Oatman Arizona

Originally a tented town to supply the needs of miners in the locality. Oatman has over the years suffered boom and bust.
Oatman began it's life in the very beginning of the 20th century, the hotel then built was called the Drulin Hotel. This was established with in 1902 and had 8 bedrooms.
It mainly catered for the miners especially after a gold strike made two miners richer by $10,000,000 in 1915.
Naturally, this brought more settlers to the area and Oatman grew to have 3,500 residents.
Unfortunately, three fires in the next few years, almost destroyed the town, the hotel was repaired and town rebuilt.

When the biggest mining company pulled out, the town almost folded and in most senses became a ghost town.
It was the only the new highway Route 66, which saved the town from going the way of many a mining camp after operations had closed down.
The town and the hotel catered to travellers using the new highway west.

The quaint old fashion town was given a lasting boost by the visit of Clark Gable and Carole Lombard, it was here that they came to have their honeymoon after marrying in Kingman Arizona, March 29th 1939.
The charm and memories of the night, lasted with them but they often returned.
The King of Hollywood was known to play cards with some of the locals.


When Route 66 was replaced by the Interstate, the town and the hotel now known as the Oatman Hotel, suffered a decline.
Now Oatman survives as a tourist attraction, having been used as a location in several big western films.
Wild burrios, originally brought to the area by miners, roam the streets during the day much to the delight of the tourists.
The other attractions that brings the tourists in are the Ghosts that inhabit the hotel.

As you would expect, two of the ghosts are the famous Hollywood lovers so tragedically seperated when Carole Lombard was killed in a plane crash whist promoting war bonds.
Staff have heard them whispering and laughing in the room that had seen them so happy, they have refused to leave, they continue to celebrate their wedding.
The sounds of the celebatrions have also been heard by guests.
When the room has been checked it has been empty.
There is even reports of a phtographer who took a picture of the empty room, only to discover a ghostly man appearing in the print.

The second floor of the hotel houses the Theatre Room Museum, and it is here that outlines of sleeping bodies have been found in the dust on the beds.
When inspected none of the surrounding area has been disturbed. Staff believe that sleeping guest is the ghost of a chambermain who has been seen in the room.
An Irish miner is another guest who refuses to check out.
The man was a heavy drinker, said to be distraut over the death of his family on the way over from Ireland to America. The heavy drinker, drunk so much one night, he passed out behind the hotel and never came too.
He is thought to haunt his old room and has done since his death.
The staff call him 'Oatie', he is responsible for the sound of bagpipes heard around the otel.
He also indulges in pranks, believed to be responsible for the opening of the window in his old room or pulling the covers off the bed.
This room is said to be cold even on the hottest desert day.

The Saloon, also appears to have a group of playful spirits who, lift money off the bar and raise glasses into the air.
Can you imagine, not knowing the place was haunted and seeing that? You would surely think you were seeing things, especially if you had been indulging in a drink or two.
Lights are turned on and off, eerie sounding voices are heard, footprints appear on floors that have been recently cleaned, they seem to appear from nowhere.
And of course that old favourite amongst ghosts, they love to flush the toilets in empty bathrooms.
The more I look up or hear stories about hauntings, the more you find them playing around the toilets.
It must have something to do with the theory that ghosts are attracted to water and use this to 'visit' our dimension.

The ghosts that occupy the Oatman Hotel seem to be a friendly bunch, and makes a trip along Route 66 more EVEN interesting a prospect.

The Oatman Hotel is now listed as historical building in the National Historical Building Registry. It houses memorabillia of the past and the Clarke Gable/Carol Lombard honeymoon room has been refurbished to their time period.

Unfortunately, you can no longer stay there as they do not provide accommodation, it is now a musuem reflecting the past of both itself and the town that has seen changes in fortune over the years.

Carole Lombard was the love of Clark Gables life I dont think he ever got over lossing her it was just so sad so its nice to think that they both come back to the hotel that they spent there honeymoon in.

They say her death was the reason why he wanted to do combat duty.