Oatman Arizona
Oatman lies just across the Colorado River and up the hill from Laughlin, Nevada. It is located in Mohave County, Arizona. It is often mistaken a ghost town though not necessarily one. But it once boasted a population of more than 20,000 during its heyday which dwindled to a little over a hundred at present. From the 1900’s to the 1940’s, Oatman was one of the largest producers of gold in Arizona. A man named Ben Taddock first discovered gold in the town in 1902. Soon after other miners flocked the area. Vivian Mining Company soon bought the mine and the mining camp was then named Vivian. The town changed its name in 1909 in honor of Olive Oatman who was kidnapped as a young girl by the Apache Indians after killing her entire family. She then sold to the Mojave Indians whom she lived with for 5 years until she was rescued in 1857 near the site of the town.
Oatman was a boomtown from 1910 up until World War II. Gold mining reached a staggering $36 million worth of gold. The town has two banks, seven hotels, twenty saloons and ten stores. Almost 20,000 people were living in the area by the 1930’s. But during World War II, the government closed down the mines since the miners were relocated to other mines. Other metal types were needed by the government for the war effort. By 1952, Route 66 was changed to make an easier route to the south of the mountain passes. This new road bypassed the town of Oatman which soon reduced it to almost a ghost town with a population of only 60.
Today, Oatman is a tourist town with its main street lined up with shops and restaurants. Drulin Hotel which built in 1902 and now known as Oatman Hotel is still in operation today.
