About Mohave County

On November 8, 1864, the name, Mohave, was given to one of the four counties created in the new territory of Arizona. It came from a tribe related to the Yuma Indians. The Mohave tribe lived along the Colorado River in the southwestern part of the county. The tribal name means three mountains and probably has reference to the area which was then the center of tribal activities around Needles.

The growth in Mohave County lagged behind the rest of the counties in development, but it is now one of the fastest growing counties. This is due to the development of Bullhead City and Lake Havasu City and of course Laughlin, NV..

Mohave County consisted of almost the entire northwestern region of Arizona. Then in 1865 that portion of Arizona was given to Nevada which became Clark County. The county seat was moved from Callville to Mohave City in 1866. Then in 1872 it was moved to Hardyville, from there it went to the mining center of Cerbat, in 1873 to Mineral Park. In 1886 voters of Mohave County were selecting the site of their county seat where the permanent courthouse was supposed to be built. Kingman received 271 votes, Hackberry 132 and Mineral Park 99 votes. With the completion of the railroad through Kingman the county seat was moved to Kingman where it has remained.

The history of the county is synonymous with the history of Arizona, and Mohave had its share of soldiers, miners, mountain men, freighters, merchants, and all the others who have contributed so much to the development of this great state.

Turquoise Mines in Mohave County go back to ancient people and were found in the Mineral Park area. There was also high grade copper and silver mines through out the northern part of Arizona and Utah. Mohave County town of Cerbat, Chloride, Frisco, Gold Road, Greenwood, Hackberry, Hardyville, Oatman Signal, Stockton Hill, White Hills and others have had but one reason for starting their existence ----mining. And the reason for their end was the closure of the mines.

About Golden Valley

5 miles north of Kingman at the junction of Highways 93 and 68 where the latter one ends at Davis Dam. Interesting mine sites are in the area of this highway. First the highway crosses the wide Sacramento Valley, and from it the Secret Pass area is visible on the left in the Black Mountain Range. Over the summit and Union Pass, the Frisco Mine is noticed from the highway, if one knows where to look for it. Few highway turns down, and the Arabian Mine is passed. Again a short distance farther, a dirt road starts at the right ending at the Katherine recreational area of the Colorado River.

Secret Pass was considered as ancient Indian land, known to Indians for a long time. It is hard to find entrances to the actual Secret Pass. White man started to know the Secret Pass area for its gold mines.

Golden Valley is an unincorporated community, located between the Black Mountains and the Cerbat Mountains on US Highway 68. It is approximately 20 miles to Bullhead City and Hwy 95 bridge going to Laughlin, NV and approximately 12 miles to Interstate 40 going to Kingman, AZ. It is bordered by approximately 20 miles of Historical Hwy Route 66 to the south. Nearby is Lake Mead, Lake Mohave and the Colorado River, which provides boating, fishing, and other water activities. The surrounding mountains provide camping, hiking, and exploring among the old mining communities such as Oatman and Chloride. Las Vegas is just over 100 miles away to the north on Hwy 93. The elevation is 2,700 ft which gives you comfortable year round temperatures that range from 12 to 15 degrees cooler than Bullhead City and Laughlin. 

The estimated population as of 2007 is 12000-16000 residents, which includes a mixture of retirees, business owners, and young families. Employment opportunities come from Golden Valley and the neighboring areas of Kingman, Bullhead City and of course the famous gambling casinos in Laughlin NV. Golden Valley has a Newspaper Printing Facility, 2-RV Parks, Mobil Home Park, Y-Knott Gifts Galore & More, Family Dollar Store, Dollar General Store, Uptown Drug , Sonic Drive-In, K C Grill, Mexican Restaurant, Ribs, Chicken & Pizza Restaurant, Cattle Crossing Saloon, 3-Mini-Mart/Gas Stations, National Bank of Arizona, Edwards Insurance Office, Valley Medical Center & Hospital with emergency medical services, several Beauty and Barber Shops, Golden Valley Post Office, several Churches, Black Mountain Elementary School, E.A.G.L.E. Academy Charter School, and 2 Fire stations, plus many more small businesses to serve most of your needs locally. Community organizations include, Chamber of Commerce, PTVO, VFW, American Legion, Veterans Park, Community Library and various individual community support groups. Growth in the area is continuing to grow due to the developments of newer affordable cost of property and availability of larger parcels of land, and being close to the major cities and highways.