Oatman, Arizona started as a booming gold mining town in the early 1900s after prospectors struck rich deposits in the Black Mountains. The town grew rapidly and became part of Historic U.S. Route 66, serving travelers between Kingman and Needles for decades. From about 1926 until 1952, the Mother Road passed right through Oatman’s main street, keeping the town alive even after the mines closed. In 1952–1953, Route 66 was realigned through nearby Yucca, bypassing Oatman’s mountain route through

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