KINGMAN, ARIZONA

WHEN I WAS AN ARCHAEOLOGIST I WORKED FOR THE BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT. I TRAVELED TO KINGMAN MANY TIMES IN THE NORTHWEST PART OF ARIZONA IN ORDER TO DO SOME GROUND SURVEYS FOR HISTORIC AND PREHISTORIC SITES. MOST OF THE AREAS IN THIS MOHAVE DESERT HAD VERY LITTLE VEGETATION EXCEPT FOR CREOSOTE AND JUMPING CHOLLA AND SOME PRICKLY PEAR. WE FOUND SCATTERED TEMPORARY CAMPSITES CONSISTING OF VARIOUS POTTERY SHERDS AND A FEW OBSIDIAN AND QUARTZ FLAKES FROM MANUFACTURING SCRAPERS AND PROJECTILE POINTS. OCCASIONALLY WE FOUND PIECES OF GROUND STONE.

KINGMAN IS ABOUT 3000' ABOVE SEA LEVEL MAKING IT A BIT COOLER THAN PHOENIX AND THE AIR QUALITY IS MUCH BETTER. IN 2006 THERE WERE 27,000 PEOPLE. IF YOU INCLUDE BUTLER AND GOLDEN VALLEY THE POPULATION IS 48,000. IN THE DESERT WE FOUND MANY USGS CAPS THAT INDICATED THE LOCATION OF SECTIONS. THE US WAR DEPARTMENT WAS ORDERED TO BUILD A WAGON ROAD NEAR KINGMAN AND TEST THE USE OF CAMELS AS PACK ANIMALS IN THE DESERT. US NAVEL OFFICER BEAL SURVEYED AND BUILT ROADS IN 1857 - 1859. REMNANTS OF THEE WAGON ROAD CAN BE SEEN IN WHITE CLIFFS OF KINGMAN.

KINGMAN IS NOTED FOR BEING A SIDING ALONG THE ATLANTIC AND PACIFIC RAILROADS. IT WAS NAMED AFTER LEWIS KINGMAN WHO SURVEYED ALONG THE RAILROAD. THE MOHAVE COUNTY SEAT WAS IN CERBAT IN 1871 AND AFTER 1887 IT MOVED TO KINGMAN. IN WWII THERE WAS AN ARMY AIRFIELD AND A TRAINING BASE HERE. IT BECAME ONE OF THE USAAF'S LARGEST TRAINING BASE WITH 35,000 SOLDIERS AND AIRMEN TRAINING HERE. FOLLOWING WWII THE AIRFIELD SERVED AS ONE OF THE BEST KNOWN PLACES FOR OBSOLETE MILITARY AIRCRAFT.

IN 1955 FORD MOTORS DEVELOPED A COMPANY HERE FOR A PROVING GROUND. THE PEOPLE FROM KINGMAN ALSO WORKED IN THE DUVAL COPPER MINE IN CHLORIDE, AZ AND CONSTRUCTION OF THE MOHAVE GENERATING STATION IN NEARBY LAUGHLIN, NEVADA. A GENERAL CABLE PLANT PLANT WAS CONSTRUCTED AT A NEW KINGMAN AIRPORT INDUSTRIAL PARK FOR EMPLOYMENT.

THE HUALAPAI INDIANS LIVE HERE AROUND KINGMAN. THEY SPEAK DIALECTS OF THE YUMAN LANGUAGE. THEY SPEAK DIALECTS OF THE YUMAN LANGUAGE. THE YUMAN ARE PART OF THE LARGER HOKAN LANGUAGE FAMILIES. ONLY 1000 PAI SPEAKERS STILL EXIST AMONG THREE TRIBES IN NORTHEASTERN ARIZONA. THE HUALAPAI HAVE LIVED HERE FOR MILLENIA. THEY LOVE AND FIGHT FOR THEIR COUNTRY. THEY HONOR THEIR COUNTRY. THEY HONOR THEIR CREATOR. THEY HONOR THEIR CREATOR AND RESPECT MOTHER EARTH. THEY CALL THEMSELVES THE PEOPLE OF THE TALL PINES.

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