Stop at Historic Oatman, Arizona on Route 66!

This crazy little western town touts everything a tourist wants...gunfights, burros, mine tours, antiques and character!

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It's interesting to realize that just about everyone has driven or ridden on part of U.S. Route 66, which spans eight states from Chicago to Los Angeles.

Joy Schantz, Yahoo Contributor Network
Apr 6, 2010

The Western Town of Oatman is located 268 miles from Central Phoenix, and takes about 4-1/2 hours via Interstate 10 West. It is North of Quartzsite, Parker and Lake Havasu, and South of Bullhead City, Kingman, and Las Vegas, Nevada.

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One small, historic stop on Route 66 is Oatman, Arizona. It's history is fascinating. It's no wonder that this small western town has survived and thrived! The terrain is quite unusual. There's gold in them thar hills!

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Spanish missionaries first made contact with the Mohave Indians here as early as 1609. By 1826, mountain man Jedediah Smith and his party visited and found Mohaves friendly. later, another party stirred up trouble, and when the Smith party returned in 1827, more than half were massacred!

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It provides information on how the town was named after Olive Oatman, who was taken captive by the Yavapai Tribe at age 13, later traded to the Mohaves, and was eventually traded for 2 horses, vegetables, and blankets by a man named Francisco, freed and taken to Ft. Yuma.

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Lt. Edward F. Beale led an expedition from Zuni, New Mexico to the Colorado River in 1857, and used camels for testing and mail delivery in the desert. This experiment was short-lived.

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Old newspapers adorn the Glory Hole windows. Gold mining ruled the region!

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The gunmen like to ham it up for photos with visitors to their fair town!

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Known as Nubian spotted asses, jackasses, donkeys by Easterners, and "desert canaries" for their unusual bray,local burros enjoy the carrots townspeople feed them. The Spanish brought burros to America, and remnant herds are descended from those domesticated, then lost by prospectors and traders.

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In the market for a vintage tractor?

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...a rock breaker? Mine tours are conducted at the Goldroad Mine. There are several eating establishments, and gift shops to enjoy.

...or, an old ringer washing machine? Oatman's Great Bed Races are held in January. A Sidewalk Fry is held on the 4th of July, and on Labor Day Sunday, the Annual Gold Camp Day is held, including a parade, various contests, and the International Burro Biscuit Toss!

Built in 1902, The Oatman Hotel is now a museum and saloon. It is the oldest two-story structure in Mohave County.

The Oatman Hotel is where Clark Gable and Carole Lombard spent their wedding night on March 18, 1939. The honeymoom suite contains the original furnishings, along with Gable and Lombard memorabilia.

This saloon in the Oatman Hotel, is complete with dollar bills adorning its walls and ceiling.

Oatman is an interesting array of structures and antiques.

If the burros don't bite you, a gunfighter just might shoot you! Any donations are given to charities such as the Shriner's Hospital. Good reading is available in "Oatman: History, Recipes & Ghost Stories" by 20-year resident and author Jackie Rowland.

Over the past century, prospectors felt that burros could carry 200-pound packs, survive on very little food, and be loyal yet ornery companions. As one philosophical prospector put it, "A full grown burro is 500 pounds of free enterprise!"

After leaving town heading North, Sigreaves Pass takes the traveler from Oatman to Kingman, Arizona. Enjoy the beautiful horizon .

Historic Destinations and Their Stories

Wednesday, July 30, 2014