SPANISH CONQUISTADOR GOLD IN THE AMERICAN SOUTHWEST (AND A GIVEAWAY!)–by Kristy McCaffrey

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At the end of the 15th century, gold had become rare in Europe and therefore coveted by many monarchies, especially the Spanish Crown. The conquistadors (Spanish and Portuguese colonists) began to spread into the New World, and while some were trained military warriors, many were artisans, lesser nobility, and farmers seeking new opportunities.

The Americas proved to be a gold motherlode. The indigenous peoples utilized it for its beauty and lustre, developing a strong spiritual association to the sun via the objects they created. Gold was mined and traded across the continent.

 

In the early 1500’s, Conquistador Hernán Cortés explored Mexico and ultimately conquered the Aztecs in the Spanish quest for wealth of any kind, which included emeralds and exotic hides, but mainly gold. The ensuing battles were brutal. Temples, palaces, and homes were looted for valuables, and locals were captured and tortured for information. Subjugated tribes were obliged to give yearly tribute in the form of gold, and the most lucrative mines were taken over by the Spanish.

The golden city of El Dorado was a myth with origins in the mountains near modern-day Colombia, originally referring to a king adorned in gold powder who leapt into a lake during his coronation. The story evolved into a “lost city,” and the Spanish Conquistadors were determined to find it. A subsequent myth was born of the Seven Cities of Cibola, an Aztec story revolving around the pueblos of today’s New Mexico and the southwestern United States.

 

 

From 1540 to 1542, Spanish conquistador Francisco Vázquez de Coronado led a large expedition from what is now Mexico to present-day Kansas, taking him through parts of the American southwest. A leg of this journey is said to have gone through Arizona Territory, exploring the Verde River near what would become the mining town of Jerome where the local Yavapai tribe mined copper. Antonio de Espejo and a troop of Conquistadors came through Jerome looking for El Cibola, and the locals instead showed them an area that would later become Cleopatra Hill, the site of a large copper mine. Legend says the Spanish found a vein of gold, mined it, and hid the spoils in a nearby area known as Sycamore Canyon. An elderly prospector known as Jerry the Miner spent nearly thirty years in the canyon looking for the treasure, and he claimed to have found a helmet and a breastplate left by one of the Conquistadors, but it’s unclear whether he ever found any gold.

In my new novel, The Nighthawk, treasure hunters and outlaws are searching for Spanish gold in the Arizona Territory. The Nighthawk is Book 10 in my Wings of the West series, but it can be read as a standalone.

 

 

Arizona Territory

September 1899

Sophie Ryan’s dream of working for a newspaper has come true. Accompanied by her cousin, Lucas Blackmore, a newly appointed U.S. Deputy Marshal, she arrives in Jerome, one of the richest mining towns in America. And one of the most remote. Although she’s been hired to report for the Jerome Mining News on education and cultural issues, she soon finds herself immersed in something more serious when she finds an enigmatic injured man in the Black Hills claiming to be an ornithologist.

U.S. Deputy Marshal Benton McKay is undercover tracking the notorious train robbing Weaver gang, and the trail ends in Jerome. When he’s injured in the Black Hills and found by a determined and beautiful young woman, he must gain her trust to keep his identity a secret. But keeping her out of trouble proves a challenge, especially with her cousin assigned to assist him. As they track down the band of outlaws, another agenda emerges—the renegades are searching for lost gold believed to have been left behind by the Spanish Conquistadors. And Sophie Ryan is determined to report on it.

The Nighthawk is a fast-paced romantic adventure filled with humor, treasure hunting, a tenacious heroine, and a hero harboring a secret. It has light steam and a happily-for-now ending.

Read Chapter One and find vendor links at Kristy’s website.

 

Have you ever visited Arizona? What was your favorite location? If you’ve never been, what Arizona sites are on your bucket list? One commenter will win an eBook of THE CANARY, Wings of the West Book 9.

Join Sarah Ryan and paleontologist Jack Brenner in a quest for an elusive dinosaur fossil in the Painted Desert.

Kristy McCaffrey writes award-winning historical western romances with grit and emotion, along with contemporary adventure stories packed with smoldering romance and spine-tingling suspense. Her work is filled with compelling heroes, determined heroines, and her trademark mysticism. She lives in the desert north of Phoenix with her husband and rescue bulldog, Jeb. Learn more about her books at her website, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

Graphics courtesy of Deposit Photos. Book covers by Earthly Charms.

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49 thoughts on “SPANISH CONQUISTADOR GOLD IN THE AMERICAN SOUTHWEST (AND A GIVEAWAY!)–by Kristy McCaffrey”

  1. Love the history and your book sounds wonderful.

    The only part of Arizona I’ve been in was the part by the dam.

  2. Sounds like a great read! I like Tucson and used to enjoy going to spring training there but my team moved up to Phoenix which I’m not as anxious to visit because of how heavy the traffic is. I figure I can stay home for that haha. I enjoy Arizona in general, so many interesting places to see.

    • Hi Rachel,
      Yes, Tucson and Phoenix have different vibes. And Phoenix has really grown in the past few decades. We live north of the city and manage to avoid the traffic most days. It’s pretty bad. 🙁

    • Hi Kim,
      Sedona is so pretty. Definitely a must-see. Jerome is fun too these days. I went recently with my mom and sister and lots of wine-tasting in the restaurants/bars.

    • Hi Sharon,
      It’s definitely not for everyone. I was born and raised here, and although I moved away for a while when I got married and had my children, it was a relief to return. Some places live in your soul …

  5. I have been to Arizona on a road trip with my husband. Tombstone was fun because it was Wyatt Earp days when we visited. Sedona is beautiful and we enjoyed Kingman because it is on Route 66. We look forward to going back. This book sounds like a great read.

    • Hi Elaine,
      You hit some great stops. Tombstone is very touristy now but so fun! And so much history. We go north quite a bit and I love the red rock of Sedona. And Kingman is a great stop on the way to Vegas.

  7. Yes, I have been to Arizona twice. The most interesting place there was Oatman and the old gold mine outside the town which we took a tour of. With donkeys walking down the main street begging for carrots. So you need to come prepared. I have also visited Lake Havasu and walked across the bridge they shipped over from England. The name slips my mind. Also, in Kingman they have an old car rally every year and they are beautiful since there is no rust on them because of the dry climate. Gorgeous.

    • Hi Judy,
      I must admit that I’ve never been to Oatman, but it’s on my bucket list. I would love to see the donkeys! The bridge in Lake Havasu is called London Bridge. And I didn’t know about the car rally in Kingman. The climate is definitely very dry here lol.

  8. I have been to Arizona. I went to Tombstone and Phoenix. I would love to return. I enjoyed your post. Gold can cause many problems.

    • Hi Debra,
      So much to see here! You’ll have to come back. I do agree about the gold. Even today, there are people searching for it, not just Jerome but there’s a popular legend just outside Phoenix called the Lost Dutchman’s Gold Mine. Occasionally people die of the heat while out searching. It’s crazy.

  9. Welcome! Thanks for the history today! I have read The Wren and enjoyed it! It was a different twist!
    I’ve never been to Arizona. Not sure where I would go! List some places for me!

    Your book sounds good. Best wishes to you!

    • Hi Tracy,
      Thank you so much for reading The Wren. So glad you liked it! xx

      The Grand Canyon is probably the number one site on anyone’s Arizona bucket list. But here’s a few others:

      Lake Powell
      Sedona
      Tombstone
      San Xavier del Bac Mission in Tucson
      San Francisco Peaks in Flagstaff (highest point in AZ)
      Meteor Crater
      Painted Desert/Petrified Forest
      And, of course, Jerome 😉

  10. I have never been to Arizona and since I don’t travel anymore I will probable never go. It sounds like a nice place to visit though.

  12. what a wonderful post today. thanks. I lived in CA Mojave Desert for many years. often we would go to AZ or NV for different reasons. many were for 4-H. many were for camping. many were for seeing certain things. many were for visiting people. one mom and dad left us five kids with a friends older daughter and the four adults went to Las Vegas for the weekend. they wanted to go to a particular ice cream place. while us kids had a blast in the backyard pool and lots of ice cream ourselves. I personally loved the dessert and its many wonderful hidden things.
    your book sounds wonderful. cant wait to read it. thanks.

  13. I have never been to Arizona but it is on my bucket list. I have always wanted to see the Grand Canyon.

  15. I was born here in Arizona, but have only lived here for a little over half of my life (I’m 75!). I have been pretty much everywhere here in my home state. I currently live in Glendale and also have a home up north, just south of Prescott. Our state is so diverse in its climate and history that it’s hard for me to recommend any one place to visit – you have to see it all to appreciate it! Things have definitely changed a lot here in the Valley of the Sun, but in many other towns and areas they are remarkably similar to what they were “back in the day”. I look forward to reading your book. I always love to read books with stories that take place in Arizona.

    • Hi Karin,
      Hello from one native Arizonan to another. Glendale is very nice. My aunt and uncle live there. I live in North Scottsdale, almost Carefree, but I grew up in South Scottsdale, crossroads of Thomas and Miller. I agree about there being so much here. Growing up I didn’t appreciate it all but later as a young married woman I moved away and that’s when I truly became homesick. 🙂 I hope you enjoy the book!! I do love to write about my home state.

  16. Welcome, Kristy!

    What an interesting and informative blog! I’ve been to Arizona twice. On a business trip with my husband, we went to Tucson, Tombstone (which I LOVED and had my picture taken with one of the gunslingers. He held me in a very tight embrace!), and took a side trip to Nogales, Mexico. On my second trip, I went to visit my daughter in Flagstaff (she was there the summer after college graduation). We visited the Grand Canyon and Sedona. I loved visiting, but I think I’m an East Coast girl! (NOT ENTERING GIVEAWAY)

    • Hi Jo-Ann,
      You’ve visited some of the best parts of AZ, and trips to Nogales were a norm back when I was in college. I lived in Pittsburgh, PA, for a long time when I got married and I can appreciate how different the East is from the West. Both have their strong points!

  17. I have seen a lot of Arizona. A fascinating area. There is a fun connection with Kansas in that a group of Pueblo Indians got away from the Spanish and built a puebli that lasted until the Spanish dragged them back.

  18. We went to the Glen Canyon dam on Lake Powell, the Horseshoe bend on the Grand Canyon , and the Grand Canyon.

  19. When relocating from MD/DC to CA in 1982, we saw the Hoover Dam but didn’t have time to visit the Grand Canyon; we’ll do that someday!

  21. Fun essay today! I live part time in southeastern AZ and have traveled through much of the state, on and off-road (fun to ford the San Pedro!). Don’t forget Bisbee when you are looking at copper mining! Fabulous vistas throughout the state, and any kind of weather is possible. Your new release sounds exciting =o]

  24. We have been to and through Arizona multiple times over the years. We have enjoyed many places. Our children enjoyed the Sonora Desert Museum the most. We went back a couple of years ago and it is better than ever. We hopefully will be going back in a couple of years. to visit my husband’s cousin’

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