Chloride, Ariz., retains remnants of yesteryear

A survivor from frontier times, colorful Chloride, Ariz., trades upon its past to ensure that it will have a future. The oldest continuously inhabited mining town in Arizona welcomes curious visitors from around the world. At least 20,000 people annually find their way to this remnant of the Old West.

Once isolated in a remote corner of northwestern Arizona Territory, Chloride today is quite accessible. It sits four miles off U.S. Highway 93 on the way to Kingman at mile marker 53 across from Grasshopper Junction, about 80 miles from Las Vegas. Follow U.S. 93/95 to Railroad Pass, then U.S. 93 through Boulder City toward the new bridge over the Colorado River below Hoover Dam. Crossing the river into Arizona, drive southeast toward Kingman. The old town lies 25 miles northwest of Kingman on a well-marked county road. Drive time from Las Vegas is about an hour and a half.

Nestled at about 4,000-feet elevation near the base of the rugged Cerbat Mountains, Chloride enjoys a scenic location. Its mild climate lures wintering snowbirds, swelling its population of 250 permanent residents to about 400 during the colder months. The old town attracts many residents who are artists or artisans.

Chloride's location lends itself to a laid-back, Western-flavored small town atmosphere. Residents feel free to do their own thing. Several have turned found objects into quirky yard art that has become an attraction itself. One resident has a collection of about 30 ancient tractors in various states of repair on display in his yard, where antique equipment enthusiasts may gaze and admire.

The town retains many remnants of yesteryear, such as the old filling station with the venerable gasoline pumps out front and battered metal signs still in place. Although fires destroyed many structures over time, a number of weathered buildings survive, scattered among newer structures, manufactured housing and mobile homes. Look for the roofless stone walls of the old Rock House, the tight confines of the town's early jail, the building that housed the Arizona Central Bank and the repurposed railroad station for the Santa Fe's side line from Kingman to Chloride's mines. The railroad hauled passengers and cargo until 1935.

A building now serving as a popular restaurant started out as a stage stop and repair station for the Butterfield Stage Line, which ran from 1868 until 1919. Chloride boasts the oldest continuously operating post office in Arizona. Occupying different buildings through the decades, the Chloride Post Office first opened in 1873, closed a few years later, then reopened in 1893.

Named for the silver chloride found all around by prospectors in the 1840s, the town was founded in the early 1860s. Conflicts with the native Hualapai slowed development of the mines until a treaty was signed in 1870. Local ore yielded not only silver but also gold, lead, zinc, turquoise and other valuable minerals. During Chloride's heyday about 70 mines were developed. Chloride held the position of Mohave County seat from 1871 until supplanted by up-and-coming Kingman in 1887. Chloride boomed with 5,000 people for a time, then settled to around 2,000 residents by 1917. Mines remained in operation around Chloride for years, but by 1944, most of them had closed. A large copper mine east of Chloride at the site of old Mineral Park remains in operation.

A re-created Old West area in Chloride called Cyanide Springs serves as a center for information and special activities. Staged gunfights take place there on many Saturdays. Special events coming up include the All Town Yard Sale on May 5 and the Old Miner's Day Parade and Festivities on June 30.

Visitors to Chloride are encouraged to explore the old town. They find two campgrounds atop the Cerbat Mountains at Windy Point and Packsaddle, as well as expansive views into four states. They discover ancient petroglyphs and 1960s murals in a nearby granite canyon. Roy Purcell, an artist well-known in Southern Nevada, painted the murals when he lived in Arizona, repainting them 40 years later in 2006. The network of old roads, trails and washes around Chloride is irresistible to hikers, mountain bikers, horsemen and off-highway vehicle riders.

Margo Bartlett Pesek's Trip of the Week column appears on Sundays.