Chronology of Mohave County

1829
Pete Skene Ogden of Hudson's Bay Company follows Jedediah Smith's route following the Virgin River south to where it meets the Colorado. They meet hostile Indians in the vicinity of The Needles. Ewing Young, from Tennessee and party trap up the Verde to its source and head for California reconnoitering near Padre Garces' Pozos de San Brasilios, which Young names "Young Springs" (present day Peach Springs). In his party is a young man new to the west -Christopher (Kit) Carson.

1848 
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo brings the portion of Arizona lying north of the Gila River including Mohave County area as a part of other newly acquired territories  into the United States.

1852 
Captain Lorenzo Sitgreaves, one of the first U.S. Topographical Engineers, and party explores the Kingman area on his survey of the thirty-fifth parallel route across Arizona.

1854 
Lt. Amiel Whipple and Lt. Joseph Ives travel the southwest area of Mohave County on his expedition to map the upper reaches of the Colorado River.

1857-8 
Lt. Edward Beale, commissioned by the government to lay out a wagon road along the 35th Parallel, uses camels in addition to pack mules and horses. His road building crews locate springs in the Kingman area that would eventually bear his name and become one of the first water sources for the new town of Kingman.

1859 
Prospectors are trickling into the area.  Ft. Mojave is established by Col. William Hoffman, 6th U.S. Infantry, as a protection against the Indians.  Major Lewis Armistead is placed in charge when Col. Hoffman is ordered elsewhere by his superiors. 

1861 
Fort Mojave is abandoned at the beginning of the Civil War in the east.

1862 
Jacob Hamblin crosses the Colorado at the site of Pierce Ferry.

1863 
Fort Mojave is regarrisoned by two companies of Fourth California Volunteers.  Men from the fort explore for gold. John Moss discovers a rich deposit about 51/2 miles N.W. of Oatman. Arizona segregated from New Mexico Territory and Mohave County is one of the first counties to be established.

1864 
Captain W.H. Hardy establishes a trading post and a ferry, which becomes known as Hardy's Landing or Hardyville. The incorporation of the Mohave and Prescott Toll Road is approved by the Legislative Assembly with tolls as follows: "each wagon and two horses 1 1/2 cent per mile and each additional animal 3/4 cent per mile; one horse and vehicle 3/4 cent per mile; pack animals 1/2 cent per mile; horned cattle, horses and mules and others in droves 1/2  of 1 cent per mile; sheep, goat, or hog 1/8 of 1 cent per mile." The toll road established a station located at Beale's Springs.

1866 
Military encampment set up at Beale's Springs to protect the mails.

1870 More mines are discovered and towns of Cerbat, Chloride and Mineral Park appear.

1871 
Lt. George Wheeler of the U.S. Corps of Engineers surveys through the Kingman area on his mapping expedition of Northern Arizona. 
Camp Beale's Springs is commissioned and serves as a temporary reservation for the Hualapai Indians.  The Camp is deactivated in 1874.

1876 
Up to October, 2,000 mines have been located and recorded, of assays from $1,000 to $10,000 per ton silver. Population of Mineral Park is now about 200 with a five-stamp mill, private school house, post office, stores, saloons and private dwellings.

1881 
The first house erected in Kingman was the dwelling of Henry P. Ewing and William Heimrod.  It was destroyed by fire in June of 1903.

1882 
Kingman (formerly known as Middleton) established as a siding on the new Atlantic and Pacific Railroad.

1883 
The U.S. Post Office is established in Kingman with Edward E. Thompson serving as the first Postmaster.  The first train pulls into Kingman. The county tax rolls for Kingman include: one tent used as a restaurant, one tent used as a residence, a lumber house known as Ryan and Lassell's Saloon, a hotel run by B.H. Spear, a stable and a corral with one horse.  Truly, it can be said that Kingman was a one-horse town.

1885 
Kingman was host to the first Masquerade held in Mohave County.

1887 
Kingman wins designation as Mohave County's fifth county seat. The Mohave County Miner moves to Kingman from Mineral Park.

1890 
Mohave County's population is now about 1,500 with 300 at Kingman.  Cerbat has a five-stamp gold mill and a five-stamp silver mill.  Gold Basin has a ten-stamp mill and Signal a ten-and twenty-stamp mill.  About 60,000 head of cattle and 5,000 goats range the mountains and mesas and 2,000 acres are under cultivation in the valley of the Big Sandy (alfalfa, barley and vegetables).

1896 
Kingman's new elementary school, the Little Red Schoolhouse, opened its doors to students.

1897 
The Kingman Bottling works, run by John Dillon, was producing various bottled soft drinks as well as Schlitz beer.

1899 
Kingman's first telephone directory with 23 listings is published in the local paper. Arizona - Utah Railroad is completed and runs daily (except Sunday) to Chloride.

1900 
Kingman's population has grown to 550. Chloride is now a booming town of 2,000. Jose Jerez discovers Gold Road Mine, May 1900 (recorded in June).

1901 
Harvey House opened in Kingman.

1902 
Oatman - Goldroad mining area is opened up.

1903 
E.T. Perkins surveys along the Colorado River and recommends dam sites of Boulder, Black Canyon, Bullhead and Parker.

1904 
The Elks Lodge founded in 1899 formally dedicates their building located at North 4th and Oak Street.

1906 
The Beale Hotel is purchased by Tom Devine, father of actor Andy Devine.

1907 
Santa Fe Depot opened. Clement C. Leigh is hung behind a stockade at the Mohave County Courthouse for killing Jennie Bauters, a soiled dove, in Acme now known as Goldroad.

1909 
The Desert Power & Water Company's powerhouse in Kingman becomes operational, supplying inexpensive electrical power to area mines, homes and businesses. The Hotel Brunswick opens. It is Kingman's first three story building constructed of local tufa (too-fa) stone.

1912 
Arizona becomes the 48th state. Mrs. Thomas Devine sews a star for the new state on a flag that Andy proudly carries in an impromptu parade. 
The National Old Trails Highway wound its way through Kingman bringing an ever-increasing amount of automobile traffic.

1915 
The new Mohave County Courthouse is dedicated and opened. An exciting boom is in full swing at Oatman.

1917 
Kingman's Mohave County High School opened. Central Commercial Co., America's most amazing country store opens.

1921 
The Kingman Fire Department, an all-volunteer department is officially organized.

1922 
Mohave General Hospital opens to all Mohave County residents.

1926 
A new federal highway is designated through Kingman; U.S. Route 66 begins its life as the "Main Street of America."

1928 
Kingman Grammar School opens its doors for the first time, replacing the little Red Schoolhouse.
Congress authorizes Boulder Canyon Project.

1929 
The first Ford Tri-Motor "Tin Goose" airplane landed at "Port Kingman". The airport was established and dedicated by Charles Lindberg and Amelia Earhart as part of a promotional tour on July 8, 1929, for the Transcontinental Air Transport Company. "Port Kingman was the first commercial airport in Arizona and TAT was the forerunner of TWA. 

1930 
Six traffic stop signs are installed on Kingman intersections. "Talkies" came to Kingman and Lang's Theatre had a grand opening to celebrate the first     all-talking movies to come to town.  The movie was The Love Parade. President Hoover signs the bill for Boulder Dam Project.

1935-6 
Hoover Dam was dedicated by President Franklin Roosevelt on September 30th, 1935 and the powerplant structures were completed in 1936. 

1938 
Parker Dam was completed. Lake Havasu was formed.

1939 
On March 29, 1939, Clark Gable and Carol Lombard were married by Rev. Kenneth Engle at St. John's Methodist Church.

1941 
Davis Dam construction authorized. Bullhead City begun by Utah Construction Company (prime contractors for Davis Dam).

1942 
The Army Air Force opened the Kingman Army Airfield to serve as a Flexible Gunnery School to train aerial gunners.  An estimated 36,000 gunners were trained here.  After the war ended, the base became a storage depot with over 7,000 planes. Most were salvaged.

1943 
World War II airfield, auxiliary to the base at Kingman, constructed at Site Six on the Colorado River.

1946 
First Mohave County Fair was held. Kingman Army Air Force Base is de-activated.

1951 
Natural gas comes to Kingman and Mohave County. Highway 66 bypasses Oatman. The new section opens Topock to Kingman.

1952 
Kingman is incorporated. It becomes the first incorporated city in Mohave County since Chloride incorporated in 1900 and unincorporated in 1916.

1953 
Davis Dam is completed.

1955 
Front Street is designated Andy Devine Avenue in honor of the actor who grew up in Kingman.  The designation was announced on national television during the show "This Is Your Life" when it featured the life of Andy Devine.

1956 
Ford Proving Ground at Yucca is dedicated. (4,000 acres of Yucca abandoned Army Air Base set up for performance and durability testing in a hot dry climate).

1957 
Engine 3759 is introduced to the area residents in August in Locomotive Park.

1960 
Mining sees some resurgence when the Duval Mining Corporation begins an open pit copper mining operation in Mineral Park.

1968 
Amy Neal's dream becomes a reality on April 27th, the Mohave Museum of History and Arts is dedicated by native Arizonan and Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall.

1971 
Mohave community College is founded with its district offices in Kingman.

1973 
The old Mohave County High School was destroyed by fire.
Kingman suffers the loss of 12 citizens, 11 of them fire department personnel, at a railroad propane tank explosion on July 5.

1978 
Kingman inaugurates Andy Devine Days as an annual event.

1980 
U.S. Interstate 40 is opened through Kingman.
The Duval Mining Corporation, Kingman's largest employer, shuts down most of its operation at Mineral Park. Kingman voters approve bond issue to build Centennial Park.

1981 
Stockton Hill Plaza opens.

1982 
Kingman celebrates its Centennial Year.
Duval's Mineral Park operation closes.

1983 
Kingman Hospitals, Inc. takes over management of Kingman Regional Medical Center.

1985 
Stockton Hill Road Improvement Project opens to traffic.

1986 
Construction begins on Mohave Mental Health Clinic.

1987 
Kingman's "Great Locomotive Pull" moved Engine #3759 forward to accommodate the new caboose.

1988 
First Annual Route 66 Fun Run.

1990 
First Annual Kingman Army Airfield Reunion.

1992 
Kingman Daily Miner, formerly the Mohave County Miner and the Mohave Daily Miner celebrates its 110th anniversary.

1993 
Kingman High School North opens for students.
Kingman Regional Medical Center's new expansion is completed. Kid's Kastle is erected at Cerbat Elementary School by community volunteers.

1994 
Boys & Girls Club of Kingman opens.

1995 
Kingman's 18-hole golf course, Cerbat Cliffs, opens for play.

1996 
The Olympic Torch passes through Kingman.