# Spanish Gold Mines



## Dukes_Daddy (Nov 14, 2008)

I believe based on several points.

1) Spanish where in Santa Fe by around 1640. It's not far to Southern Utah 

2) Native American legends of mines. 

3) Several books by George S Thompson. 

4) Grandpa.

Who else does?


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## Mr Muleskinner (Feb 14, 2012)

I was in the mining industry for a fair amount of time and saw something on the history channel a couple of nights ago that kind of astonished me. Apparently to an end scientist claim that 100% of the gold on Earth came from outer space and was the result of a massive meteor shower millions of years ago. Another tidbit that they brought up was that statistically all of the gold that has ever been gathered by mankind would fill up 3 Olympic sized swimming pools. While that is a massive amount of gold, I actually thought that it would have been a lot more than that.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

All heavy elements are only formed in one place: inside a supernova which is a massive star that collapses in on itself before exploding outward. So yes, its true all heavy elements on earth came from outer space.


-DallanC


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## Last Man Standing (Dec 7, 2011)

Well in that same train of thought, technically all the matter on the entire planet came from outer space at some point in time. 

As for the Spanish mines, I have heard plenty of stories, some more believable than others. But I always thought it was an established fact that the Spanish performed some mining while they were in the area. I've seen a lot of pictures of Utah artifacts that are attributed to Spaniards and have been to a couple of sites personally. What is it exactly that you're asking if we believe in?


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## Wind In His Hair (Dec 31, 2009)

Mr Muleskinner said:


> I was in the mining industry for a fair amount of time and saw something on the history channel a couple of nights ago that kind of astonished me. Apparently to an end scientist claim that 100% of the gold on Earth came from outer space and was the result of a massive meteor shower millions of years ago. Another tidbit that they brought up was that statistically all of the gold that has ever been gathered by mankind would fill up 3 Olympic sized swimming pools. While that is a massive amount of gold, I actually thought that it would have been a lot more than that.


I saw the same show. It was the one estimating how much the earth is worth if I remember correctly. I thought that seemed like a small amount of gold, especially when you think of all the civilizations that have used it, and all the uses it has been put to.


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## campfire (Sep 9, 2007)

For a taste of real Utah legend and lore, Google "lost rhoades mine". Also, a trip to the mining museum in Bullion Canyon west of Marysvale would be interesting. It makes reverence to Spanish mining in Utah.


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

Cool thread. Never heard of the Lost Rhoads Mine before now... interesting story. I wonder if it has any validity?

Regarding gold coming from extraterrestrial sources like meteors, thats an interesting idea that I had not considered. I can see some validity to that argument.


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## Cooky (Apr 25, 2011)

There are a bunch of books out there to do with lost mines and Spanish gold in Utah. Makes for some good cabin fever reading.


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## Dunkem (May 8, 2012)

I read these stories,get gold fever,go missing for 3 days,come home with nothing but sore feet and back,and cant wait to do it again. One of these days---------


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## Mr Muleskinner (Feb 14, 2012)

Last Man Standing said:


> Well in that same train of thought, technically all the matter on the entire planet came from outer space at some point in time.
> 
> As for the Spanish mines, I have heard plenty of stories, some more believable than others. But I always thought it was an established fact that the Spanish performed some mining while they were in the area. I've seen a lot of pictures of Utah artifacts that are attributed to Spaniards and have been to a couple of sites personally. What is it exactly that you're asking if we believe in?


Yea technically we are in outer space anyhow.

No doubt in my mind there are lost mines out there. Hidden stashes and so forth. Hard to imagine what a person walks by when out and about. Some times maybe even a trophy or two.


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## Last Man Standing (Dec 7, 2011)

The Lost Rhoades mine is an interesting story. Depending on the source your reading from, some claim it was the only reason that the LDS church was able to fund their endeavors here in Utah and maintain Salt Lake City as a permanent settlement. If you're interested in a story thats just a little more far-fetched, Look into the mine/cache known as the Carre/Shinob. Supposedly it's Aztec in origin. It has a pretty major argument against it's existence, however. That being that it's most well known promoter was incarcerated for murder at the time his books were published. His kids claim that he just spun some yarns to make some money and pass the time down at the point of the mountain. But there's always that part of you that wants it to be true. Also kind of interesting; look up spanish hieroglyphs in Utah. Not claiming any of this is true, but it's entertaining.


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## Kevin D (Sep 15, 2007)

I have a bit of a confession to make....

I have a friend that was obsessed with seeking out lost spanish gold mines he believe existed here in northern Utah. So one day I was kicking around the old silver mining ghost town of La Plata on the Cache/Weber county border near Powder Mountain Ski Resort when I stumbled onto a shallow abandoned mine in an out of the way place. Thinking of my buddy, I picked up a couple pieces of metal and spent the next hour or so chiseling a spanish cross with the date "1776" onto the rock wall at the entrance. Of course my friend was estatic when I told him about my "discovery," and of course he was disappointed and a little pizzed when he found out he'd been pranked.

Anyway, if any of you gentlmen happen to stumble onto the same mine, pay no mind to the spanish cross at the entrance. 8)


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