John the Baptist Mountains facts for kids
The John the Baptist Mountains are a small mountain range in western Pima County, Arizona. They are located about 8.5 miles southwest of the town of Ajo, Arizona. This mountain range is about 3 miles long and 1 mile wide at its widest point. The highest spot in the range is 2,161 feet above sea level. Most of these mountains are on land managed by the Bureau of Land Management. A small part also reaches into the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge.
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Discovering the John the Baptist Mountains
Where are the John the Baptist Mountains?
These mountains are found in the western part of Pima County, Arizona. They are a short drive, about 8.5 miles, southwest of the town of Ajo, Arizona. The range is not very big, stretching about 3 miles long. At its widest, it's about 1 mile across. The highest point in these mountains reaches 2,161 feet above the ocean. Most of this area is looked after by the Bureau of Land Management. A small part of the mountains also extends into the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge, which is a special place for desert wildlife.
Who was John C. Butala?
The John the Baptist Mountains are named after a real person named John C. Butala. He was a man who chose to live alone in the desert for many years. People who live alone, away from others, are sometimes called hermits. John C. Butala was born in 1880. He fought in the Spanish–American War with the 15th Minnesota Volunteer Infantry Regiment. After his time in the military, he decided to spend the rest of his life living by himself in the desert.
Some local people thought he might have been deeply affected by his time in the war. However, this was never officially confirmed.
John C. Butala's Unique Life
John C. Butala was known for being quite unique. He had long, tangled hair. For most of the year, he would wear only tennis shoes and a simple cloth around his waist made from old sacks. He was also famous for feeding and making friends with many desert animals around his camp. Some of these animals became so comfortable that they would eat food right from his hand!
People likely gave him the nickname "John the Baptist" because of his wild appearance and how he lived in the desert, much like a prophet from old stories. Even though he had unusual ways, John C. Butala was very skilled with machines and engineering. People from the nearby town would often ask him to come fix cars and heavy equipment at the New Cornelia Mine. Later in his life, he stopped seeing people almost entirely. He passed away in 1961 at the age of 81 because he didn't get enough food. He is buried in Ajo.
