I appreciate videos like this. I'm disabled, poor and couldn't do these walks if I wanted to. Videos like this are the only way I can actually see these places.
with hoveround, you can go to the grand canyon! hoveround! just making a joke. i'm disabled and poor too, even though we live in the richest country on earth. keep your head up bill bomb shiggy
As a guy who's kicked around the California and Arizona wildernesses for most of my years, I really appreciate the "Deeper History" you research and bring to light about these places, as a history geek and "Historical Marker Junkie" myself, the familiarity with a lot of these places plus the bonus information you always manage to find, both recall fond memories of the sites and excite my thirst for the "Behind the Scenes" knowledge of these places. Thank you so much for your scholarly approach and hands on guides!
History is written by the Victor's, so you should never trust it. If you're gonna be a geek about something, make it about something that's not a bunch of BS.
If it weren't for my Scottish ancestors coming to America I'm sure I wouldn't be here because I'm also part Native American and everything northwest Europe lol I'm a Heinz 57
Honestly, there's a lot of little known but important history lessons like this out there. The problem I have is usually the one telling the stories. Too often, people try to turn them into hour long videos, and they add so much filler that the actual story gets lost. I'm very impressed by this video. Thank you for keeping with the storyline.
Thank you. We live in Arizona, and have heard of Olive Oatman, and her family's massacre many times. But your photography and narrative brought it alive.
Don't feel to bad for the Oatman family. My great and so on grandfather Thomas Cresap had his son killed by a indian who returned the favor to the same indian before he died. He was known to dispatch at least 100 indians during his time time and his other son's total that many and more. Point? What comes around goes around. Don't get mad get even.
Unless you have names and dates (newspaper articles?) of all of those alleged unualivings, your grandad Tommy and family could have been exaggerating. It is not uncommon among outdoorsy-types with large egos for the fish to get bigger and bigger. One-upsmanship and keeping up with the Joneses, or the Hatfields I guess has existed since the dawn of hunanity and isn't limited to suburbia. The WW2, USS Enterprise was reported (inJapan) as sunk by the Japanese at least 3 times. She was called the grey ghost because she just kept showing back up. She was never sunk. Unless you have documents that all thse people actually passed away (assuming Tommys family wasn't full of baloney) everything he says is 100% hearsay. I could literally tell you that I unalived hundreds of people, and without proof, it would never hold up in a court of law. One man/family can't unalive hundreds of people (as Tommy claimed) in a county with a population of a few thousand people and it go unreported and unnoticed.
Psht, as if 7000 years (recorded) and 30,000 years before writing were a f-ing utopia..... Never did anything violent eh? The world is flat too I guess??@@travler1226
As a native San Diegan and trucker for 30+ years, I have gone past the exit for Oatman countless times without knowing their story. Marvelous presentation and work with your video! Thank you.
I read "Girl with the Blue Tattoo" some years ago. It's very interesting and sad to see the sites where her family was killed. Thank you for sharing this!
Love your videos and thanks for the time you spend making them. A ancestor of mine, Robert Kelly, was first on scene and helped bury the bodies. He mentioned in his memoirs about how sad and tragic it was. He went to Carlsbad a short time later and ran Rancho Agua Hedionda.
I love listening to the story of what happened as you walked through the place where it happened. With such a simple, straightforward delivery, I was captivated by your storytelling.
Very well done, Steve! I'd heard of Olive Oatman and had seen her photo, but I learned a lot more from your video. As always, beautiful choice of music and great editing. And I'm always impressed by your steady camera work as you make your way over rough ground!
I've heard of Olive Oatman, but I didn't know the whole story. She was given honor in a show called "Hell on Wheels" which is about the building of the Trans Continental Railroad. One of the characters in the show is loosely based on her story. Thanks once again for your great videos and history lessons.
It’s interesting because I watched Hell on Wheels and saw Olive’s character. She was a “lady of the evening”, and had a tattoo that ran from the outside of her mouth running down to her chin. I knew of her, and when I moved to Pennsylvania, Olive is well known.
Thanks very much for this adventure, Steve. I am familiar with the story of the Oatman Massacre and Olive. I've also been to Oatman, Arizona close to half a dozen times. (Viewers: you must visit Oatman!) I have often wondered how easy it might be to visit the massacre site, and I can't tell you how many times I thought of one day trying to visit it when passing the exit close to it off of I 8. Boggles the mind what Olive and her little sister and Lorenzo had to face after the massacre. What strength and resilience! So poignant too how Lorenzo never stopped trying to be reunited with Olive, and that the reunion happened. I hope that the parents died quickly from their injuries as well as the other children. Those westward pioneers were very courageous people in forging forward despite the risks of such attacks. I remember as a school child when one of my classmates brought the braided hair of one of his ancestors who had been scalped by a tribe somewhere in Kansas to school for show and tell! Boy did that make an incredible impression on me. Thanks for the adventure, Steve!
Excellent video and extremely well spoken. I read "The Blue Tattoo - The Life of Olive Oatman" years ago and have been fascinated with her and family's story ever since. It is wonderful that I had a chance to visit the historic site through your thoughtful tour. Hopefully one day I can go there in person. Thanks for uploading!
Steve, that was an exceptional rendering of this sad and somewhat redemptive story. I can't imagine what the survivors endured. I think you have everything in place to do some national and even wordly documentaries.
Great telling of the story. Of all the telling of this tale you are the only one who pointed out that the south side of the Gila River was then Mexico. That is the reason Lorenzo wasn't able to get help from the military at that time.
@@SidetrackAdventuresYup, exactly! Would love to see what you and Bob Boze Bell of True West Magazine (and UA-cam channel) could do together on a few of these stories. You're both good at these tales of the desert Southwest! 🤠✌️
The Mexican cessation was complete in 1850. Which is all of California, Nevada, Utah, most of Arizona, western Colorado and western New Mexico. The gadsden purchase was 1853-1854, which was the very southern part of Arizona and and into New Mexico along the current Mexico/US border.
Thank you, Steve; I had seen the photograph of poor Olive on youtube before, but this is the first time I've actually heard the story of what happened to her. An intriguing tale; and I must admit I could get hooked on your channel.
@@sonofadyingnation7186 fully populated land, with successful cultures like anywhere else in the world. There were 100 million indigenous in North America, all of NA, including what some call central America. Many empires. Just like the rest of the world. War, peace, hundreds of different languages, extensive trade routes, just like the rest of the world. Have you Studied North American Indigenous History? It covers the first 10,000 years of their history.
How many centuries did it take for the White to almost fully occupy & dominate the land? For Whites to become the owners of this land surely must not have been a peaceful process for the natives . They were as good as wiped out
Like many who Ride In The Sidetrack Adventures Posse, I too have seen the photo of Olive Oatman and heard and watched many replicated stories about this tragic massacre. Your rendition Steve is by far the Best. You always take a full dive into the researching and come up with information that perfectly connects all the dots. Details such as Olive and her sister having to walk those 60 plus miles barefooted and the tattooing they received so that they eventually reached the Land of The Dead as a Mojave! The amount of detail, work and physical hiking to get the best up close shots for us Fans is never lost on us Steve...Thank You! As a brother, I very much respect young Lorenzo and his fortitude. MOO From COW-lumbus, Ohio 👋🙏
Every once in awhile the YT algorithm hits its mark and your channel is the most recent one. This content is perfect for indulging my adventurous spirit when I can't do myself and your research is top notch. I live in Vegas so alot of this is in my backyard. Thank you so much for the hard work and time you put into this. Got a new sub and I'm sure I'll be around as long as youre putting out content. Cheers!
I live in Toronto Canada. Rented a car a few years back and tried to make it to this site....but road was too rough. So thanks for this video! Very interesting to see the actual spot!
There are a few really good, no, GREAT channels and YT, and yours is one of them. You do great camera work and take the viewer to places they've never seen or likely will ever see. I get so inspired by seeing quality content, especially when it is well delivered, informative and unbiased. You sir, are a gem !
I love your channel! You explore places I'll probably never get to see for myself, and I learn something every time I watch. Your channel has helped me see the beauty in the southwestern desert, and I especially love your demeanor--you deliver with a calm voice, no hype, just the facts but delivered with a touch of wonder as you take us around the corner to see the next thing. I know it takes a lot of time to put these together. Thank you for what you do and for who you are!
Agreed Hugh. You know this takes prep research for the smooth delivery we get to see. Then the editing makes it seamless as if it's just two people walking the trails and discovering along the way. Thank you Steve, safe trails and good health to you.
Thanks Steve for another great lesson in history,. I am from Texas , but currently working in Arizona. I enjoy exploring the parks and all your state has to offer. I had never heard this tragic story and appreciate you including it as an episode of your channel.
As a child I heard my paternal grandmother, Betty Oatman Cornwell, talking to a family member about her cousin, Olive Ann. I am in my seventies but would like to search my ancestry. Possibly a very distant relative?
I have actually been to the town of Oatman but have never heard of this. What a story. A very interesting channel and it’s nice to see you’re finding an audience!
Thank you for taking the time and effort to research and present Olive Oatman's story, including your visit to the absolutely desolate site of the massacre, which really brings the whole saga to life.
I love your video tours. Your calm voice and knowledge of each site add much to your narratives. I didn't realize the Rio Gila was the old border. I hiked along the Gila near Wild Horse Pass in 2017 and some water was flowing. No matter, I salute you for a job well done.
What a fascinating history of human history of life in the southwest. Thank you so much, I really appreciate your story telling. Many of these places and events I have visited but not realize “the rest of the story “! Again thanks .
Anyone who is raised wearing shoes, having their shoes removed then forced to walk 60 miles barefoot through the Arizona desert is truly amazing. Thank you for telling this story. It is not hard to see why the trappers, traders, homesteaders and all western pioneers had a negative opinion of the native tribes.
Hell, the stories of the interactions that early settlers had of these tribes capturing people for slavery and sex slavery was enough for me to be less sympathetic.
Um....the reason for the violence was because the colonists came in hot. Youre blaming people for their reaction to aggressive invasion. Nevermind the rampant alcoholism and vulgarity amongst the western travelers 🧐 That being said, violence begets violence and the "civilized" visitors should have known that.
I've thought about going out here for awhile, but it never worked out before. I think I first heard about Olive Oatman in True West Magazine maybe? I'm not even sure at this point.
We just visited Oatman AZ twice this month; your video was very timely. Thank you for all the research you had done - it helped us connect with what we saw.
i grew up kinda close to the site and hunted that area... some back story to the event was that it was kinda part of the yuma war which the infamous glanton gang set off .... the state of sonora hired the glanton gang to kill apaches in northern sonora (the massacre site was part of mexico at that time) well, the glanton gang was killing and scalping everyone and so any "white" person was kinda considered part of the glanton gang by native americans and thus the hostile massacre of the oatmans...the famous sarah bowman (aka: "the great western" and 1st citizen of yuma, az) recused olive oatman by parleying via one of her yaqui employees, francisco... sara bowman was an amazing lady and was buried with full military honor of a colonel in the presido in san francisco.... a fictional novel "blood meridian" by corman mccarthy tells the story of the glanton gang and there's the factual confession of samuel chamberlain, a member of the glanton gang, as well... by the way, great work getting out there !... that really is some tough terrain
Having just read the biography of Olive Oatman, I think you did a very good job representing the history. No drama, no politics. Very good reporting. I enjoy seeing the sites you uncover.
Steve I am always amazed that so many of the roads you travel on to get to some of the locations look just like what I expected roads in the Southwest to look like. Another great vid about history I had never heard of.
A few days ago there was a road that turned out way worse than I thought, and I ended up having to pull over and walk the rest of the way (it will be in next week's video).
Oatman Arizona is one town along the old 66 highway. It is also very quirky with wild burros walking through town. The road is very twisting and winding and interesting to drive. Great history and a good video for Sidetrack Adventure.
This has always been such an interesting, but very sad story. It seems so strange to read about places like San Bernardino and Temecula (where Lorenzo was living) as they were in the 1850s. Also incredible to find out that it took weeks for supply wagons to travel from San Diego to Ft. Yuma. I did a deep dive into Olive Oatman's history after reading that the character of Eva, from the show Hell on Wheels, was loosely based on her. The Blue Tattoo, by Margot Mifflin, is a fascinating read, which goes into great detail about Olive's life. "Washes" and seemingly dry river beds here in the Southwest can pose a danger to the unsuspecting; flash floods, from rain in the mountains miles away can turn a trickle into a deluge without warning. Definitely providing a good home for coyotes...better than in my back yard (where we see them from time to time). Nice job!
@@SidetrackAdventures Hell on Wheels is very good, though quite violent. It's a Western, after all. The creators were fascinated by a PBS documentary on the Golden Spike and the race to join the railroads into one. It's so weird to see Anson Mount (the main character, Cullen Bohannon) now playing a Starfleet Captain with perfect hair, lol. I'm old enough to remember the 60s when what was hot on TV was Westerns and Sci Fi.
@@SidetrackAdventures Hell on Wheels is really quite a good series. I really enjoyed it. But like most, if not all series that last past 3 or 4 seasons, it noticeably begins to spiral towards the absurd and loses its intrigue. IMHO, of course.
We love Oatman. It was such a fun place to take our kids and grandkids when they would come for a visit. I had no idea about the memorials you covered. Thx so much!!
Once again, another intriguing and informative video Steve! I’m going to have to check that out the next time I’m out that way, I’ve always been interested in the wagon and stage lines in the southwest. Many thanks from South Carolina.
I don't know who you are , but I just came across your channel , and boy I'm glad I did watched 3 different shows of yours and I subscribed thank you for this one FRANK FROM MONTANA.....
I saw the first of your films yesterday, enjoyed it, and I’m enjoying this one. I live in South Carolina and know there really isn’t a good chance of me visiting these places myself (especially with an RV and a disabled daughter). I really do like the music in the background and (IMO) it’s at just the right volume.
Very well done and with lots of respect to the Oatman family. Your videos are quite humble and subtle yet have a way of drawing the viewer into the content. Keep up the great work and keep them coming!
Excellent video, I have heard of the story of the Oatman massacre and the capture of Olive Oatman and her life with her captor and the Tattoos. To see the place of the actual massacre and have you tell the story was really amazing, incredible. You can see how hardy the pioneers and the native Americans were back then, truly tough living and survival. Thank you, very interesting !
good summation. a small note that Lorenzo was not thrown off the edge he climbed down during the night. The spot where he lay trying to get up during the night was barely over from the massacre site about 75 or so feet. As he tried to get up and if you reenact it from the exact spot his view he seemed to be looking out over a cliff. But had he been able to stand fully up such as a person inspecting the spot today its in fact a rocky hill he stumbled down not remembering it. He even said he saw the bloody trail where he had made it down during the night. He then passed out some more and he woke up and viewed up virtually exactly where you were standing as you pointed the camera up towards the massacre site. That exact view by the way of him looking up was in the book but they drew the tongue of the wagon backwards when in fact it would have been facing west. They went straight north through the ravine in the mountain you pointed the camera at. The first camp of captivity was about 65 miles north in a large wash a few miles southwest of Auguila. There is a road that can be hiked or driven to the exact spot.
Great video, THANK YOU! I drive I8 all the time to Phoenix from SD and thought I knew those areas between well… The history I never knew is amazing! Watch out for Javelina in that brush, they are WAY more vicious than any Yotes! Thanks again and keep up the great videos and history!
Glad to see you Back in Arizona Sir! I hope your travels bring you around the Globe area, there is lots of history that would be interestingly learned from your perspective.
Well done, Steve. What a fascinating story; Ive heard it before but your telling of it is great, full of detail, and the on-site videography really adds color to the story. Thanks.
Great story. I was impressed by your calm recitation of the Oatman story, not trying to focus just on the obvious violence that the Oatman family experienced.
This story does help me understand the early Western movies. When watching re-enactments of scalpings and such violence, my father told me these acts were exaggerated. Thank you for shining the light on the fact the White Man were not the only ones that were violence prone.
@@kamakaziozzie3038read “Empire of the Summer Moon,” a NY Times bestseller. This story is a children’s bedtime story in comparison. Being beaten to death with clubs is much better treatment than they would have gotten from many tribes.
I was a young Marine at 29 Palms in 1974. It was a formative time in my life. As a boy from Arkansas I might as well been on the moon. I have been back once. Your videos are a combination of therapy, desire and regret. Like the Marine Corps.
A very good video Steve, and a very sad and moving story. It is truly tragic that human societies visit such inhumanity upon each other. It seems to be the norm for our species.
Great story well told. One of many such stories of murder and mayhem against both natives and settlers. It's a sad comment on the human condition that if you cannot defend your land and possessions someone, sooner or later, will come and take them from you.
Steve, I have a minor geographical correction for this video. When you were bushwhacking your way through a dry channel to get to the Oatman grave site, you were not crossing the Gila River. You were crossing an intermittent wash that drains Wild Horse Canyon from the south into the Gila. The Gila River was about 1/3 mile north of you. I appreciate so many of your videos. You do a great job of studying and relating history to us.
The Oatman story is an interesting one, with several elements that characterize many tragic western bits of history. Coyotes are generally fairly shy, and walking, we make a lot of noise. I fell into the back entrance to a coyote den outside Sacramento and watched four half grown pups scamper out the front. I like to whistle at coyotes like I would to call my dog. They often stop and look around.
I do the same while hiking the open desert. They stop and look when you whistle, but always keep their distance. Not sure why people have so much fear of such a magnificent creature. They only get aggressive when people feed them regularly.
@@riverraisin1 I've always liked coyotes. One Miwok friend thought I was a little crazy, But she was quite surprised that they would respond when I whistled, and thought it was "weird." The Miwok regard Coyote as one of the four original participants in creation.
@@shellchenonceau6987There's only been one documented cases in the United States of anyone being killed by a coyote. And the same is probably true for Canada. It's just not common. I grew up with coyotes in our woods. They don't bother us. Never killed any of our pets or never came after us, but yet they're right in our woods. We hear them howling really loud
To put it in perspective, More people are killed by domesticated dogs. * Every year in the United States, between 20 to 30 people are killed by a domesticated dog.* The last 40 years there has not even been one case of a coyote killing anyone here in the US
@@danielwynne8547 Our native brothers and sisters do, and the term "native American" is ambiguous because anyone born here is technically one. Indigenous is the preferred term in the US, First Nations in Canada. Aboriginal is correct, but is most closely associated with Australian natives, so potentially confusing. Before Columbus, today's India was called Hindustan. "Indian" derives from "In Dios", as the unbaptized (but still God's children) were referred to by the early Catholic missionaries inclusive of all indigenous non-European peoples worldwide in areas colonized by the Spanish and Portuguese. So, "indian" has now been rehabilitated as an alternate name.
A great presentation! I say this because this is the 3rd time I've viewed this one. On the videos that really catch my attention, I view them several times to retain important facts. Am going to read the book on this subject and tell my brother who has property in Mohave near Oatman. Thanks for the service you do, my friend.❤
Love your travels and stories,keep em coming..soon you’ll receive the Charles Kuralt award..thanks for sharing your travels and the wonders of it all..Happy Trails!
Well, I learned something today, thanks Steve for another great history lesson. Seen this picture many times, not knowing the story behind it. amazing the knowledge, you have of so many old historical sites. Thanks a bunch
Thank you for this story. It means so much more when one gets to see it in person. I’ve been to Sand Creek, Colorado, and Deadwood, as well as the Washita Massacre in Oklahoma, and Fort Sumner, NM. It just makes history come alive to see the land in person.
I just came across your UA-cam channel tonight and I started looking at your other videos and I subscribed. I can't wait to go and watch them. I'm originally from Southern California and we left and moved to South Carolina in 2008 and in 2013 came to San Antonio Texas so I drive back-and-forth to California every couple of years or so to visit my grandkids and there's so many places I've stopped to visit and so many I've never even heard of and places I want to see 😜 But it's fun learning from others adventures. UA-cam is my favorite thing to watch and learn
Such a sad story for this family. I so enjoy your show. Many shows like yours are boring and say little but you do your homework and always have something educational to say
Great video, thanks as always Steve! Question for you: I always notice how great your audio sounds as you're narrating, even while you're hiking (or bushwhacking!). Do you record a voiceover later in a quiet environment? If not -- I must know what microphone equipment you use!! Thanks Steve!
A great presentation! I learned a very interesting thing! My brother lives in Mohave, AZ. and took me to Oatman. Now I know the origins of the little, interesting towns name!.
That was great! I know of Olive Oatman and what happened to her but not the whole story nor where it happened. Is Great to find that out! Thanks so much for taking the time to document that and share it!!
The Olive Oatman story is very intriguing. Learned about it about 2 years ago from a friend. Have even visited the town of Oatman. Thanks for taking us along.
I appreciate videos like this. I'm disabled, poor and couldn't do these walks if I wanted to.
Videos like this are the only way I can actually see these places.
brother most of us are poor -ish otherwise
we'd be asking for your cash app
@@Juno_Beach are most of you disabled? Even if I had the money, I couldn't do this. Unless you can find me an off road wheelchair that can do stunts.
with hoveround, you can go to the grand canyon! hoveround!
just making a joke. i'm disabled and poor too, even though we live in the richest country on earth. keep your head up bill bomb shiggy
@@Juno_Beach psssoff
That was super interesting! I’ve heard of people enslaved by the Natives but haven’t heard many stories about survivors. Thanks!
As a guy who's kicked around the California and Arizona wildernesses for most of my years, I really appreciate the "Deeper History" you research and bring to light about these places, as a history geek and "Historical Marker Junkie" myself, the familiarity with a lot of these places plus the bonus information you always manage to find, both recall fond memories of the sites and excite my thirst for the "Behind the Scenes" knowledge of these places. Thank you so much for your scholarly approach and hands on guides!
Cool thx
Do you ever metal detect?
Read captivity of the Oatman girls
Facinating history!
History is written by the Victor's, so you should never trust it. If you're gonna be a geek about something, make it about something that's not a bunch of BS.
You are an EXCELLENT narrator - thank you for uploading this.
nah he makes a lot of weird pauses
I’m loving these historical stories of your Wild West. Thank you from Scotland 🏴
Lots of Old West guys were Scots and Irish.
If it weren't for my Scottish ancestors coming to America I'm sure I wouldn't be here because I'm also part Native American and everything northwest Europe lol I'm a Heinz 57
Hello, Scotland Silkie!
Honestly, there's a lot of little known but important history lessons like this out there. The problem I have is usually the one telling the stories. Too often, people try to turn them into hour long videos, and they add so much filler that the actual story gets lost. I'm very impressed by this video. Thank you for keeping with the storyline.
Thank you. We live in Arizona, and have heard of Olive Oatman, and her family's massacre many times. But your photography and narrative brought it alive.
Don't feel to bad for the Oatman family. My great and so on grandfather Thomas Cresap had his son killed by a indian who returned the favor to the same indian before he died. He was known to dispatch at least 100 indians during his time time and his other son's total that many and more. Point? What comes around goes around. Don't get mad get even.
Unless you have names and dates (newspaper articles?) of all of those alleged unualivings, your grandad Tommy and family could have been exaggerating. It is not uncommon among outdoorsy-types with large egos for the fish to get bigger and bigger. One-upsmanship and keeping up with the Joneses, or the Hatfields I guess has existed since the dawn of hunanity and isn't limited to suburbia. The WW2, USS Enterprise was reported (inJapan) as sunk by the Japanese at least 3 times. She was called the grey ghost because she just kept showing back up. She was never sunk. Unless you have documents that all thse people actually passed away (assuming Tommys family wasn't full of baloney) everything he says is 100% hearsay. I could literally tell you that I unalived hundreds of people, and without proof, it would never hold up in a court of law. One man/family can't unalive hundreds of people (as Tommy claimed) in a county with a population of a few thousand people and it go unreported and unnoticed.
This Native behavior so common in its cruelty seems to be forgotten.
Psht, as if 7000 years (recorded) and 30,000 years before writing were a f-ing utopia..... Never did anything violent eh? The world is flat too I guess??@@travler1226
@@travler1226And the savagery of white "christian" murderers is defiantly forgotten.
As a native San Diegan and trucker for 30+ years, I have gone past the exit for Oatman countless times without knowing their story. Marvelous presentation and work with your video! Thank you.
I read "Girl with the Blue Tattoo" some years ago. It's very interesting and sad to see the sites where her family was killed. Thank you for sharing this!
Love your videos and thanks for the time you spend making them. A ancestor of mine, Robert Kelly, was first on scene and helped bury the bodies. He mentioned in his memoirs about how sad and tragic it was. He went to Carlsbad a short time later and ran Rancho Agua Hedionda.
I love listening to the story of what happened as you walked through the place where it happened. With such a simple, straightforward delivery, I was captivated by your storytelling.
Very well done, Steve! I'd heard of Olive Oatman and had seen her photo, but I learned a lot more from your video. As always, beautiful choice of music and great editing. And I'm always impressed by your steady camera work as you make your way over rough ground!
Thank you.
Steve your channel is fantastic, keep being awesome!
I've heard of Olive Oatman, but I didn't know the whole story. She was given honor in a show called "Hell on Wheels" which is about the building of the Trans Continental Railroad. One of the characters in the show is loosely based on her story. Thanks once again for your great videos and history lessons.
I've been meaning to check that show out.
@@SidetrackAdventures It's a bit violent for me but it does have some good history in it.
She was prostitute on the show though.
@@sandyzalecki1145I am into season 4 on prime, it's violent but it's entertaining and characters are interesting
It’s interesting because I watched Hell on Wheels and saw Olive’s character. She was a “lady of the evening”, and had a tattoo that ran from the outside of her mouth running down to her chin. I knew of her, and when I moved to Pennsylvania, Olive is well known.
Thanks very much for this adventure, Steve. I am familiar with the story of the Oatman Massacre and Olive. I've also been to Oatman, Arizona close to half a dozen times. (Viewers: you must visit Oatman!) I have often wondered how easy it might be to visit the massacre site, and I can't tell you how many times I thought of one day trying to visit it when passing the exit close to it off of I 8. Boggles the mind what Olive and her little sister and Lorenzo had to face after the massacre. What strength and resilience! So poignant too how Lorenzo never stopped trying to be reunited with Olive, and that the reunion happened. I hope that the parents died quickly from their injuries as well as the other children. Those westward pioneers were very courageous people in forging forward despite the risks of such attacks. I remember as a school child when one of my classmates brought the braided hair of one of his ancestors who had been scalped by a tribe somewhere in Kansas to school for show and tell! Boy did that make an incredible impression on me. Thanks for the adventure, Steve!
stealing native land isn't heroic AT ALL
ya the impressive was it turned you into genocidal racist , grats
Excellent video and extremely well spoken.
I read "The Blue Tattoo - The Life of Olive Oatman" years ago and have been fascinated with her and family's story ever since. It is wonderful that I had a chance to visit the historic site through your thoughtful tour. Hopefully one day I can go there in person. Thanks for uploading!
Steve, that was an exceptional rendering of this sad and somewhat redemptive story. I can't imagine what the survivors endured. I think you have everything in place to do some national and even wordly documentaries.
This is one of the coolest, most-informative, entertaining, and top quality channels I've seen in a long time. Subbed.
Great telling of the story. Of all the telling of this tale you are the only one who pointed out that the south side of the Gila River was then Mexico. That is the reason Lorenzo wasn't able to get help from the military at that time.
For whatever reason I think the Gadsen Purchase isn't as well known as some of the other expansions of the country.
@@SidetrackAdventuresYup, exactly! Would love to see what you and Bob Boze Bell of True West Magazine (and UA-cam channel) could do together on a few of these stories. You're both good at these tales of the desert Southwest! 🤠✌️
The Mexican cessation was complete in 1850. Which is all of California, Nevada, Utah, most of Arizona, western Colorado and western New Mexico.
The gadsden purchase was 1853-1854, which was the very southern part of Arizona and and into New Mexico along the current Mexico/US border.
When you said coyotes, you mean the actual animal or the immigrant smugglers?
@@marcoantonioalvarez6483
He mentioned “coyote scat” (animal feces), so sure he meant the animal type of coyote.
Thank you, Steve; I had seen the photograph of poor Olive on youtube before, but this is the first time I've actually heard the story of what happened to her. An intriguing tale; and I must admit I could get hooked on your channel.
I knew you'd get to this story eventually based on your continued exploration of the southwest. Excellent video and, as usual, very well done!
Thanks for remembering the Oatman family. Very sad story.
Yeah. The video can only really scratch the surface. Some of the details are heartbreaking.
@@SidetrackAdventuresWhat about a story on the people whose land they were stealing?
@@Dee-JayW "What about a story on the people whose land they were stealing?"
Just largely unpeopled land, or land that belonged to Stone Age savages.
@@sonofadyingnation7186 fully populated land, with successful cultures like anywhere else in the world. There were 100 million indigenous in North America, all of NA, including what some call central America. Many empires. Just like the rest of the world. War, peace, hundreds of different languages, extensive trade routes, just like the rest of the world. Have you Studied North American Indigenous History? It covers the first 10,000 years of their history.
How many centuries did it take for the White to almost fully occupy & dominate the land? For Whites to become the owners of this land surely must not have been a peaceful process for the natives . They were as good as wiped out
Like many who Ride In The Sidetrack Adventures Posse, I too have seen the photo of Olive Oatman and heard and watched many replicated stories about this tragic massacre. Your rendition Steve is by far the Best. You always take a full dive into the researching and come up with information that perfectly connects all the dots. Details such as Olive and her sister having to walk those 60 plus miles barefooted and the tattooing they received so that they eventually reached the Land of The Dead as a Mojave! The amount of detail, work and physical hiking to get the best up close shots for us Fans is never lost on us Steve...Thank You! As a brother, I very much respect young Lorenzo and his fortitude. MOO From COW-lumbus, Ohio 👋🙏
Thank you, I appreciate it.
Every once in awhile the YT algorithm hits its mark and your channel is the most recent one. This content is perfect for indulging my adventurous spirit when I can't do myself and your research is top notch. I live in Vegas so alot of this is in my backyard. Thank you so much for the hard work and time you put into this. Got a new sub and I'm sure I'll be around as long as youre putting out content. Cheers!
Thanks, I appreciate it.
I live in Toronto Canada. Rented a car a few years back and tried to make it to this site....but road was too rough. So thanks for this video! Very interesting to see the actual spot!
If u should ever come back rent a SUV of some sort instead. Here in oregon I drive up lava ridges and very rough roads in a ford explorer😊
Get a Jeep Wrangler.
...A Studebaker is the vehicle You want to use to get Through Those old Cow Paths!!!
There are a few really good, no, GREAT channels and YT, and yours is one of them. You do great camera work and take the viewer to places they've never seen or likely will ever see. I get so inspired by seeing quality content, especially when it is well delivered, informative and unbiased. You sir, are a gem !
I love your channel! You explore places I'll probably never get to see for myself, and I learn something every time I watch. Your channel has helped me see the beauty in the southwestern desert, and I especially love your demeanor--you deliver with a calm voice, no hype, just the facts but delivered with a touch of wonder as you take us around the corner to see the next thing. I know it takes a lot of time to put these together. Thank you for what you do and for who you are!
Thank you, I appreciate it.
Agreed Hugh. You know this takes prep research for the smooth delivery we get to see. Then the editing makes it seamless as if it's just two people walking the trails and discovering along the way. Thank you Steve, safe trails and good health to you.
Thanks Steve for another great lesson in history,. I am from Texas , but currently working in Arizona. I enjoy exploring the parks and all your state has to offer. I had never heard this tragic story and appreciate you including it as an episode of your channel.
That is the story of my family. My grandfather was Mike Oatman and I am the decendant of that family.
As a child I heard my paternal grandmother, Betty Oatman Cornwell, talking to a family member about her cousin, Olive Ann. I am in my seventies but would like to search my ancestry. Possibly a very distant relative?
I have actually been to the town of Oatman but have never heard of this. What a story. A very interesting channel and it’s nice to see you’re finding an audience!
Thank you for taking the time and effort to research and present Olive Oatman's story, including your visit to the absolutely desolate site of the massacre, which really brings the whole saga to life.
I love your video tours. Your calm voice and knowledge of each site add much to your narratives. I didn't realize the Rio Gila was the old border. I hiked along the Gila near Wild Horse Pass in 2017 and some water was flowing. No matter, I salute you for a job well done.
What a fascinating history of human history of life in the southwest. Thank you so much, I really appreciate your story telling. Many of these places and events I have visited but not realize “the rest of the story “! Again thanks .
Anyone who is raised wearing shoes, having their shoes removed then forced to walk 60 miles barefoot through the Arizona desert is truly amazing. Thank you for telling this story. It is not hard to see why the trappers, traders, homesteaders and all western pioneers had a negative opinion of the native tribes.
Hell, the stories of the interactions that early settlers had of these tribes capturing people for slavery and sex slavery was enough for me to be less sympathetic.
😂😂😂
Um....the reason for the violence was because the colonists came in hot. Youre blaming people for their reaction to aggressive invasion. Nevermind the rampant alcoholism and vulgarity amongst the western travelers 🧐
That being said, violence begets violence and the "civilized" visitors should have known that.
Indigenous People were killed more than whites.. 6 Tribes are Extinct b/c of the White Man!!
That squares it up
Love all your videos Steve, often wonder where you get the idea to visit these random places and get the information for stories like this
I've thought about going out here for awhile, but it never worked out before. I think I first heard about Olive Oatman in True West Magazine maybe? I'm not even sure at this point.
What an amazing UA-cam video! Thanks for going in depth and visually showing us this adventure!
Steve, love your video’s and the narration you put into them. Overall, you provide us with awesome content! Thank you!!
We just visited Oatman AZ twice this month; your video was very timely. Thank you for all the research you had done - it helped us connect with what we saw.
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks, Steve, really enjoy your videos and the efforts that go into them.
Thank you.
Gee, you make great short documentaries, man. Please keep up the good work!
i grew up kinda close to the site and hunted that area... some back story to the event was that it was kinda part of the yuma war which the infamous glanton gang set off .... the state of sonora hired the glanton gang to kill apaches in northern sonora (the massacre site was part of mexico at that time) well, the glanton gang was killing and scalping everyone and so any "white" person was kinda considered part of the glanton gang by native americans and thus the hostile massacre of the oatmans...the famous sarah bowman (aka: "the great western" and 1st citizen of yuma, az) recused olive oatman by parleying via one of her yaqui employees, francisco... sara bowman was an amazing lady and was buried with full military honor of a colonel in the presido in san francisco.... a fictional novel "blood meridian" by corman mccarthy tells the story of the glanton gang and there's the factual confession of samuel chamberlain, a member of the glanton gang, as well... by the way, great work getting out there !... that really is some tough terrain
Having just read the biography of Olive Oatman, I think you did a very good job representing the history. No drama, no politics. Very good reporting. I enjoy seeing the sites you uncover.
Steve I am always amazed that so many of the roads you travel on to get to some of the locations look just like what I expected roads in the Southwest to look like. Another great vid about history I had never heard of.
A few days ago there was a road that turned out way worse than I thought, and I ended up having to pull over and walk the rest of the way (it will be in next week's video).
Great job! Loved the maps the music and the clippings, and most of all the history.
Oatman Arizona is one town along the old 66 highway. It is also very quirky with wild burros walking through town. The road is very twisting and winding and interesting to drive. Great history and a good video for Sidetrack Adventure.
Thanks! I really appreciate your video…well done
Thank you, I really appreciate it.
This has always been such an interesting, but very sad story. It seems so strange to read about places like San Bernardino and Temecula (where Lorenzo was living) as they were in the 1850s. Also incredible to find out that it took weeks for supply wagons to travel from San Diego to Ft. Yuma. I did a deep dive into Olive Oatman's history after reading that the character of Eva, from the show Hell on Wheels, was loosely based on her. The Blue Tattoo, by Margot Mifflin, is a fascinating read, which goes into great detail about Olive's life. "Washes" and seemingly dry river beds here in the Southwest can pose a danger to the unsuspecting; flash floods, from rain in the mountains miles away can turn a trickle into a deluge without warning. Definitely providing a good home for coyotes...better than in my back yard (where we see them from time to time). Nice job!
I've been wanting to check out Hell on Wheels. A couple of people have mentioned there's a character based on Olive Oatman in it.
@@SidetrackAdventures Hell on Wheels is very good, though quite violent. It's a Western, after all. The creators were fascinated by a PBS documentary on the Golden Spike and the race to join the railroads into one. It's so weird to see Anson Mount (the main character, Cullen Bohannon) now playing a Starfleet Captain with perfect hair, lol. I'm old enough to remember the 60s when what was hot on TV was Westerns and Sci Fi.
I have not read "The Blue Tattoo", but I have seen quotes, and it looks very good.
definately a fun show to watch@@SidetrackAdventures
@@SidetrackAdventures Hell on Wheels is really quite a good series. I really enjoyed it. But like most, if not all series that last past 3 or 4 seasons, it noticeably begins to spiral towards the absurd and loses its intrigue. IMHO, of course.
We love Oatman. It was such a fun place to take our kids and grandkids when they would come for a visit. I had no idea about the memorials you covered. Thx so much!!
Once again, another intriguing and informative video Steve!
I’m going to have to check that out the next time I’m out that way, I’ve always been interested in the wagon and stage lines in the southwest. Many thanks from South Carolina.
The modern world has stopped most of the water from the Gila from making it to the Colorado River. Most of the water doesn't make it past Phoenix.
I don't know who you are , but I just came across your channel , and boy I'm glad I did watched 3 different shows of yours and I subscribed thank you for this one FRANK FROM MONTANA.....
Well researched and very informative! Keep up the great work!
Thank you.
I saw the first of your films yesterday, enjoyed it, and I’m enjoying this one. I live in South Carolina and know there really isn’t a good chance of me visiting these places myself (especially with an RV and a disabled daughter). I really do like the music in the background and (IMO) it’s at just the right volume.
Very well done and with lots of respect to the Oatman family. Your videos are quite humble and subtle yet have a way of drawing the viewer into the content. Keep up the great work and keep them coming!
😊😂
Excellent video, I have heard of the story of the Oatman massacre and the capture of Olive Oatman and her life with her captor and the Tattoos. To see the place of the actual massacre and have you tell the story was really amazing, incredible. You can see how hardy the pioneers and the native Americans were back then, truly tough living and survival. Thank you, very interesting !
good summation. a small note that Lorenzo was not thrown off the edge he climbed down during the night. The spot where he lay trying to get up during the night was barely over from the massacre site about 75 or so feet. As he tried to get up and if you reenact it from the exact spot his view he seemed to be looking out over a cliff. But had he been able to stand fully up such as a person inspecting the spot today its in fact a rocky hill he stumbled down not remembering it. He even said he saw the bloody trail where he had made it down during the night. He then passed out some more and he woke up and viewed up virtually exactly where you were standing as you pointed the camera up towards the massacre site. That exact view by the way of him looking up was in the book but they drew the tongue of the wagon backwards when in fact it would have been facing west. They went straight north through the ravine in the mountain you pointed the camera at. The first camp of captivity was about 65 miles north in a large wash a few miles southwest of Auguila. There is a road that can be hiked or driven to the exact spot.
Great video, THANK YOU! I drive I8 all the time to Phoenix from SD and thought I knew those areas between well… The history I never knew is amazing! Watch out for Javelina in that brush, they are WAY more vicious than any Yotes! Thanks again and keep up the great videos and history!
Glad to see you Back in Arizona Sir! I hope your travels bring you around the Globe area, there is lots of history that would be interestingly learned from your perspective.
I didn't get up there on this trip, but I do plan on getting back to that area soon.
Well done, Steve. What a fascinating story; Ive heard it before but your telling of it is great, full of detail, and the on-site videography really adds color to the story. Thanks.
I visited Oatman in October and wondered how it got its name. Thank you so much for a fascinating, if sad, story of the Oatmans and old Arizona.
I love these travel videos where you go to these desert graves and ghost towns! Thank you so much for making them!
Great story. I was impressed by your calm recitation of the Oatman story, not trying to focus just on the obvious violence that the Oatman family experienced.
This story does help me understand the early Western movies.
When watching re-enactments of scalpings and such violence, my father told me these acts were exaggerated.
Thank you for shining the light on the fact the White Man were not the only ones that were violence prone.
@@kamakaziozzie3038read “Empire of the Summer Moon,” a NY Times bestseller. This story is a children’s bedtime story in comparison. Being beaten to death with clubs is much better treatment than they would have gotten from many tribes.
Thanks!
Thank you very much, I always appreciate it.
I was a young Marine at 29 Palms in 1974. It was a formative time in my life. As a boy from Arkansas I might as well been on the moon.
I have been back once. Your videos are a combination of therapy, desire and regret. Like the Marine Corps.
I can tell you, I was stationed in North Carolina, I stopped by once, it felt weird being back.
@@SidetrackAdventures 2nd Tanks for 3 weeks 10th Marine cannon cockocker. Hard Corps.
❄
Thanks so much for all the effort you put into these, Steve. .
A very good video Steve, and a very sad and moving story. It is truly tragic that human societies visit such inhumanity upon each other. It seems to be the norm for our species.
You always give great reports on the spot of real history.
I used to live near here a number of decades ago. I never heard of this and I am surprised to learn of this. Thank you. That area has so much history.
Wow, sad story but very well. Documented by yourself. This is one of your best.
Great story well told. One of many such stories of murder and mayhem against both natives and settlers. It's a sad comment on the human condition that if you cannot defend your land and possessions someone, sooner or later, will come and take them from you.
Steve, I have a minor geographical correction for this video. When you were bushwhacking your way through a dry channel to get to the Oatman grave site, you were not crossing the Gila River. You were crossing an intermittent wash that drains Wild Horse Canyon from the south into the Gila. The Gila River was about 1/3 mile north of you.
I appreciate so many of your videos. You do a great job of studying and relating history to us.
The Oatman story is an interesting one, with several elements that characterize many tragic western bits of history. Coyotes are generally fairly shy, and walking, we make a lot of noise. I fell into the back entrance to a coyote den outside Sacramento and watched four half grown pups scamper out the front. I like to whistle at coyotes like I would to call my dog. They often stop and look around.
I do the same while hiking the open desert. They stop and look when you whistle, but always keep their distance. Not sure why people have so much fear of such a magnificent creature. They only get aggressive when people feed them regularly.
@@riverraisin1 I've always liked coyotes. One Miwok friend thought I was a little crazy, But she was quite surprised that they would respond when I whistled, and thought it was "weird." The Miwok regard Coyote as one of the four original participants in creation.
@@riverraisin1 They kill small dogs and cats.
Steve,
I have learned so much about the desert south west.
Thank you so much.
Your UA-cam channel is very interesting.
Coyotes aren't going to hurt you, unless you have small dogs. Great video about a tragic story!
I'm not taking any chances! I saw a huge coyote not that long ago.
A woman in Nova Scotia Canada was killed by coyotes.
@@shellchenonceau6987 Might have been coy wolves, they're much bigger and more aggressive.
@@shellchenonceau6987There's only been one documented cases in the United States of anyone being killed by a coyote. And the same is probably true for Canada. It's just not common. I grew up with coyotes in our woods. They don't bother us. Never killed any of our pets or never came after us, but yet they're right in our woods. We hear them howling really loud
To put it in perspective, More people are killed by domesticated dogs. * Every year in the United States, between 20 to 30 people are killed by a domesticated dog.*
The last 40 years there has not even been one case of a coyote killing anyone here in the US
Wonderful presentation.
I get a kick out of how if the Indians did it, it was a massacre, and if the Americans did it, it was a great battle, lol.
Steve, You do a fantastic service to history. Research, filming, story telling….Great ! Thanks 👍🏻🤠
Indians !! Say it.
All of Indians I know prefer to be called Indians
@@danielwynne8547 Our native brothers and sisters do, and the term "native American" is ambiguous because anyone born here is technically one. Indigenous is the preferred term in the US, First Nations in Canada. Aboriginal is correct, but is most closely associated with Australian natives, so potentially confusing. Before Columbus, today's India was called Hindustan. "Indian" derives from "In Dios", as the unbaptized (but still God's children) were referred to by the early Catholic missionaries inclusive of all indigenous non-European peoples worldwide in areas colonized by the Spanish and Portuguese. So, "indian" has now been rehabilitated as an alternate name.
Interesting story. I also enjoy your narrative, very clear and relaxed. Keep up the good work.
you really are one of the best at these....thanks
A great presentation! I say this because this is the 3rd time I've viewed this one. On the videos that really catch my attention, I view them several times to retain important facts. Am going to read the book on this subject and tell my brother who has property in Mohave near Oatman. Thanks for the service you do, my friend.❤
You are an excellent commentator and historian. Your voice is very well projected, I enjoyed the trip a lot. Thanks men
You Sir are my new best friend. Thank you so much for these wonderful narrations and videos. Subscribed and liked
Love your travels and stories,keep em coming..soon you’ll receive the Charles Kuralt award..thanks for sharing your travels and the wonders of it all..Happy Trails!
Well, I learned something today, thanks Steve for another great history lesson. Seen this picture many times, not knowing the story behind it. amazing the knowledge, you have of so many old historical sites. Thanks a bunch
Thank you for this story. It means so much more when one gets to see it in person. I’ve been to Sand Creek, Colorado, and Deadwood, as well as the Washita Massacre in Oklahoma, and Fort Sumner, NM. It just makes history come alive to see the land in person.
WOWZA...Your content is getting to be so good. I have always liked it, but I really like the pace and history you develop in the stories. Great Job.
Excellent video and story. I really enjoyed watching this and it's the perfect length.
I just came across your UA-cam channel tonight and I started looking at your other videos and I subscribed. I can't wait to go and watch them. I'm originally from Southern California and we left and moved to South Carolina in 2008 and in 2013 came to San Antonio Texas so I drive back-and-forth to California every couple of years or so to visit my grandkids and there's so many places I've stopped to visit and so many I've never even heard of and places I want to see 😜 But it's fun learning from others adventures. UA-cam is my favorite thing to watch and learn
I've been to Oatman Az about a half a dozen times. Thanks for the video and for revisiting the history of the Oatman Family...
Oatman, AZ is a lot of fun. I need to get back out there.
Such a sad story for this family. I so enjoy your show. Many shows like yours are boring and say little but you do your homework and always have something educational to say
Great video, thanks as always Steve! Question for you: I always notice how great your audio sounds as you're narrating, even while you're hiking (or bushwhacking!). Do you record a voiceover later in a quiet environment? If not -- I must know what microphone equipment you use!! Thanks Steve!
Cool video! Thanks, heard this story a few times but, the visuals bring it together.
Hope you can keep this up!
THANK YOU FOR SHARING THIS VLOG...A LOT OF PEOPLE FIND THIS INTERESTING 🤔 & INFORMING ...AGAIN THANK YOU...MR HISTORY 😅
A great presentation! I learned a very interesting thing! My brother lives in Mohave, AZ. and took me to Oatman. Now I know the origins of the little, interesting towns name!.
Very well done. I was not even interested at the start, but he carried it through so well, couldn't help but become interested. Thanks!
That was great! I know of Olive Oatman and what happened to her but not the whole story nor where it happened. Is Great to find that out! Thanks so much for taking the time to document that and share it!!
I love American history and the outdoors. Your channel really makes me feel like I'm exploring the outdoors myself. Great stories and footage.
Tragic story. Thank you for sharing friend. Take care.
Awesome video! I've read the various books and then visited the site in person. Your narration was spot on! Well done brother!
The Olive Oatman story is very intriguing. Learned about it about 2 years ago from a friend. Have even visited the town of Oatman.
Thanks for taking us along.
I've been to Oatman a few times. Its a fun place to visit.
Very well done! Thanks for all the research and filming that you do.
Another great story!! Well told!! Thank you!!