Oatman, Arizona - A Living Ghost Town

Oatman, Arizona - A Living Ghost Town

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The Oatman Post Office today, April, 2008,

Kathy Weiser.

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During the Second World War, the government needed other metal types for the war effort, so the miners were taken to other areas and the Oatman mines were closed, leaving the gold to wait for better times.

Route 66 was changed to make an easier route south of the mountain passes in 1952. By this time, Oatman no longer held the clout that it had earlier when the Mother Road was first implemented.

In the end, Oatman's original fight with Yucca for placement of Route 66 all came back around when the new road in 1952 bypassed Oatman and it's hazardous roads in favor of Yucca. Oatman was soon reduced to a ghost town with a population of only 60.

In the 1970s, nearby Laughlin, Nevada started building up as a popular gambling mecca, and in the late1980s Route 66 again became a popular destination for tourists from all over the world. Oatman started becoming very lively again.

Then, in 1995 the Gold Road mine was reopened, taking out 40,000 ounces of gold annually. In 1998, the mine closed again because of low gold prices. it then provided gold mine tours for several years; however with the current price of gold (in 2008), the tours have ceased as the mine is reopening once again.

Oatman today is a tourist town. The main street is lined with shops and restaurants. Wild burros, descendants of those brought by long ago miners, wander the streets. Gunshots are heard as the Ghostrider Gunfighters perform daily, displaying blazing six-gun shootouts in the middle of main street.

Gunfight in Oatman, Arizona, December,

2004, Kathy Weiser.

The road to Oatman from Kingman is very narrow with several sharp hairpin curves. No vehicles over forty feet in length are allowed on this road. The road from Golden Shores is not nearly as steep or sharp. Once in Oatman, there is limited parking. RV's or those traveling with trailers can often have difficulty finding a parking spot.

When traveling westbound Route 66, Oatman Highway continues another 20 miles to Golden Shores. The landscape along the way is dotted with mining remnants of more prosperous times.

Wild burros continue to wander the streets of Oatman, looking for a tourist to feed them, Kathy Weiser, April, 2008.

Numerous historic buildings continue to stand in Oatman,

such as the Olive Saloon. Today, these old structures

house shops and restaurants, Kathy Weiser, April, 2008.

OATMAN ATTRACTIONS

Bartels Stage Lines - Authentic Stage Coach Rides! Take this 1 Hour Historical Tour on a portion of the Beale Trail through Gold Road. During the one hour Stage Coach ride, in what is known as the "Mud Coach" you will be taken through the old ruins of Gold Road located 2½ miles west of Oatman, Arizona on Historical old Route 66 and very near the original old Beale Trail. By Reservations Only, 928-768-1600.

The Oatman Hotel - This historic inn was built in 1902, and is probably most notable for being the place where Clark Gable and Carole Lombard spent their honeymoon on March 18, 1939. The legendary Hollywood couple had been married earlier that day in Kingman, Arizona, and on the way back west decided to stop here and spend the night. The historic Oatman Hotel has 10 rooms. 181 Main Street, Oatman, Arizona. 928-768-4408

Also See:

The Haunted Oatman Hotel

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