Mary Ellen Brackemyer submitted this article.
Patricia Pessman of rural Fulton, IL, will be the featured speaker at Morrison’s Heritage Museum, 202 E. Lincolnway, Morrison, IL, on Sunday, November 8, 2015. She will also offer a first-person portrayal of an 1850’s kidnap victim, Olive Oatman, pictured at left.
The museum opens at 1:00, and Pessman’s PowerPoint presentation begins at 2:00 p.m. It is entitled “Two Roads that Lead to Arizona.” A highlight will be the appearance of this “mystery guest” from the past.
The focus is an historical account of one of America’s legendary pioneer families, Royce and Mary Ann (Sperry) Oatman. Over the course of their lifetime, they traveled nearly the breadth of our Country in a covered wagon–from Vermont to western Arizona.
During their sojourns, the family spent four years in Whiteside County’s Ustick Township, where they farmed from 1846 to 1850. Their farm was located north of Route 30 and just east of Millard Road, in an area that was then referred to as Cottonwood Corner. The account of their final journey from their Fulton homestead to their destination of Yuma, AZ, will be one of the subjects of Pessman’s PowerPoint.
Learn about this most fascinating Dutch family, who, like many pioneers of their day, had great dreams. Over the course of their nine-month journey, the family covered nearly 1800 miles and came so close to their destination. The hopes and dreams of Royce and Mary Ann Oatman were dashed in the desolate Sonoran Desert, just 80 miles from Yuma, on February 18, 1851.
There is much more to learn than their tragic ending. A second story includes a kidnapping, a struggle to survive, a search, a discovery, and finally an amazing rescue. And to think, this pioneer story nearly began in the Pessman backyard!
The presenter will tell you about a search of her own, researching and learning about the fascinating Oatman family. Over the course of the past six winters in southwest Arizona, she has nearly relived Royce and Mary Ann Oatman’s story through interviews, car trips to historical sites, visits to museums, and an amazing “Indiana Jones” trip into the Sonoran Desert.
She will also share a captivating aspect of Mary Oatman’s life–her love of lilac bushes. Her memory is honored through the many beautiful bushes that are planted in our area. You definitely will want to hear about this interesting connection to the Oatman family.
View a photo display of Pessman’s journeys that touch on this interesting piece of local history.
Join Morrison Historical Society and Patricia Pessman on Novembver 8, and get a good “history fix,” as you journey with her to the Grand Canyon State of Arizona.