Oracle Arizona
Oracle, founded in 1882, is located in Pinal County, Arizona. It is situated in the northern foothills of the Catalina Mountains. Oracle together with two other towns, San Manuel and Mammoth, make up the tri-community area that has a 12 mile radius. Albert Weldon, aboard his uncle’s ship called “The Oracle,” traveled to the western parts of the United States via Cape Horn. Weldon built a brush camp, while working at the Oracle mine, where the present day Oracle is. There were approximately eight dwellings in the area by January 1882. Only after the Apache Mine began working did the town begin to grow. Edwin S. Dodge who was one of the early settlers applied for a post office in the 1880’s but his first choice for a name was rejected in favor of Oracle which was Weldon’s ship.
Oracle has an estimated population of 3,563 as 2000 census. The present day town is the location of the Biosphere II experiment. It is a hill town at an elevation of 4,500 feet. It offers popular activities for residents and tourists such as biking, hiking and horseback riding on numerous trails such as the Oracle branch of Arizona trails. Oracle’s first post office, the Acadia Ranch Museum, is now on the National Register of historic places.
