Oatman Flat facts for kids

Oatman Flat is a flat area of land in Maricopa County, Arizona. It's located south of Oatman Mountain, on the south bank of the Gila River. This historic flat land was named after the Oatman family, who experienced a tragic event here in 1851.

What is Oatman Flat?

Oatman Flat is a wide, flat piece of land. It sits near the Gila River in Arizona. This area became well-known because of a sad event involving the Oatman family. They were traveling along the Southern Emigrant Trail when they were attacked in 1851. The family was later buried on a bluff overlooking this flat land, which then took their name. Today, you can find a memorial called Oatman Grave on the flat below. However, this is a memorial and not the actual burial site.

A Busy Stop: The Stagecoach Station

For a time, Oatman Flat was a very important place. It was home to the Oatman Flat Station. This was a stop for the Butterfield Overland Mail, a famous stagecoach service. The station operated from 1858 to 1861. Stagecoaches were like large horse-drawn buses that carried mail and passengers across the country.

After a break, the Oatman Flat Station reopened in 1866. From 1868 to 1877, a new station was built nearby. A man named William I. Fourr ran this new station. He worked hard to make the travel route better for stagecoaches. He even charged a small fee, or toll, for people to use the improved road. William Fourr and his wife also faced sadness, as they lost children who were buried nearby in what is now known as the Fourr Cemetery.

When the railroad arrived in Arizona in 1878, stagecoach travel became less common. The Oatman Flat Station closed down and eventually fell into ruin.

Oatman Flat Today

Today, Oatman Flat is mostly farmland. The exact spots where the old stagecoach stations once stood are now covered by fields. However, the Oatman Grave memorial and the Fourr Cemetery can still be found. They serve as reminders of the area's interesting and sometimes difficult past.