No Arizona mining town was busier or more optimistic than Oatman in 1916, when automobiles began outnumbering horses on Main Street. While the mines have closed down, Oatman still thrives. Clark Gable and Carole Lombard honeymooned at the Oatman Hotel along Main Street.

When the United Eastern Mine began operation in 1913, Oatman's population soared to 10'000. It was one of the area's "Big Three" mines, along with the Tom Reed and Goldroad. The town of Vivian was renamed Oatman in 1908 in honor of Olive Oatman, a girl who was held captive by Mohave Indians near Oatman.

Oatman was reduced in the 1950s to a population of about 60 after it was bypassed by the rerouted U.S. 66. Now the number is up to a few hundred, with many residents making a living selling items to tourists.

The descendants of the mules used in the mining operations a hundred years ago are Oatman's biggest tourist attraction today.