Kingman Page: A comprehensive guide to Kingman Facts, History, Fiction, and Politics

All About Kingman:

Things You Need to Know

Warren-Hill

@WarrenHillFilms

Although only a short distance from Los Angeles, Las Vegas and other grossly metropolitan areas, Kingman is a very small town in the sense that it shares far more with the thousands of towns and villages typically called, Flyover Country by the disillusioned yet dauntless masses who remain in Los Angeles, Las Vegas...

Where once the Downtown area of kingman represented the hub of commerce for the small city, it has been largely replaced by mindless Big Commerce scattered along Stockton Hill Road, an epic disaster of ill-planning manufactured by the not-too-distant city fathers who sold-off their remote land holdings to Big Box retailers for handsome profits, steering the City Council and Mayor through payoffs, to expansion approval. This left what is now called, Old Town, to redefine itself, as best it may.

Like most towns across America who have suffered the blight of Greed and ignorance, Old Town also houses its city and county offices, thank God, and a myriad of small, quaint shops.

People You Should Know...

Helen “Scoop” Graves

Original reporter on our Old Town Gazette, which we ceased printing a number of years ago, Scoop was born in Oatman (deleted) years ago. Raised in Kingman, she runs the Old Town Kingman Post Office at Route 66 and 3rd St.

Rediscovered periodically by the strong of financial resources and of heart, Old Town’s historic and charming buildings are occasionally the beneficiaries of those who seek to bring new life to the district. The Brunswick Hotel, as an example, is undergoing a vast facelift by its new European owner, who reportedly has a fascination with all things Route 66. Opening soon, and with a collection of dining and bakery and restored hotel facilities dating back to the 1880s, the Brunswick will bring new life to a currently short, desolate strip of America’s Mother Road. (We’ll report on its completion and Grand Opening.)

Beale Street remains the main drag along which most shops are located. The street was named after Navy Lieutenant Beale, a navigator, whose skills were translated to surveying the 35th Parallel along which the early US government wanted to construct a transcontinental rail line, which it accomplished some years later with the help of Lewis Kingman who worked for the Atlantic-Pacific Railroad. Thus there is a Kingman, Arizona.

At this writing, there is a Dora’s Beale St. Deli (coffee, fresh pastries, great lunches and dinners), a Beale Street Brews (coffee, music, wifi, etc.) and also a hardy competitor to the two Starbucks in town, both located on...you guessed it: Stockton Hill Road.

Other locally owned cafes and restaurants include Red Neck’s Bar-B-Que (we have a few of them here - Rednecks, but it is purported to be very good food at very reasonable prices), Calico’s Restaurant (which looks like a chain but is not and the food is excellent), Siren’s Cafe, El Palacio (a very well known Mexican restaurant), Mr. Dz (a favorite for those cruising Route 66 and homemade root beer that’s great). Don’t waste your money at the Roadrunner Cafe: One time a very good place, now the service is so painful and the hours so limited there’s no point.

You likee Chinese? Unfortunately not located in Old Town, Lo’s remains the best in Chinese food. Off Tucker and Highway 66, just south of the I-40 off-ramp.

Antique and Collectibles. Everywhere along Beale Street. Some of our favorites include Boston Antiques, Dennis (aka Brandon) operates the store in the large former movie theater at the corner of 3rd and Beale. Dennis is originally from Boston and for the many years we have known him we still have no idea what he’s saying most of the time. The assortment is vast and stacked to the rafters, thus giving an added thrill to both the shopper and the Kingman Fire Department.

Another favorite is John and Liz’s Remember When Antiques at 314 and 318 E. Beale St. Brimming with interesting memorabilia and collectibles from a variety of sources (they rent-out booths to local sellers), they are, like all the other merchants on Beale, friendly and willing to negotiate. Two full stores of great stuff.

Karl Kettlehut runs Kettlehut’s, a long-time Kingman collectibles retail outlet. A great assortment of varied wares (he, too, rents space to local sellers), and since his back surgery his disposition has improved greatly.

Do you read? Of course you do or you’d be staring blankly at your iPad right now covering the screen with drool. Used books are a good buy at a great little store called, The Last Chapter at 430 E. Beale. Not far from Beale Street Brews: Buy a book from Rick or Nell and have a coffee and relax.

There are many more wonderful shops along Beale.

Just walk along the street and discover...

It’s a day’s adventure, really.

There are three museums in Old Town: The Mohave County Museum containing much memorabilia and historic artifacts from Arizona’s past; the Powerhouse Museum, housed in our old and first power generating facility with much in the way of Route 66 displays and documents (and selling the typical ephemera), and the Bonelli House, after an early pioneer family.

Which reminds us: One ought to keep in mind that Kingman and the surrounding environs was the seat of northern Arizona territory's Mormon population. And, although our city fathers did much to bury that history in ensuing years, the quick eye will discern multiple wives among our more historic figures including Mr. Bonelli and Anson Smith, the founder of what is now the Kingman Daily Miner, a remnant newspaper of the pre-digital era.

One other Ink medium still clings to the gunwales, the Standard. Both publish Crime Sheets on their Front pages leading one to believe that there is nothing but Crime in Kingman: That is not the case - it’s just that they don’t have the revenue to pay actual journalists to write anything meaningful, so it’s a cheap alternative.

Both the Miner and the Standard do the community a grave disservice by highlighting this tripe, but neither newspaper has any real interest in the community.

If you can stand the American English colloquy, Craig’s List, Mohave remains the place to buy and sell. Just remember that when searching for an item, a dual-axle truck, for example, search under, “Dual|Dually|Dooley|Duel|Dully...” Standard transmission vehicles may be under, “Standard|Standurd|Manual|Manuel|Stick|Stik|Tree|Shif|Shift|Sped|Speed|Spud...” There’s no telling. Collectively, we employ our own form of Esperanto.

Events and things to do. As we think back, there are many events in Kingman that are worthy of attending. To name just a few: The Fun Run. A fairly vast number of vintage cars gather at Seligman, a little east of us here, and travel down Route 66 to Kingman on Saturday. They begin arriving in Old Town from 11AM onward throughout the day. Traffic in Old Town is restricted except for participants. Music, Food, Games, Car Show. We’ve always enjoyed it.

The River Run. Accountants and lawyers on Choppers. Yes, they were, Born to be wild (litigators). There are some actual bikers involved in the event, too, not that there is anything inauthentic about a Fund Manager riding a Chopper, it’s just that some of Kingman’s residents actually fear the intrusion much like the town of Hollister feared Marlon Brando in, the Wild Bunch. Anyway, for a week or so the streets are busy with folks going from Kingman and the surrounding environs to Laughlin and back: Too much old butt on bitch seats visible, and halter tops on women who ought to think twice before wearing one, for our tastes.

Kingman Chamber. For a listing of all types of upcoming events and particulars, go to the Kingman Chamber site here. Also, watch the billboard out at the Fairgrounds advertising upcoming events, too. The Chamber site also has much in the way of helpful information and resources for those thinking about moving to Kingman.

Moving to Kingman? If you're thinking about moving to Kingman, do not consider homes located on any street with a bird in the name - they’re all grouped together in one outlying district called, simply, Birdland. It is an area notorious for petty crime, drug-related mostly.

The south side of the tracks downtown can be very iffy, as well. The north side - that’s the Historic district - is a world-apart with mostly very well maintained homes reflecting the town’s past.

A nice cave is always available, too. Read, Cave Dwellers on this page.

Golden Valley is an outlying area best known for desert. At various times, the unaware who have moved from Los Angeles or elsewhere have bought five acre parcels of sand for considerable sums, only to find the value draining, ironically, like sands in an hour glass...Besides, it’s far warmer in Golden Valley and at least once a week someone’s Meth Lab is being taken down.

Teeth are back in fashion in Kingman today: That wasn’t the case it seemed when we moved here. If you encounter an older Kingmanite, keep that in mind and don’t stare at the gaps while speaking with them.

White people abound. White folks make up about 88% of the population. We have only 210 Black people here by last Census, thus expect little in the way of good music or cultural diversity. (Yeah, I know: that’s a generality, but some generalities are true. You wouldn’t go to a Chinese restaurant for good Barbeque, would you?) Over the years we’ve gotten to know 209 of them. Try to remember that to most of our population, Smokey does not sing...he says, “Only you can prevent forest fires.” (C&W music is fairly standard.)

If you grew up like we did on MoTown, expect no likable music, other than Classic Rock (can you ever get enough of that stuff? Yes, you can...).

Other ethnic groups include:

A few people of Hispanic origins, and more recent Mexican immigrants. When you encounter them, try to remember that Arizona belonged to them before us. If they stop you because you’re white and ask to see your papers...

Middle Eastern. Many of our physicians and some of our more notable business people. Not a large enclave and only one masjid (mosque).

Jewish. Six or seven. An acquaintance tried to start a local Shul for her fellow congregants on Route 66. “Build it and they will come” doesn’t always hold true, apparently.

Indians (i.e. Native Americans for those trained in California). Everywhere. When encountering them, try to remember that they were here before the Mexicans (see above).

Here’s the way the population developed in Arizona: First there was nobody; Then, thousands of years ago the aboriginal people, today called, Indians, populated what would become Arizona. Then about 600 years ago, the Spanish. Subsequently, the Spanish-Indian, or Mexican. Then, about 200 years ago, the non-Hispanic whites. Draw your own conclusions.

Indians (i.e. Eastern). A few. Physicians at KRMC and in independent practice, as well as other professions.

Chinese and other Asians. A few (see, Lo’s Restaurant, above, and some others).

At our annual rodeo beginning with the Andy Devine Days Parade in Old Town, the small town American tradition lives on. The parade is extensive - far more than one might anticipate - with participants from every representative culture including our Hualapai Nation. (Interestingly, the Hualapai float usually has a small blond child somewhere in the mix. We think they rent him every year for the event.)

The rodeo begins with prayer. You need to know this if you’re from California where people want to sue other people for suggesting they pray. So, at the close of the prayer when the Grand Marshal says, “In Jesus’ name we say, Amen.” resist the temptation to call Goldberg and Goldberg seeking to punish us for our outlandish religious exclusivity. Even those who are not overly religious by any definition, such as the Editors, conclude the prayer with, “Sure, why not, Amen.” See? It’s painless.

Kingman Police Department. Thinking in terms of LAPD? Don’t. Still headed by Bob DeVries originally from Holland (Michigan), KPD is one of the most professional, albeit youthful police forces you’ll ever encounter. Those who are critical of KPD are typically criminals, or were misunderstood and the situation got out-of-hand. Remember that nearly everyone in Kingman, and Arizona for that matter, is armed: That makes for a rather tenuous first encounter for the police. Be sensitive to that (and polite) and you’ll find them reciprocally the same. You should know that they have a CSI Unit, too: “Bobby-Joe, did you lift any prints off that beer can, and is it still cold enough to drink?”

Mohave County Sheriff’s Office. As with Bob DeVries, but elected, still at the helm for years, Sheriff Tom Sheahan runs a tight and good operation with a group of level-headed deputies whose operational manifest is to deliver law enforcement fairly and equitably. But in this case, over a very wide expanse of highly varied geography – from patrolling Lake Havasu, keeping the weekend boaters and residents safe from the deluge of California drunks who treat the lake like their personal Hunger Games arena, to the mountains in the distant east, where we live. The scenarios they encounter are as varied as the topography: some of the stories are worthy of a book.

Highway Patrol. Department of Public Safety, Highway Patrol officers are very competent but aloof, from our perspective. We’ve gotten to know a few of them over the years, but their level of service is much different than in California, from a roadside perspective. If you breakdown along the highway, call roadside assistance and don’t wait for a cruiser to stop and assist.

Buying Second Hand. Other than being the only way to find some relic that was Made in America, it’s also a favorite pastime in Kingman. Every weekend, and during the week, too, the city and surrounding area, including Golden Valley, have flea markets and yard sales. Many “professional” yardsalers arrive early on a Friday, or begrudgingly on a Saturday, to get first choice of the seller’s wares. Many sellers are every-weekend businesses, part of the growing underground economy like everywhere in the US. Haggle: Don’t pay what someone’s asking, you’ll look like an idiot.

Buying Hi-Fashion Clothing. By definition, in Kingman that’s a new pair of jeans and a clean colored t-shirt. Hi-Fashion is not the mode of dress. We’re kidding about the t-shirt, but when the newly-arrived walks through one of the larger stores along the new part of town, one is struck by the varied nature of personal attire and grooming. Not being superficial about this, but by way of making only an observation, it appears that about 50% of our population do not own a mirror or any reflective surface in which they may see how bad they look. The other 50% work hard to make-up for this, but it’s a long uphill battle. Be prepared to be casual.

Traffic Manners. We let other people go first at a four-way stop. We do not give the “finger” to anyone because it’s impolite, and of tantamount importance, because they are probably armed. These same rules apply to people we meet while on foot: let others go first, especially women. Hold the door for others. Say, “Thank you” when someone does one or more of these things for you. Half of us don’t look like much, but we’re polite, anyway.

Higher Education. Remembering that the valedictorian of Kingman High School’s last graduating class began his speech  with the words, This has been the happiest eleven years of my life at Kingman High... one can easily imagine that there isn’t much in  the way of higher education other than Mohave Community College (MCC). MCC is vocationally oriented teaching nursing skills and associated Health Care vocational skills designed to fill the growing industry of hyper-inflated and often unnecessary health care doled out principally by Kingman Regional Medical Center (KRMC) whose patient bills as a non-profit medical facility far exceed those of a for-profit. (More about this later.) For now, though, MCC does offer courses through its partnering Northern Arizona University (NAU), based in Flagstaff for those seeking a higher education. Currently, 34% of Kingmanites have a high school diploma; and about 9% have a four-year degree. MCC will soon be offering a course entitled, “Meth: Cook Your Way to Wealth”.

All About Vehicles: Vehicles are a confusing issue in Kingman on first arrival, but even to the uninitiated it’s immediately apparent that you will need a pickup truck, although you’re not sure why. It really has nothing to do with the utility of the vehicle: it’s just expected.

Here are a few words of advice: 1) Never buy a two-wheel drive truck. There is far too much to discover in and around Kingman that requires a four-wheel drive vehicle. 2) Arizona Pin-Striping is a characteristic of any vehicle actually used by its owner to explore the further reaches of Mohave County. (Arizona Pin-Striping are the characteristic full-length scratches that run along the sides of a well-used vehicle. They are caused by the resilient brush that grows along the roadsides of Arizona. They are unavoidable, so don’t buy a truck that has recently been painted.) Buying a new truck in northern Arizona is a sure sign of dementia: There are too many less expensive alternatives, and a monthly payment adds nothing to your joie de vivre. Besides, the price of gasoline will only go up in the long run (i.e. next two weeks).

Armor-All on your tires. Important in LA. As we understand it, California Vehicle Code, Section 148-3 specifies how frequently, as a minimum, tires must be coated with this stuff. Don’t use it here - there’s no point.

A Kingman Detail consists of opening the doors to your truck and liberally applying your garden hose to the floors, dash and seats to wash out the build-up of dirt and mud, then turned to the outside. Do this once every three months and you’ll not frustrate yourself contending with a vehicle appearance that will never sustain the same level of cleanliness as it had in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, or any other place you lived previously where the roads are paved.

Buy a firearm. That is one of the reasons you moved here, wasn’t it? Only, be careful of the type of firearm you buy: Read, A Wheel Gun Never Fails on this page. Also, think at least three times before deciding to carry a firearm in a holster so that it is visible. There are 184,422 people in Arizona licensed to carry a Concealed Weapon (CCW): Join the fray. At the moment, and although your CCW instructor may tell you otherwise, Nevada, Oregon and Washington, and of course California, do NOT recognize an Arizona CCW permit. Here’s a list of states that do.

Pawn World at the corner of Beale and Second Streets is a great place to buy a firearm. A Very large selection, good prices, and a willingness to negotiate on most purchases. Good people, too.

Bugs. We have a vast array of different insects in northern Arizona. Some bite, some sting, some stink, some burrow, some kill. Keep that in mind. Never under any circumstances when working outside in anything but below freezing conditions, lift up a rock without wearing gloves. Scorpions abound and the most difficult of the little creatures is the Blond or Bark scorpion. Their sting can be lethal to old or young. In between and in reasonably good health, only sickness will ensue. Treatment for a scorpion sting is like a snake bite.

Snakes. Mohave Greens and other Pit Vipers, such as Diamond Backs are everywhere. It’s the desert...Greens move very fast. Diamond Backs do not. Greens are distinctly green. Diamond Backs are readily apparent from the baseball glove they wear over their rattler. (You see, that’s a joke, because our baseball team is the...)

Buying a horse. Young people and women think that they must buy a horse when they move to Arizona. Some men, too. We suppose that the wide-openness of Arizona and decades of watching Westerns just demands it. Fight that inclination: read, Shall We Gather at the Liver, left. After the first year you’ll be trying out a few of the recipes in that article if you fail to pay heed to these words of advice.

This section will be expanded as thoughts occur.