Event of the Month

vent of the Month For a Real Blast Come and Celebrate Old Miners Day in Chloride

At precisely 7 A.M., someone starts banging on the old chuckwagon chow bell. Dogs bark; burros bray. RV doors bang open in the dusty town park. Bodies slide out of sleeping bags in the beds of pickup trucks to join a couple of thousand folks gathered to celebrate Old Miners Day in Chloride, a hamlet about 18 miles north of Kingman, just off U.S. Route 93. It starts with the chow bell and breakfast in the oldest mining camp in the area. The bill of fare at every restaurant (three of them, and they are small) is biscuits and gravy no other choices $1, American. It's the only way that the tiny community can accommodate the once-a-year crowd. Lunch also is a one-item deal: offering such things as barbeque sandwiches washed down with beer, softdrinks, or some cowboy coffee. Old Miners Day is a noisy, fun-filled, sun-splashed event in late June that celebrates the fact that Chloride is a ghost town on the rebound. In 1860 gold and silver were discovered in the canyons of the nearby Cerbat Mountains. Chloride sprouted up with an early population of more than 5,000. But as the veins played out, people moved away. By 1949 Chloride was only abandoned buildings and a few dozen persistent souls hanging on.

However, Chloride is now home to more than 300 folks who have recently discovered the appealing laid-back ghost town life-style. (See Arizona Highways, May '93.) Boutiques, art galleries, and antique shops have opened behind old storefronts while a couple of saloons have dusted off their counters and stocked light beer for the tourists who enjoy the town's early-days charm. There are plans for some overnight accommodations in Chloride, and there is RV parking available. There are plenty of rooms in nearby Kingman.

By 10 A.M. on Old Miners Day, the three blocks of downtown are packed. A street-side swap meet is in progress. Among the countless items are used solar panels, handmade hunting knives, antique license plates, cracked china from Japan, and authentic jewelry offered by Navajos from the reservation to the east.

Youngsters are enjoying rides on saddled burros while touristsfrom as far away as New Jersey are taking photographs of real cowboys, real Indians, and real miners. There's an arts and crafts show in the town hall, old min-ing equipment on display at the Jim Fritz Historical Museum, and the 1800s jail is receiving visitors.

At midmorning, a grizzled piano player at the Silver Belle Playhouse pounds out a tear-jerking rendition of "Frankie and Johnny," and the melodrama be-gins. The acting company, com-prised solely of local talent, schedules performances year-round. The engagingly corny program is well-rehearsed and staged. The packed house hisses, whistles, and shakes the frame building with laughter. The show is free; donations accepted.

At high noon, the parade be-gins. Antique cars. “Lawrence of Arabia” on a spirited stallion. Shriners in go-carts. A crusty miner pulls a burro, but behind the beard is a face that looks suspiciously female. Dance-hall girls (or reasonable fac-similes) adorn an ancient fire wagon. A sheriff in Wyatt Earp duds leads his fierce at-tack dogs: a pair of Pom-eranians sporting fluffy tutus. Afternoon events include horseshoe-pitching contests, staged gunfights, a chili cook-off, musical entertainment, a re-peat of the melodrama, and ample opportunity to tour the town and inspect the remains of old mining sites. Then in the evening, locals host two dances, both with live music. Shortly after midnight, most of the tourists have left, and the townsfolk are turning out the lights. Said one old-timer, “We need to do this once a year just to assure a concerned world that Chloride still has a healthy heartbeat.”

WHEN YOU GO

This year Chloride's Old Miners Day will be held Saturday, June 25.

Chloride is 240 miles northwest of Phoenix and can be reached via U.S. Route 93 and Interstate 40.

Accommodations, including restaurants, are extremely limited in Chloride, but are plentiful in nearby Kingman.

While in Chloride, check out the local sights, including the Chloride Historical Society, the library, and the old railroad station. For additional information about the community and its events, contact the Chloride Chamber of Commerce, P.O. Box 268, Chloride, AZ 86431; (602) 565-4803.