Near Sentinel in Maricopa County, Arizona — The American Mountains (Southwest)

Oatman Massacre Site

Photographed by Bill Kirchner, March 7, 2014

1. Oatman Massacre Site Marker

Inscription. Site of
Oatman
Massacre
Feb. 18, 1851

Erected by Yuma County Historical Society.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Exploration • Settlements & Settlers • Wars, US Indian. A significant historical month for this entry is February 2011.

Location. 33° 0.164′ N, 113° 9.614′ W. Marker is near Sentinel, Arizona, in Maricopa County. It can be reached from Oatman Road 8.8 miles north of Agua Caliente Road. On Oatman Road, follow rock cairns (piles of stacked rocks) northwest 1.5 miles to massacre site.
Note: Oatman Road is an un-maintained, primitive dirt road, passable only with high clearance or four wheel drive vehicles. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Dateland AZ 85333, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Arizona’s Sonoran Desert,

in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area,

and in the Tohono O’odham Nation.

It is also in the American Southwest.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the Gadsden Purchase,

and Mexico’s Alta California.

Other nearby markers. At least one other marker is within walking distance of this marker: The Oatman Family (approx. 0.3 miles away).

Regarding Oatman Massacre Site. On March 19, 1851, Royce and Mary Ann Oatman and their seven children were part of a Mormon wagon train heading to the Arizona – California border area. They were camped on this spot when a group of Yavapai Indians approached and asked for food.

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Royce complied but, fearful that he wouldn't have enough for his family, refused the Yavapai's request for seconds. The family, with the exception of fifteen year old Lorenzo, fourteen year old Olive, and her younger sister Mary Ann, were brutally massacred. Lorenzo survived by playing dead, while the two girls were taken as hostages. Mary Ann died soon after, and Olive was sold to the Mohave Indians and later ransomed back into white society.

Also see . . . The Blue Tattoo: The Life of Olive Oatman (book) by Margot Mifflin. Based on historical records, including letters and diaries of Oatman’s friends and relatives, The Blue Tattoo is the first book to examine her life from her childhood in Illinois—including the massacre, her captivity, and her return to white society—to her later years as a wealthy banker’s wife in Texas. (Submitted on June 21, 2016, by Bill Kirchner of Tucson, Arizona.) This website may earn income if you use this link to make a purchase on Amazon.com.

Photographed by Bill Kirchner, March 7, 2014

2. Oatman Massacre Site Marker

Oatman Massacre Site image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Bill Kirchner, March 7, 2014

3. Oatman Massacre Site

Oatman Flat (in distance) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Bill Kirchner, March 7, 2014

4. Oatman Flat (in distance)

Butterfiled Stage Route image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Bill Kirchner, March 7, 2014

5. Butterfiled Stage Route

Oatman Massacre site is at the far right in front of vehicles.

Credits. This page was last revised on February 4, 2026. It was originally submitted on March 8, 2014, by Bill Kirchner of Tucson, Arizona. This page has been viewed 9,456 times since then and 248 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on March 8, 2014, by Bill Kirchner of Tucson, Arizona. • Syd Whittle was the editor who published this page.