Planning that Shotgun Wedding in a “living ghost town”

Just a few lines of a blurb in a magazine and I was curious; a “living ghost town”, a contradiction. What a surprise! I loved it! Such a hidden treasure on historic Route 66, Oatman, Arizona.

I came in from the north, which I would highly recommend if you have a sense of adventure. As I started out of Kingman I saw signs advising truckers not to travel the road and thought that was strange. Driving through the mountains can be slow and tedious but I could not imagine truckers not being able to make deliveries. Well, it did not take me long to realize the warnings were well justified.

This is barely a two lane road, with wash-outs. The shoulders had long since eroded and the outside lane, which is where I was driving, in most places had a drop off that appeared to be into infinity. The scenery was phenomenal as I reached 6,000 feet in altitude on this seriously winding road with switchbacks so tight you rolled rather than drove around the curves. Taking your eyes off the road was not an option because of the cliffs, drop-offs and especially the presence of burros.

From what I gathered, Oatman started out as a gold mining center in 1906. In 1942 Congress declared that gold mining was no longer essential to the war effort so Oatman started a downhill spiral.

The present day locals stage shootouts, gunfights and told me they have arranged many shotgun weddings. The town is four blocks of old western charm, plank sidewalks, and historical buildings. The locals stroll along visiting and conducting their business all dressed in period costumes. In its heyday about 10,000 people lived here; today, maybe 100.

“How the West Was Won” isn’t the only movie to be shot here. Clark Gable and Carol Lombard spent their wedding night at the Oatman Hotel in 1939 and supposedly still “haunt” the establishment. Several spirits have been known to visit the hotel and tavern, but they are all of a friendly nature.

Actually, there may be more four-legged wild burros in residence than two legged people. When the mines crashed and the miners abandoned the area, they left their pack animals behind. Being durable creatures they have continued to breed and survive in Oatman. They come and go freely roaming up and down the streets and in and out of the buildings. These animals are now protected by the US Department of Interior.

Because Oatman is on Route 66 it was able to sustain to some extent by feeding travelers and providing hotel accommodations. After building the bypass between Needles, CA, and Kingman, AZ in the 1960s the people all but abandoned Oatman.

With the gambling industry moving into nearby Laughlin and the renewed interest in Route 66, Oatman is again enjoying the attention. Oatman receives a mere 500,000 visitors each year and they each leave with a smile on their face.