Things to Do While in Laughlin: Visit Chloride Arizona
Chloride Arizona is a onetime silver mining camp in Mohave County, Arizona and is another favorite old mining town that dates back to the 1860s, and a short day trip from Laughlin, Nevada. It once boasted one of the richest silver mines in the area. Many of the original buildings have been restored. A lot of local artists have settled there and the small place is dotted with examples of their work. Chloride is considered the oldest continuously inhabited mining town in the state of Nevada. In the 2000 census, the population of the area was 352.
Chloride history – Prospectors first located mineral resources in the area around Chloride Arizona in the 1840s, including silver, gold, lead, zinc, and turquoise. Chloride was founded about 1863, but mining was not widespread until the 1870s after a treaty was signed with the Hualapai Indians. The railway from Kingman, called the Arizona and Utah Railway, was inaugurated on August 16, 1899 – the last silver spike was driven by Miss May Krider. The town eventually grew to a peak of around 5,000 inhabitants, and at one time Chloride was the county seat. By 1917 the population had fallen to 2,000, and by 1944 it was nearly a ghost town.
American author Louis L’Amour visited Chloride Arizona sometime between 1927-1929 after the Weepah, Nevada goldrush, where he had bought, and then sold a claim for $50. During his visit the town of Chloride caught fire. L’amour assisted the town citizens in a bucket brigade that ultimately failed to stop most of the town from burning to the ground.
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Driving directions and map to Chloride Arizona
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