Thelma and Louise

Burros Run Wild in Oatman

By Sharlene Minshall

The “we” in this story includes my daughter Tracey and grandson Will from Virginia. At the Arizona -California border, we turned off I-40. Historic Route 66 wiggles northeast into the Black Mountains and Oatman, Arizona.

While Oatman might be considered a one-horse town, its fame is in the abundant wild burros wandering the streets. They fight each other, so it is wise to keep a fair distance when they are grouped. I talked with a lady who held a carrot rather casually to her chest. An aggressive burro brushed around her and quickly snapped off the top half. startling both of us. They smell orange! Will held out carrots but dropped them when they threatened his fingers. He is wise beyond his years!

The burros are descendents of those who came into the mountains with gold prospectors and later were used in the mines for hauling supplies and water. When the mines closed, the burros went free.

Narrow Street
Although the local population hovers around 175, Oatman boasts over 500,000 fearless visitors per year. They walk in the middle of the two-block main street made narrow by the vehicles parked along both sides. Don't even think of driving through at high noon or three o'clock-you might be the reluctant participant in a live shootout by the Ghostrider Gunfighters.

A unique white rock formation called the Elephant's Tooth is in the rugged backdrop that watches over Oatman's historic buildings and antique shops. Some structures are temporary tents, probably much like the town had in its boomtown beginning.

The Glory Hole Museum is only open on Thursdays but most everything else opens at 10 a.m. every day. From the Creative Edge Gallery and Old Tyme Photos to the Classy Coyote and Yellowhammer's Place, specialized trinkets and jewelry abound. The Jailhouse has both gifts and a museum. I came home with a wrought iron cowboy-roping windmill for my office roof from the Barnyard, and Will and Tracey found a fleecy blanket with wolves on it. Prices were reasonable.

Horses for Rent
If you want to do something more active, the Oatman Stables offers unique rides. We were interested in a two-hour ride to fit our time schedule, but it was windy and cold so we wimped out. Bartels' Stage Coach Tours offers a ride with four horses pulling an authentic 1800s stagecoach through the foothills.

You only need to stay overnight to believe that it is, as billed, an “authentic Western ghost town and mining camp.” I parked my motorhome George in a gravel pullout for a ghostly quiet night. In 1952, I-40 replaced Route 66 as the main highway from Chicago to Los Angeles leaving ghostly remains along Route 66. In the '70s, Oatman revived as tourists sought romance in driving the historic route.

Of the fun activities planned in Oatman throughout the year, I think the January Bed Races would be the most fun, but forget the July 4th Sidewalk Egg Fry Contest. I want to be in the cool Northwest by then.

A whopping miner's breakfast awaited us at the Olive Oatman Restaurant and Ice Cream Saloon. The town is named after Olive Oatman. In 1851, she was captured and held by the Apache Indians for two years, then traded to the Mojave tribe. She lived with them for three years before returning to her family. Other food emporiums are the Route 66 Deli and the Little Onion but they were opening later than our stomachs could wait. Ice cream is also available at the Oatman Hotel, where famous movie stars Clark Gable and Carol Lombard spent their wedding night.

Gold Mine
The three of us were the only ones on the first morning mine tour. We boarded a diesel Getman Manhauler for the fun trip up a rough gravel road to the original Gold Road Mine drift.

Our guide, Barry, told us that a 1900s prospector searching for his lost burros stumbled over a quartz chunk that assayed out to 40 ounces of gold to the ton. Oatman was founded in 1906, the center of numerous gold mines and boomtowns. Except for the ruins of mines and old homesteads, all towns have been erased by time except Oatman.

Until the 1940s, Oatman and its twin town, Goldroad, were Arizona's largest producers of gold. By 1942, the gold mines were shut down by the Federal Government as “non- essential to the war effort.” The gold mine had its last hurrah from 1995 to 1998. Although it was producing 40,000 ounces of gold annually, the mine closed because of low gold prices. Barry said the mine will go back into production again if the price rises above $300 an ounce.

The one-eighth mile walking tour took us into Shaft #3. We looked down 1,400 feet. Barry gave us a jackleg drill demonstration. At one point, we were 300 feet below Route 66. In the total darkness of the “Glory Hole,” black lights provided a view of actual gold in the veins. While showing us the fault plates, Barry asked Will, “Do you know what causes earthquakes?” Will explained sliding tectonic plates, and Barry asked, “Are you sure you're only seven!”

I was anxious for lunch at the Prospector Café. A month previously I had visited Oatman with my kayaking buddy, Art. We had mouth-watering homemade warm berry and apple pie slices with cold ice cream and milk. Unfortunately, the kids and I were behind a large tour. After nearly an hour, we gave up and retracted our order.

At Sitgreaves Pass, we enjoyed a panoramic view of magnificent rugged mountain country, and then continued east the 30 miles to Kingman, Arizona. It is also roughly 30 miles to Laughlin, Nevada, or Needles, California. There are no overnight hotel accommodations or campgrounds in Oatman. I recommend going by car. I drove the motorhome, but did not tow my car. Several larger motorhomes were headed toward Oatman on my way out. Some curves are pretty tight and if you needed to turn around in Oatman for any reason, you'd be out of luck! Go and enjoy.

God Bless.