Area
Just what are you looking for?
Something specific ?
Or, Just general ?

 

[TC-NM]

Cptbil,

As I requested in the beginning of this topic, I'm looking for the complete story (or leads) that was in one of the "Teasure Lost" or Treasure mags of 30+ years ago. Anyone who has this article/story in one of the treasure mags, I'll be happy to purchase it at a reasonable cost.

Thanks to all for your searches,

TC-NM

 

[eagletrike103]

have you read "LOST TREASURES OF THE SANDIAS". NAMES THE FOUR MINES, APPROXIATE LOCATIONS, AND WARNINGS.....

 

[TC-NM]

No, never heard of it. Do you happen to have name of publication, publication date and author?

TC-NM

 

[desertmoons]

tc if you google it or parts of it you will find some of the info you seek. a blm map from i think 2003 may provide additional info.

 

[Dustedyou]

Sierra Madre and Sierra Ladrone are the mountains with the Gold mines... oddly both are now Wildlife refuges, and the canyon in wich the guy was found dead is closed to anyone not on the Isleta Indian Pueblo Tribal Counsil's ok to go list!

 

[CogitoNM]

Not entirely sure about the magazine article, but I've heard many stories about the Sandia mines. What specifically are you needing to know about them? I am also researching this area currently, specifically the mining trail from Tijeras to Placitas. Together with what my friend found, we've documented around 7 to 8 Spanish trail markers in this area. One of these days shortly I hope to go all the way up to the Donkey.

I also heard about a silver mine in the area, not sure if this is the same one, where some Natives found a gringo taking silver from the crack (apparently he was using a hatchet it was so thick). The Natives asked where he got the silver, he admitted to the location, they warned him that he could keep what he carried, but if he ever came back he'd be killed. Well he spent that silver, eventually went back, and was never seen again.

This story rung true with me. Ever since I moved to Albuquerque in '85 I've always heard people say you shouldn't go hiking up in the Sandia Pueblo land as people have died up there before.

The other story that I heard about the Sandias is regarding the Peralta mines and the Isleta Pueblo. Two families, the Peraltas and Gonzales (?) were mining an area. They were going to pack up, the Gonzales packed up their mines, but left their burros for the Peraltas to use. A few days later a few stragglers stumbled into town telling a story of an Apache attack, everybody died. Apparently this created a stigma between the Peralta and Gonzales families for many generations.

Not sure if either story is true, but I do know that the big rock monuments are there, and they lead to Placitas.


Regarding the Pueblo Revolt in general, it is very much a true story. There is a small part in Bandeliers journals where the Natives unearth a spring from dozens of feet of concrete. They told him they covered this spring during the Revolt. Apparently they covered and/or changed the landscape and destroyed many of the Spanish rock monuments, so much so that when de Vargas returned they weren't able to find 1 in 10 of their old mines. ... or something like that. I heard most of these stories from others, and have yet to find actual textual verification. I'm hoping that my friends knowledge of Castillian and a perusing of the documents at UNM and Palace of Governors will give me some hard evidence.

 

[marizzy]

Hi! Try looking for information about the Gran Quivera hoard. According to legend there are 16, not 20, lost burro loads of gold and silver that are yet to be recovered. I have more information, if you'd like it just let me know and I will find the book it's in somewhere in my insane heap I call a book shelf. Let me know how it goes!

 

[Springfield]

Well, this account is rather odd, so take it for what it's worth - maybe nothing. Maybe a lot.

About 1985, I was having lunch at a greasy spoon on San Pedro, near Lomas, called King Georges. The waitress, in her twenties I guess, looked and spoke just like Marilyn Monroe. She was a knockout. She and some guy were having a conversation about gold in the Sandias, which I was listening to since the guy was only a few feet away at the next table. She said up high on the ridge was a square hole dug in solid rock, ten feet square, ten feet deep, completely open, with many gold bars stacked on the floor. Her grandfather, an Isleta Reservation member, told her about it when she was a little girl.

The other guy asked her how grandpa knew about it and why he hadn't recovered it. "He was told that the gold belonged to someone who would return for it later and use it for the good of the Indians," she said. I grinned to myself and the other guy was rolling his eyes.

"Well, Missy, I'll bet the padre told him that yarn, huh?"

"No, it was a man in the UFO that landed in the trees by the river," she said matter of factly, as if she was talking about the weather. The other guy smiled and shook his head like he'd been the target of a joke. He paid and left.

When I paid and was ready to leave, I asked her about grandpa and the UFO. "He took a picture of it before it flew away. I've got grandpa's old picture in my purse," she said innocently. I thought I was joke target #2, and then she dug into her bag and pulled out an old dog-eared color snapshot. It quite clearly showed a UFO hovering in a field with big trees behind and mountains in the background. It was hard to judge its size, but it seemed to be a flat bottomed disc, dome topped, with no markings and possibly 30-40 feet in diameter. Go figure.

Next time I stopped in, she wasn't there - or ever again. She hadn't said in what part of the range the hole was. The Sandia ridge is a huge target. Good luck.

 

[KXMember]

I have massive amounts of information if still interested. Let's chat.

 

[UncleMatt]

I stare at those mountains while commuting very day, wishing there was a reason to go treasure hunting in them! I live about a mile from the base of the Sandias, and used to mountain bike all over the western side, and the ski trails on the east side. I am all for researching anything you have, and have some stuff to contribute myself at home on my desktop. I'm your huckleberry!

 

[KXMember]

The mountain has a village inside the mountain and is very well protected by the tribe making it very dangerous. As well there is an old Bigfoot up there too and is very aggressive. The mines up there are actually lost mines people look for in other states.

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