FEB 9, 18 .. OATMAN, ARIZONA .. THE OATMAN BURROS

By Cap Chastain February 9, 2018 Burro(s), Oatman AZ No Comments

Let’s begin here with a map showing where on this good earth Oatman, Arizona, is located.

First the ‘big picture’.

Now a little closer look.

Oatman is famous for their burros. You need to be on-the-lookout for the burros as you drive.

The above road sign is-not-kidding.

The below photos of informational signs in Oatman provide a little background information about the burros.

Patti transcribed the words of the first photo below for easier reading.

OATMAN, ARIZONA

ELEVATION 2700 FEET

OATMAN WAS FOUNDED ABOUT 1906. BY 1931, THE AREA’S MINES HAD PRODUCED OVER 1.8 MILLION OUNCES OF GOLD. BY THE MID 1930’s THE BOOM WAS OVER AND IN 1942 THE LAST REMAINING MINES WERE CLOSED AS NONESSENTIAL TO THE WAR EFFORT.

BURROS FIRST CAME TO OATMAN WITH EARLY DAY PROSPECTORS. THE ANIMALS WERE ALSO USED INSIDE THE MINES FOR HAULING ROCK AND ORE. OUTSIDE THE MINES, BURROS WERE USED FOR HAULING WATER AND SUPPLIES. AS THE MINES CLOSED AND PEOPLE MOVED AWAY, THE BURROS WERE RELEASED INTO THE SURROUNDING HILLS.

THE BURROS YOU MEET TODAY IN OATMAN, WHILE DESCENDENTS OF DOMESTIC WORK ANIMALS, ARE THEMSELVES WILD – – THEY WILL BITE AND KICK. PLEASE KEEP A SAFE DISTANCE FROM THEM. WILD BURROS ARE PROTECTED BY FEDERAL LAW FROM CAPTURE, INJURY, OR HARASSMENT. HELP PROTECT THESE LIVING SYMBOLS OF THE OLD WEST.

Oh yes! Yes indeed. The Oatman burros are also in town.

The below young burro was fascinated by seeing himself in the automobile’s rear-view mirror. My pal, Detroit Tiger Tom, is having a lot of fun watching the burro just studying himself in the auto’s rear-view mirror.