Mohave County Revisited

Nine years have slipped by since last visiting my home county in these pages. During this time Mohave County's population increase of 234.2 percent in the 1960-1970 period has made headlines as the county with the fastest rate of growth in the nation. However, if you're worrying about lack of elbow room, let me be quick to point out that Mohave's area of 13,227 square miles still results in a population density of less than 3 persons per square mile. Rate of growth is, nonetheless, an interesting number that tells us something about the attraction this region holds for new residents.

The most recent special census of 1974 showed that Kingman, the county seat, now counts about 15,000 residents, fastgrowing Lake Havasu City around 12,000, and the general area of the Mohave Valley around Bullhead City another 10,000. Even with the smaller communities added in, it remains a rather-sparse population, the very reason advanced by many of the newcomers for making old Mohave their home.

When I ask myself what's new in Kingman I am immediately intrigued by the fact that America has suddenly become aware that my hometown is the “Turquoise Capital of the World.” The stone comes from Duval's Mineral Park mine 15 miles north of Kingman, where the L. W. Hardy Company has a concession to pick over the rock after each blasting operation to remove the turquoise. The stone then comes into King-man, where a staff of 80 people sort and treat it. What's left behind at Mineral Park goes to the Duval mill where copper and other minerals are extracted. Hardy sells on a wholesale basis to dealers and jewelers all over the world, and is joined in Kingman by several other dealers, some of whom operate retail stores in addition to their wholesale businesses. There are enough turquoise stores in this one town to provide a very interesting day of shopping.

Kingman also boasts a sparkling new civic center, built in a former residential area. Only the old Bonelli house, constructed around 1885, was left standing as one of Kingman's historical landmarks.

In 1967 everyone in Kingman was talking about the Mohave Pioneer Museum which was then being dedicated by Stewart Udall, former Secretary of the Interior. Since its opening it has welcomed thousands of visitors each year. Now it is readying yet another dedication of an expansion that will triple its exhibit space.

This free museum is located at the west end of town, next to the Chamber of Commerce. Across the street is the monument honoring Lt. Edward F. Beale, USN, who led a camel train through this area, a feat that has been recently documented (more or less accurately) by the movie “Hawmps!” The oiled sand greens of the Kingman Country Club, where I learned my golf as a boy, have been converted to grass. What is the world coming to? I was 19 years old before I knew that people played golf on grass.

Nearby, the cool Hualapai Mountains still beckon as they did during the years when our family spent summers at the cabin, Dad commuting 14 miles to King-man each day. It's a short detour from busy US 66 that most travelers, grimly intent on getting from here to there, don't even know about. A few more cabins have appeared, but it is still relatively uncrowded up there in the pines. Mohave County Mountain Park continues to offer superior picnic facilities, while delicious steak dinners and overnight accommodations are available at Pine Lake Lodge.

cabin, Dad commuting 14 miles to Kingman each day. It's a short detour from busy US 66 that most travelers, grimly intent on getting from here to there, don't even know about. A few more cabins have appeared, but it is still relatively uncrowded up there in the pines. Mohave County Mountain Park continues to offer superior picnic facilities, while delicious steak dinners and overnight accommodations are available at Pine Lake Lodge.

Southeast of Kingman, crews are busy putting the finishing touches on a big hunk of Interstate 40 that will save Los Angeles-bound motorists about 25 miles. The new alignment goes through some picturesque, rugged mountains between Big Sandy Valley and Seligman.

Another large piece of new interstate is already open, 'way up there in the northwest corner of Arizona on Interstate 15, the Las Vegas to Utah road. This Virgin River Gorge area includes about 30 miles of the most expensive, spectacularly beautiful and unique highway construction in America. Arizona, as it happens, was stuck with a part of the tab, yet through a quirk of geography, derives exactly zero benefit from the road since it can not be reached from within the state.

Pipe Spring, Mohave County's only national monument, continues to draw increased traveler interest as motorists learn that State Highway 389 affords a fast route from Fredonia, Arizona, to St. George, Utah. This interesting Mormon fort was the site of Arizona's first telegraph line in 1871, and is completely furnished in the manner of that era. During summer months young people from nearby communities demonstrate pioneer handicrafts. The fort, itself, is open all year. The dirt road south of Pipe Spring leading to Toroweap Point is much improved but still no freeway. Motorists should be sure their cars are well prepared for a long and lonesome ride, but the end result is well worth the effort. This is the Grand Canyon's greatest vista point, where that first step is 3,000 feet straight down to the murky Colorado River. This used to be Grand Canyon National Monument until Congress, in early 1975, expanded Grand Canyon National Park both upstream (eliminating short-lived Marble Canyon National Monument) and downstream all the way past Toroweap to the Canyon's end at the Grand Wash Cliffs near Pierce Ferry. Mohave County contains some of the most spectacular portions of the Grand Canyon, and now we can also affirm that they are full-fledged parts of Grand Canyon National Park. Oatman, my favorite ghost town of them all, still attracts enough tourists to keep the burros well fed on the main street, but not so many that you can't stand a half hour in the middle of that street (once US 66) without any danger of being hit. The Oatman Hotel still dispenses great spaghetti dinners and much good companionship at the bar, but the hotel rooms are no longer rented. This disappoints some visitors who want to stay overnight in the room where Clark Gable and Carole Lombard honeymooned, a popular legend that is somewhat in doubt. When you're at Oatman in the Black Mountains you're halfway from Kingman

MOHAVE COUNTY, ARIZONA & Bordering Nevada Areas FEATURES:

handicrafts. The fort, itself, is open all year. The dirt road south of Pipe Spring leading to Toroweap Point is much improved but still no freeway. Motorists should be sure their cars are well prepared for a long and lonesome ride, but the end result is well worth the effort. This is the Grand Canyon's greatest vista point, where that first step is 3,000 feet straight down to the murky Colorado River. This used to be Grand Canyon National Monument until Congress, in early 1975, expanded Grand Canyon National Park both upstream (eliminating short-lived Marble Canyon National Monument) and downstream all the way past Toroweap to the Canyon's end at the Grand Wash Cliffs near Pierce Ferry. Mohave County contains some of the most spectacular portions of the Grand Canyon, and now we can also affirm that they are full-fledged parts of Grand Canyon National Park. Oatman, my favorite ghost town of them all, still attracts enough tourists to keep the burros well fed on the main street, but not so many that you can't stand a half hour in the middle of that street (once US 66) without any danger of being hit. The Oatman Hotel still dispenses great spaghetti dinners and much good companionship at the bar, but the hotel rooms are no longer rented. This disappoints some visitors who want to stay overnight in the room where Clark Gable and Carole Lombard honeymooned, a popular legend that is somewhat in doubt. When you're at Oatman in the Black Mountains you're halfway from Kingman to the Colorado River, where Mohave County's greatest growth is taking place. A good paved road leads from Oatman to Bullhead City, making it a convenient shopping place. Taking it from the top, the Colorado River story in Mohave County really begins above Hoover Dam on the waters of Lake Mead. South Cove launching ramp, near Pierce Ferry, is a favorite access point for residents of nearby Meadview. Downlake, Temple Bar offers full marina and overnight accommodations and is well situated to provide boating and fishing on all parts of the lake. Below Hoover Dam, a visit to Willow Beach is a must even if you do nothing but admire "The Wall of Fame." Here you will find hundreds of framed photographs of happy fishermen, and fisherwomen, of all ages, each proudly holding a rainbow trout that must weigh more than five pounds to qualify for a position on the wall. Near the front door is Mr. Reid's fish, the twenty-one-pound-fiveounce monster that is still the biggest trout taken from these cold river waters. Tours of Willow Beach National Fish Hatchery interest visitors of all ages, and the National Park Service campground and picnic facilities are among the finest in the Southwest. Farther down Lake Mohave, near Davis Dam, our old friend Ham Pratt continues as genial host at Lake Mohave Resort. Ham's newest service here at Katherine Landing is the rental of deluxe houseboats that sleep six or ten people. Now that's touring Lake Mohave in style! The lake offers an interesting mixture of warm water fish, such as largemouth bass, along with the rainbow trout which used to stay in the colder waters up near Willow Beach. Lake Mohave Resort offers excellent food and lodging, and the National Park Service campground is a very popular one. Following a self-guided tour of Davis Dam power plant, which compares quite favorably with the better known guided tour at Hoover Dam, the road leads southward to Bullhead City. Local fishermen have a choice of lake fishing, launching above Davis Dam, or river fishing below the dam. The river's swift waters have become famous for the striped bass that make their annual run to the base of Davis Dam. Bullhead City's fine motels and restaurants are now supplemented by casinos located directly across the river in Nevada, and easily reached by water taxi. Commercial services in this area have, in recent years, expanded to cater to the ever increasing population of winter visitors. Mohave Community College has three campuses in the county and one of them is located here in this formerly remote region. Holiday Shores, Riviera, River Bend, and other smaller developments reach all the way from Bullhead City down the River Road towards Topock Swamp and the one-way wooden bridge to Needles, California. Topock Swamp is part of the Havasu National Wildlife Refuge, an excellent place to observe a great variety of wildfowl in migration. A few miles east of Topock, on Interstate 40, is the turnoff for Arizona State Route 95, not to be confused with nearby

(Left) The Old Santa Fe Trail near Kingman. McLaughlin Historical Photo Collection (Below) Downtown Oatman in its heyday.

(Right) A view of Kingman circa 1896. The building, center foreground, was the boyhood home of the author, Carlos Elmer. McLaughlin Historical Photo Collection (Below right) Sightseeing boats depart hourly to give visitors a different view of the London Bridge at Lake Havasu City. Herb & Dorothy McLaughlin US 95. This is the road to Lake Havasu City and London Bridge, just a 20-mile detour from the interstate. Lots of visitors are making that detour these days, with the result being that London Bridge has become a major visitor attraction. Hotels and all other services required by the traveling public have sprung up in abundance to meet the needs of the 1.5 million people who came here last year alone.

For several years an annual springtime highlight at Lake Havasu City has been the regatta of graceful catamaran sailing boats that began with two-man Pacific class cats and then grew quickly when the popular one-man Hobie cats made their appearance. More than 500 boats now show up for this event, requiring the classes to be divided into two weekend events. The boats form a beautiful sight as they sail the waters of Lake Havasu's Thompson Bay.

The industrial base of this new citycontinues to grow, as the McCulloch chain saw plant is joined by other companies manufacturing clothing, furniture, and boats. In 1976 the Campbell Boat Company held a reunion here. Proud owners by the hundreds brought their sleek boats home for a weekend of competition and fun a most impressive display of marine elegance.

Lake Havasu's championship golf course, home base of 1976 Masters winner Ray Floyd, has been expanded to 27 holes. It has been joined by a sporty par-3 lakeside course at Nautical Inn. (There are plenty of water hazards on that one.) Growing ranks of tennis players enjoy the courts at Nautical Inn as well as the London Bridge Tennis Club, which is located on the channel just above the bridge.

Like Bullhead City, this new home of the London Bridge has a Mohave Community College campus, plus two hospitals and full commercial and shopping facilities.

As the two major growth areas down on the river continue to develop their basic difference also continues. Bullhead City has a large population residing in mobile homes, many of them quite luxurious, while the Lake Havasu City development is almost completely conventional single family homes, duplexes, and apartments.

In both cases the new residents are clearly opting for a life style away from the big cities and far removed from the rigors of winter. It's a way of life that promises to bring still greater things for old Mohave.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Carlos Elmer's first contribution to Arizona Highways was in June, 1940. He has been a regular contributor since thousands of words and hundreds of photographs.

It has been 50 years since Carlos first arrived in Kingman, Mohave County. He fell in love with the plateaus, the river, and the canyons in this majestic corner of the state. So when it came time to feature Northwestern Arizona again, we called on Carlos. There is no one who loves his home land more than he.