Kingman

The pre-history of our area belongs to the Anasazi, the "Ancient Ones," and their Native American descendants, principally the Haulapai, Havasupai and Mohave tribes. Before being subdued by the settling of the West, these nomadic tribes roamed the area from northern Arizona's Verde Valley to the southern border of the Grand Canyon and Colorado River as far south as Quartzite. Their artistry typified nomad culture: distinctive basketry, woven blankets and pottery for food and water. Visitors may hike, camp, hunt, fish or raft on nearby Haulapai lands by obtaining permits from the tribal headquarters in Peach Springs. Spaniards searching for gold explored the area as early as the 1500's and were followed by Anglo explorers in the early 1800's. In 1857, Lt. Edward Fitzgerald Beale and his team of explorers came to survey a wagon route along the 35th parallel to the Pacific Ocean. His survey party used camels for transportation, a novelty that never caught on. Nonetheless, the Beale Road, which stretch from Ft. Defiance, New Mexico to the Colorado River, became a popular path for prospectors seeking fortunes of gold, silver, copper and turquoise. In the early 1880's, Lewis Kingman surveyed a railroad route between Albuquerque, New Mexico and Needles, California, which for much of its length paralleled Beale's road. The fledgling settlement along the track's route was designated "Kingman" after the enterprising surveyor in 1882. Framed businesses popped up everywhere and, in 1887, Kingman was declared county seat of Mohave County, spurring the construction of a courthouse and county jail. After World War II, the need for the Kingman Army Air Base ended and the town turned increasingly to the tourist market. Historic Route 66 paralleled the railroad route, leading millions westward to California throughout the early 20th Century. The travelers brought prosperity to Kingman as a trade and transportation center and Route 66 became an essential part of Kingman's personality.