Naranjal mine
Encyclopedia
The Naranjal mine is the name of a legendary lost gold mine
in the Sierra Mountains
of Mexico
. Folklorist J. Frank Dobie
devoted part of his book "Apache Gold and Yaqui Silver" to the story of this legendary lost mine.
The mine was supposedly located at the bottom of a canyon
, beside a river and an abandoned hacienda
. Surrounding the site were groves of oranges
, hence the name El Naranjal, which means the orange grove in Spanish. Alternately, some legends point to orange-colored gold ore
from the mine as a source of the name.
Unlike other lost or legendary mines in this area, there is little hard evidence it ever existed, and may be purely a legend
, taken from garbled accounts of the far more popular legendary lost mines of Tayopa
.
Lost mines
Lost mines are a popular form of lost treasure legend. The mine involved is usually of a high-value commodity such as gold, silver or diamonds. Often there is a map purportedly showing the location of the mine...
in the Sierra Mountains
Sierra mountains
Sierra is a Spanish word meaning "saw". The corresponding word in Portuguese and Latin is serra. This name is used for various mountain ranges in Spanish-speaking and other countries ....
of Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. Folklorist J. Frank Dobie
J. Frank Dobie
James Frank Dobie was an American folklorist, writer, and newspaper columnist best known for many books depicting the richness and traditions of life in rural Texas during the days of the open range...
devoted part of his book "Apache Gold and Yaqui Silver" to the story of this legendary lost mine.
The mine was supposedly located at the bottom of a canyon
Canyon
A canyon or gorge is a deep ravine between cliffs often carved from the landscape by a river. Rivers have a natural tendency to reach a baseline elevation, which is the same elevation as the body of water it will eventually drain into. This forms a canyon. Most canyons were formed by a process of...
, beside a river and an abandoned hacienda
Hacienda
Hacienda is a Spanish word for an estate. Some haciendas were plantations, mines, or even business factories. Many haciendas combined these productive activities...
. Surrounding the site were groves of oranges
Orange (fruit)
An orange—specifically, the sweet orange—is the citrus Citrus × sinensis and its fruit. It is the most commonly grown tree fruit in the world....
, hence the name El Naranjal, which means the orange grove in Spanish. Alternately, some legends point to orange-colored gold ore
Ore
An ore is a type of rock that contains minerals with important elements including metals. The ores are extracted through mining; these are then refined to extract the valuable element....
from the mine as a source of the name.
Unlike other lost or legendary mines in this area, there is little hard evidence it ever existed, and may be purely a legend
Legend
A legend is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude...
, taken from garbled accounts of the far more popular legendary lost mines of Tayopa
Tayopa
Tayopa is the name of a legendary lost silver mine in the Sierra Mountains of Mexico. Many stories, legends and myths surround it as well as articles and books describing the search for it. Folklorist J. Frank Dobie devoted part of his book "Apache Gold and Yaqui Silver" to the story of this...
.