Coffee With Jim

On Highway 89, half way down the hill into the historic district of Prescott, Arizona there is a cross street sign that reads Senator Highway. A word of warning, this is a very loose use of the word highway.
But for those with an adventurers spirit, an odyssey on this "highway" is an increasingly rare opportunity to experience the Arizona of the territorial era. At the height of the mining boom in the Bradshaw Mountains, millions of dollars in gold and silver flowed from area mines and colorful communities such as Crown King, Big Bug, Bradshaw City, and Oro Belle sprang from the hillsides.
On this mornings episode of Coffee With Jim, America's storyteller author Jim Hinckley takes the listener along for a ride through time, and through a scenic wonderland.
Today's program is sponsored in part by the City of Tucumcari, Historic Wagon Wheel Motel featuring Connie's Shoppe, Uranus Fudge Factory and General Store in Missouri, Roadrunner Lodge Motel, and 2nd Annual Kingman Route 66 Fest

When it comes to Arizona history, these two towns are bookends. Chloride, dating to the 1860s, is a link to the dawn of mining boom towns in the territory of Arizona. Oatman, also a territorial town, dates to the first years of the 20th century. It was born of the last major gold rush in Arizona. 

Neither one is technically a ghost town. But they are mere shadows of what they once were. One has survived and thrived by creating a romanticized image of the western frontier and capitalizing on its association with Route 66. The other is more retirement community than tourism Mecca. 

Join America's storyteller for another road trip inspiring adventure through time. 

Today's program is sponsored in part by the living time capsules that are the Roadrunner Lodge and Wagon Wheel Motel. It is also sponsored by the City of Tucumcari, Uranus Fudge factory & General Store, RouteTrip USA and Kingman Route 66 Fest scheduled for October 14-15.