OATMAN − THE TOWN THAT REFUSES TO DIE

Oatman is not just about burros.  A former ghost town revived by a group of free-spirited artists and became quite the attraction.  Like many other towns, Oatman has its roots in mining and was a gold rush boomtown at the beginning of the twentieth century.

Oatman

As a result of gold price drop, the mines shut down in the forties, and Route 66 bypassed in the 50s.  In the 60’s Oatman was a ghost town.

Followings its revival, it now has shops and staged shootouts, burros and hordes of tourists nostalgically seeking all that is gone; Route 66, gold mines, and the wild west.

Oatman

If it sounds like it should be a tourist trap.  Well, it might be, but we loved it.  It may also hold the secret to deterring flies, but you will need to read on to find out about that.

Oatman

The town is named after Olive Oatman, a mormon girl, who along with her family, was enroute to Fort Yuma in a covered wagon.  The wagon was attacked by Native Americans, Olive and her sister were taken captive while the rest of the family killed.  A brother, left for dead survived and searched for his sisters for years.

Olive Oatman

There are many versions to the story, but most say that the girls were held as slaves and later on traded to another tribe where they were treated better, and perhaps adopted. Sadly, her sister, Mary Ann, died in captivity and Olive was released in 1856 after 5 years.  Eventually,  she was reunited with her brother, married, and died in Texas in 1903 at the age of 65.

Olive never set foot in Oatman.  A miner staking a claim, named it in her honour.

But her picture and books about her are everywhere.  Part of the town lore to attract tourists.

Olive Oatman

We wandered along Main Street which is also Route 66.  Many of the original buildings burnt down in the great fire of 1921, but some were rebuilt.

Oatman

There are lage artifact nonchalantly stren around town,

Oatman

and many odd shops.

Oatman

We visited a mine shaft carved into the mountain right off the main street.

Oatman

Oatman

Oatman

It was dark

Oatman

and musty.

Oatman

I wouldn’t want to work here.

Oatman

Following our visit to the mine, we visited the local jail cell.

Lots of coffins

and skulls laying around.

The town is very proud of its movie past

Oatman

and tourists love seeing the building depicted in those movies.

Oatman

Entering one of the stores, we notice ziplock bags full of water and some shiny pennies in them.

We had to ask.

The reply was surprising.  Apparently, flies will not enter this opening because of the way their many eyes perceive light refraction.  Obviously, we’ll have to try it this summer.  The pennies are in there to keep the water clean.

We were ready to continue on our way to Kingman, but the only way out of town was impassable.

Oatman

A small crowd of people stood in front of the stopped cars and we went to see what was going on.

Oatman

Apparently, there was a gunfight in progress.  As a result, traffic cannot go through either way.  Luckily we got there just before it ended, or we would have had to wait for a very long time.

Finally, the gunman was leaving and we could see a dead body left on the ground.  We’ll never know if it was the good guy or the bad guy that died that day.

Farewell Oatman.  It was kind of fun!

48 thoughts on “OATMAN − THE TOWN THAT REFUSES TO DIE

  1. Ab says:

    Ok, I have to ask the obvious question – that gunfight and dead body are fake, right? Cuz people seem pretty non chalant about it? But just making sure!

    Oatman sounds like a very interesting town – I’m reading your post with my morning oatmeal! – love all the little shops and history. That buggy for $1,700 seems like a steal!

  2. Mike and Kellye Hefner says:

    Outman sounds like one of those places that if you don’t see it you’ll regret it, but you may not ever got back. We haven’t been there yet, but one day we will when we finally finish Route 66. Thanks for a great overview!

  3. Ingrid says:

    We enjoyed our visit to Oatman and had fun exploring its nooks and crannies. Of course, the burros remain the main attraction. Fun stop!

  4. petespringerauthor says:

    The thing with the pennies, water, and flies is interesting.

    One of the guys in my writing group writes short stories. He has a good one about a staged robbery (reminded me of the staged gunfight) while people are getting a ride in a stagecoach in a town like Outman. The customers thought this was all part of the act and turned over their wallets only to later find out it was an actual robbery.

  5. Life with Alegria says:

    Looks like a fun place to explore. Or make movies. 😄 Interesting about the water bags. How fascinating. Olive Oatman’s life story is super interesting too. Thanks for sharing.

  6. johnrieber says:

    I love this! I’ve posted stories about ghost towns that have been preserved..one of the coolest is Tombstone, site of the OK Corral! Thanks for giving us so much colorful history and great photos!

  7. Duwan @MakeLikeAnApeman says:

    I love tourists traps. What fun!

    The neighborhood, Cabbagetown, I used to live in in Atlanta, GA 7sed to have a festival every year honoring a famous fiddle player, Fiddlin’John Carsons, that used to in the neighborhood. Part of the festival was a gun fight! Right there in the shadow of looming downtown buildings. It was a bit bizarre.

  8. WanderingCanadians says:

    This town sounds like it’s stuck in the past …in a good way. How fun. I wouldn’t want to work in a mine either. That’s a hard pass for me. I’ll have to try the penny (or rather any coin besides the penny since we don’t have pennies anymore) too to see if it actually works against the flies. Take care. Linda

  9. Rose says:

    Thanks for telling some of the intriguing story of Olive Oatman, I’ve seen her picture often but never knew her story. I also Goggled her name and found out more.

  10. Lookoom says:

    It’s an interesting post, it does remind me of a tourist trap, but if you look beyond it you can still see the living conditions of yesteryear. Without this tourist interest, there would soon be nothing left of these ancient relics.

  11. lifelessons says:

    I love these tourist traps. I grew up in a tiny town 50 miles from Wall Drug and a few miles from the 1880’s town. We had our own–Pioneer Auto Museum–all still in business. Have you avoided these attractions in S.D.?

    • backroadsandotherstories says:

      We did stop at Wall Drug and I loved the story and all of the signs leading up to it. It’s America in all its grandeur, kitch and earnestness. Oh, and capitalism 🙂 We haven’t seen the pioneer auto museum, but it sounds like a place we would enjoy. So much to see!

      • lifelessons says:

        And the 1880’s town..between Wall Drug and Murdo where the Pioneer Auto Museum is. Elvis’s car is there and I believe the Dukes of Hazzard’s car… among many many more. I think the little pump-action horse I’ve pictured myself on in my blog is also there. It was in the basement of our house across from the museum that blew away in a tornado. It was about to be filled in so people in town went and grabbed stuff before it was buries. We were all far away… so I am immortalized with Elvis even if the museum owner doesn’t know it!!!

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