Arrastra Site

Various descriptions of the Arrastras built during the gold rush days in the American West indicate that they were almost exact duplicates of the ones observed by Humbolt in Mexico in 1802. Americans who were familiar with the old fashioned bark mill found in small tanneries inevitably recognized its similarity to the Mexican ore mill. The arm of the arrastra to which the horse was hitched was much longer, however, to allow the animal to move in a larger circle and thus obtain more pulling power. A good American arrastra could pulverize from one to three tons of ore in twenty four hours provided the horse could make six to ten revolutions per minute.

At least two arrastras are known in the Wichita Mountains area, both close to creeks so that water was always available. In the fall of 1903 the Frisco Railroad offered free transportation on a car of ore going to Denver for processing as an inducement in developing the mines. Eventually the ore was smelted and refined at a reported $11.87 per ton in value, hardly enough to pay the cost of any single operation in the business of mining. Six smelters were actually built in the Wichitas between 1901 to 1904 with only one able to make successful runs.

During the mining activities immediately preceeding and following the opening of the twentieth century, numerous geologists visited the Wichitas. H. Foster Bain, a young geologist at the University of Oklahoma in 1903, collected and examined rock specimens from all mines in the area. In an article published in 1904, Bain reported, ".... In no case do the prospects offer any encouragement whatever for additional prospecting."

Even though archival records reveal that Father Juan de Salas, was in the Wichitas, via an expedition from Santa Fe in 1629, for two decades, no evidence of mining activity is evidenced. But regardless of its builders, or the date of its construction, the present arrastras in the Wichitas posses significant historical meaning: Originating in Mexico four centuries ago, it is a singular reminder of the fact that Spanish "culture" barely touched the fringe of what is now the state of Oklahoma.