Oatman Massacre

Attacked in 1851, much of the Oatman Family was killed, in a story that later intrigued the nation.

The Oatmans -- which consisted of Royce, his 8 ½ month pregnant wife Mary Ann, and seven children -- continued on alone as they pushed west. Four days after leaving Maricopa Wells, sometime in February or March of 1851, they arrived at a small flat area along the Gila River. The edge of the river valley featured rugged volcanic bluffs of the Sentinel Plain. The Oatman’s pushed west and slowly climbed the rocky hill, pushing their animals to the limit. By this point, they were already beyond exhausted. The family had to unload the wagon and hand carry supplies up the hill to save weight. 

By the end of the day, they finally reached the top of the hill and began to reload their supplies. Mary-Ann prepared a simple bean soup and bread dinner for the family. Their goal was to push on through the night, avoiding the more intense heat of the day. At this point, the family was approached by a group of Native Americans, who initially appeared friendly. They asked Royce for tobacco and he obliged. They then asked for cornmeal. Royce told them the family was short on supplies but reluctantly gave them some bread. The Natives continued to ask for supplies and grew impatient with Royce’s stinginess. They soon turned violent and clubbed much of the family to death. Lorenzo, age 15, was beaten and left for dead near the edge of the bluff. The Native’s took Olive, age 14, and Mary Ann, age 7 as captives. The other six Oatmans were left dead where they fell. 

Somehow, against all odds, Lorenzo survived the attack and in the following days, managed to get to help and heal. He met up with other members of a wagon train and returned to the massacre site three days later. Lorenzo buried his family underneath a single large rock pile since the ground at the massacre site was too tough. He was determined to get his sisters back. Originally thought to be Apache, the family had actually been attacked by Western Yavapais, who were over 50 miles south of their traditional tribal land. Following the massacre, the Oatman girls moved with the tribe back to their village to the north, which was located in the Harquahala Mountains south of Aguila. In captivity with the Yavapais, the girls were treated rough -- often being forced to gather food and haul water or firewood. During a trading expedition with the Mohave Tribe, the Mohave Chief’s daughter saw the rough treatment of the girls and insisted on trading for them. The Yavapai initially rejected the offer but after returning some time later, the Oatman girls were eventually traded to the Mohaves in exchange for two horses, vegetable, blankets, and beads. 

Today, a simple rock pile and sign mark the massacre site, which remains remote & desolate. Numerous crosses remain scattered around on the edge of the bluff. While the sign says February 18th, the unclear record keeping of the era suggests that this could have occurred sometime in February or March of 1851. The Oatman Family was eventually moved from the massacre site and laid to rest in the river valley below, marked by a grave site which sits near a cluster of trees just to the east. Access to the gravesite is questionable as many of the agricultural roads leading to it are under new ownership. 

Walking down the old wagon road, you can actually still see numerous places where the wooden wheels of those traveling the Gila Trail (including the Oatmans) have marked up the surface. You have to look close, but numerous signs of earlier travelers remain. Numerous initials remain carved into the volcanic rocks around the massacre site. The modern town of Oatman is named for Olive, even though it sits over 150 miles away from the massacre site.

While the massacre is definitely the most notable event here, it is not the only significant piece of history. This has been a high traffic area for hundreds of years. First used by early Native Americans following the Gila River, it was later used by pioneers and prospectors traveling west to California. By the mid-1840s it became known as the Gila Trail, known today as the Southern Emigrant Trail. The route was used by groups like the Mormon Battalion (1847), the Oatmans (1851), and by the San Antonio and San Diego Mail Line (1857). In 1858 John Butterfield used a similar route in his establishment of the Butterfield Overland Mail service.

The Oatman Massacre is truly a fascinating story about early pioneer life in Arizona. The rich history of the area and the numerous groups of people that traveled through only add to the intrigue. While the massacre site doesn’t have a ton to physically look at, with time and the right eye, you can discover numerous interesting things like petroglyphs, graves, and wagon wheel marks. The easiest way to visit the site is via Agua Caliente Road from Sentinel & I-8. The nine mile drive remains easy except for the last mile and a half which traverses over rocky volcanic landscape. Visit our trail page for more specific directions and be sure to leave it like you found it.