Oatman in Mohave County, Arizona — The American Mountains (Southwest)

Olive Ann Oatman Fairchild

(1837-1903)

Photographed by James Hulse, November 4, 2021

1. Olive Ann Oatman Fairchild Marker

Inscription. Olive Ann Fairchild, Indian captive and lecturer, daughter of Royse (Royce) and Mary Ann (Sperry) Oatman, was born in Illinois in September 1837 or 1839. In 1850 the family joined a wagon train bound for the part of the Colorado River now in southern California, but the train split several times until the Oatman's and their seven children were left to travel alone. On February 18, 1851, Apaches (some authorities say Yavapais) attacked them on the Gila River in Arizona. Olive and her sister Mary were captured, their brother Lorenzo left for dead, and the rest of the family massacred. The girls were held as slaves for a year at a village near the site of modern Congress, Arizona, then sold to a Mojave chief near Needles, California, after a march of several hundred miles. Olive and Mary's chins were marked with indelible blue cactus tattoos to proclaim their status as slaves, and they were forced to forage for their own food. In a subsequent year of drought, Mary died of starvation and abuse. Olive often feared death, for the Mojave's threatened her whenever whites were nearby or when the tribe went to war; they also made

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her watch other captives being tortured. In the winter of 1855-56, the army located her and began negotiations to free her. On February 28, 1856, wearing a bark skirt and able to speak only a little English, Olive was ransomed at Fort Yuma, Arizona, for a horse, blankets, and beads. There she was reunited with Lorenzo.

Erected 2002 by Olive Oatman Restaurant & Saloon.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Indigenous Peoples and Communities • Settlements & Settlers • Wars, US Indian • Women. A significant historical date for this entry is February 18, 1851.

Location. 35° 1.568′ N, 114° 23.009′ W. Marker is in Oatman, Arizona, in Mohave County. It is on Main Street (Route 66) 0.1 miles east of Beacon Hill Road. The marker is located on the outside wall of the northwest corner to the Olive Oatman Restaurant and Saloon. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 170 Main Street, Oatman AZ 86433, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Arizona’s Colorado River Valley.

It is also in the American Southwest.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western

The Olive Ann Oatman Fairchild Marker on the corner of the building image. Click for full size.

Photographed by James Hulse, November 4, 2021

2. The Olive Ann Oatman Fairchild Marker on the corner of the building

Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain

and also Mexico’s Alta California.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Fairchild, Olive and Oatman (1837 - 1903) (a few steps from this marker); Durlin Hotel (within shouting distance of this marker); Oatman Arizona and its Burros (within shouting distance of this marker); Oatman (within shouting distance of this marker); Gold Mining Ghost Town, Oatman, Arizona (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Oatman (within shouting distance of this marker); Arizona Hotel (within shouting distance of this marker); Oatman, Arizona (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Oatman.

Also see . . . Olive Oatman.

Five years after the attack, she was repatriated into American society. The story of the Oatman Massacre began to be retold with dramatic license in the press, as well as in her own memoir and speeches. Novels, plays, movies, and poetry were inspired, which resonated in the media of
Photographed by James Hulse, November 4, 2021

3. The view of the Olive Ann Oatman Fairchild Marker from the street
the time and long afterward. She had become an oddity in 1860s America, partly because of the prominent blue tattooing of her face by the Mohave, making her the first known white woman with Native tattoo on record. Much of what actually occurred during her time with the Native Americans remains unknown.

The town of Oatman, Arizona, is named after the Oatman family and the massacre that occurred therein. Source: Wikipedia

(Submitted on December 27, 2021, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)

Olive Ann Oatman Fairchild image. Click for full size.

Public Domain - Benjamin F. Powelson, circa 1863

4. Olive Ann Oatman Fairchild

The Oatman Hotel located across the street from the marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by James Hulse, November 4, 2021

5. The Oatman Hotel located across the street from the marker

Credits. This page was last revised on December 27, 2021. It was originally submitted on December 27, 2021, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 779 times since then and 80 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on December 27, 2021, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.