Oatman is in Western Arizona . It is in Mohave County. The town is located in the Black Mountains along Historic Route 66. Elephant’s Tooth is a quartz formation reaching high above town. Flanking the town are gray tiers of cyanide-mill tailings, smooth and graceful as frozen waterfalls. Oatman is in the center of activity with Kingman being 25 miles northeast, Needles, California 25 miles southwest, Bullhead City 25 miles northeast, Lake Havasu City 50 miles south and Laughlin, Nevada 30 miles northeast.

Overview:
Oatman is a true old west mining town. Throughout its history, Oatman has prospered and languished from mining highs and lows. Now it is a town eager to show its visitors a look back time. Today Oatman’s population is 400. The town sits at an elevation of 2,600 feet. The warm desert climate has a winter low temperature of 40 degrees and summer high temperature of 105 degrees. Visitors will find many attractions in town. There are several events offered throughout the year, which really make the town come alive.

Community Features:
One great attraction that you can’t miss when traveling through is Route 66. The historic highway travels right down the middle of Oatman. There are historic markers honoring this once great road that crossed the country from Chicago to California. 

Events:

Bed Races January
Sidewalk Egg Fry July
Gold Camp Days September
International Burro Biscuit Toss September
Christmas Bush Festival December

History:
In the 1860’s, soldiers from Fort Mohave searched the area around where Oatman is today. It is said that John Moss found gold in 1864. Unfortunately, the area did not reach its potential because of the Hualapai Indian Outbreak. The Hualapai Indians kept prospectors away for nearly thirty years.

Then in 1886, Jose Jerez found some rich gold deposits. Jerez teamed up with Henry Lovin, a Kingman merchant, and created the Gold Road Mine. Jerez sold his share for $25,000.

Later in 1902, Ben Paddock was riding along a trail, when he spotted a shiny rock. A year later, he sold the mining claim. Soon, the Vivian Mining Company was established. The mine produced three million dollars in gold. In 1906, Oatman consisted of just tents set up by gold miners and the area around town was sprinkled with small mines.
At first the town was called Vivian, in honor of the mining company. But in 1909, the name was changed to Oatman. There are several stories as to how the name was chosen. 

The most common story states that it was named after Olive Oatman and the Oatman Family Massacre. In 1851, the Oatman family was traveling by wagon across the desert near where Gila Bend is today. It was here that Indians attacked them. Royce Oatman, his wife and their four children were killed. Lorenzo, one of their sons, was thrown off a mesa and left for dead. Somehow, he was able to survive. Mary Ann and Olive, two of their daughters, were both kidnapped. The Indians traded the girls to the Mohave Indians living along the Colorado River.

Mary Ann died a year later, due to sickness. Lorenzo searched for his sisters for many years. After five years of looking, he found Olive living with a Mohave Indian family. A deal was struck and through the efforts of a local rancher, Olive was freed. The story sometimes goes on to say, that Olive had been held captive near where Oatman is today. Another story, explains that the town was named after John Oatman, a half-breed Mohave Indian. John claimed to be the son of Olive. No matter which of these stories are true, the name Oatman has stuck.

The Tom Reed Mine boomed in 1910 and breathed new life into the town, just as the Vivian Mine was about to close. By 1930, it was estimated that 36 million dollars worth of gold had come from the mines. The town boasted two banks, seven hotels, twenty saloons and ten stores. There were nearly 20,000 people living in Oatman.
Soon the mines began slowing down and some were closing. As luck would have it, Route 66 was built. The highway went right through the center of town and brought a much needed economic boost to Oatman. Many families traveled along Route 66 through the 1930’s and 1950’s. Oatman was the last stop in Arizona , before heading into the hot Mohave Desert in California. 

The old Oatman Hotel was built in 1921 and includes eight rooms. The hotel is believed to be the only two-story adobe building in Mohave County and is listed on the National Register of Historic Buildings. In 1939, Clark Gable and Carol Lombard spent their wedding night in the Oatman Hotel, after getting married in Kingman. Today, you can see the room that they honeymooned in.

During the war in 1942, the U.S. Congress closed down the rest of the remaining mines stating that they were not essential to the war effort. Oatman’s population took a dive. Then in 1952, the town received more bad news. Oatman lost the highway traffic. Route 66 was closed and the new traffic flow would be redirected to the south.

Chloride chose not become a ghost town; instead it became a place where approximately 400,000 tourists visit each year. Visitors come to get a sample of the old west. Oatman has live gunfights, saloons, entertainment, and specialty shops. It has also been the site of several movies like “How the West Was Won” and “Universal Soldier.”
A special treat that is unique to this mining town are the burros. You won’t be able to miss them. These burros are the descendants of prospector burros set free years ago. They roam the town in search of a hand out.

It is evident that Chloride will continue to be a town from the past living for today.