Oatman, Arizona

The town of Oatman, located in Arizona’s Black Mountains, was named after Olive Oatman, a young woman from Illinois who was kidnapped by Apache Indians in 1851 and later lived with the Mojave tribe. Her dramatic story became well known in the American West.

Oatman’s real boom came from gold. In 1908, miners struck it rich with a discovery worth $13 million, and another major find in 1915 added $14 million more. The town quickly filled with people—about 3,500 in just one year. By the 1920s and 30s, it had grown to around 10,000 residents.

A fire in 1921 destroyed most of the town, and by 1924, the main mining company, United Eastern Mines, shut down for good. During World War II, the U.S. government closed the rest of the gold mines to redirect workers toward more critical war materials.

Even after the mines were gone, Oatman held on thanks to Route 66, the famous “Mother Road,” which brought travelers right through town from 1926 to 1952. Gas stations, shops, and cafes catered to folks driving between Kingman, Arizona and Needles, California.

But when Interstate 40 bypassed Oatman in the 1950s, the town nearly died out. Within a decade, it was almost empty.

Today, only about 100 people live there full-time. The town survives by welcoming tourists who come to see its Old West charm, historic buildings, and famous wild burros that wander the streets.