I've been wanting to do this trip since the
Butterfield Pass trip when I
found out about The Oatman Family Massacre near Gila Bend, AZ in
1851. But first a quick stop at a Gila Bend landmark, the Space Age Lodge. We drive through Gila Bend every
time we go to Stephanie's in Carlsbad, CA and have a good
chuckle when we see this place... I'm sure it was coolest
"back in the day"... it's really cool now. We may have to stay
there some time just for the fun of it.
Anyway, back
to the trip. We took some back roads out of Gila Bend along
the Gila river which is just a dry riverbed now. The white
folks dammed it up years ago. However, "back in the day"
again.. it flowed almost year around and there was
vegetation and wildlife along the river. It was the life of
the desert. The Butterfield Trail which took as many as
60,000 people to California during the gold rush runs right
through here and in fact was the trail the Oatman
family were taking to California. If you're interested in
the Oatman massacre
click here.
The second
stop (after the Space Age Lodge) on the trip was at Painted Rock which is a is a mound
of rocks in the middle of the desert that are covered with
petroglyths. Then, on to the Oatman Massacre sight. (scroll
down)...
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I mean look at this place - totally cool - you can get your
picture taken with an alien and everything! |
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Painted rock as I said is a pile of rocks in the middle of the
desert and has thousands of petroglyths some from thousands of
years ago and some from less than a hundred. I always love how
"they" try to read highly intellectual, spiritual, etc. meaning
into places/work like this which is probably just doodling
(graffiti) of the day. I personally think it was the younger
members of the tribes that
did these petroglyths giving themselves something to do while
their families camp
there, but what do I know. You be the judge. I'm not saying they're
not cool... they are. |
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This is a painting depicting the Oatman Massacre that we saw at a
tiny little museum in Gila Bend. (Click
here for a full view) (I will find out who did this painting
and when so I can credit their work) I don't think the details
of the massacre are correct but the location is perfect. See
picture below... |
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After driving
through some farms of cotton, hey and some other
un-identified crops over dirt roads of the finest powder
that billowed up like you wouldn't believe we came upon the
Oatman family grave site (right). The plaque says " In
Memory of The Oatman Family six members of this pioneer
family massacred by Indians in March 1851 - Erected by the
Arizona Society Daughters of the American Revolution 1954.
The massacre
actually took place on top of the mesa in the background of
the photograph to the right.
 Olive
Oatman (left) was taken captive along with her sister Mary
Anne by Indians who killed their parents and four of their
siblings. Their brother Lorenzo was tossed of the side of
the mesa and presumed dead but was alive and managed to make
it to Yuma even though he was badly injured.
To make a
long story short Mary Anne died while in custody, Lorenzo
made it to California and in 1856 was able to buy Olive back
from another Indian tribe that she was traded to. Olive got
a really hip chin tattoo and lived happily ever after. I'm not
sure that last stuff is correct so you'll need to look it up
if you really want to know. |
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These are probably the most interesting photos of the day. Number
1 is looking up the very rocky trail travelers in their wagons
used to get to the top of the mesa which was about 40 or 50 feet
above the Gila river below. Just by looking at the picture you
can tell this was not an easy process. Pictures two and three
are rocks scraped by the many wagon wheels that passed over them
on the way up the trail. |
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On the way to the Oatman site we came upon this grave site two
boys who died a few days apart in 1887 and a baby that was
stillborn. The father was the Butterfield stagecoach depot
keeper right near this spot. The inset picture is from the
Oatman massacre painting. At the bottom of the trail you see is
where this grave was. |
This plaque showing that this was also part of the Mormon
Battalions trail was also on top of the mesa where the Oatman
massacre occurred. |
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Large blocks of cotton ready to be picked up. |
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