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{{Short description|Ghost town in Mohave County, Arizona}}
{{Infobox Settlement
|official_name = Santa Claus, Arizona
{{Other uses|Santa Claus (disambiguation)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2014}}
|settlement_type = [[Town]]
{{Infobox settlement
|image_skyline = SantaClausLandSalesOffice2008.jpg
|official_name = Santa Claus, Arizona
|imagesize =
|settlement_type = [[List of ghost towns in Arizona|Ghost town]]
|image_caption = Santa Claus Land sign. The "office" portion was added later.<ref name="Roadside1">{{cite web|last=|first=|year=2008|work=|title=Santa's Land Ruins|publisher=[[Roadside america]]|accessdate=21 December 2008|url=http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/14388}}</ref>
|image_skyline = SantaClausLandSalesOffice2008.jpg
|image_seal =
|imagesize =
|image_map =
|image_caption = Santa Claus Land sign. The "office" portion was added later.<ref name="Roadside1">{{cite web|year=2008|title=Santa's Land Ruins|publisher=[[Roadside America (book series)|Roadside america]]|access-date=December 21, 2008|url=http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/14388}}</ref>
|mapsize =
|image_seal =
|map_caption = Location in [[Mohave County]] and the state of [[Arizona]]
|image_map =
|image_map1 =
|mapsize =
|mapsize1 =
|pushpin_map = Arizona
|map_caption1 =
|pushpin_label = Santa Claus
|subdivision_type = [[Countries of the World|Country]]
|pushpin_label_position =
|subdivision_type1 = [[Political divisions of the United States|State]]
|map_caption =
|subdivision_type2 = [[List of counties in Arizona|County]]
|image_map1 =
|subdivision_name = [[United States]]
|mapsize1 =
|subdivision_name1 = [[Arizona]]
|map_caption1 =
|subdivision_name2 = [[Mohave County, Arizona|Mohave]]
|subdivision_type = Country
|government_type =
|subdivision_type1 = [[U.S. state|State]]
|leader_title =
|subdivision_type2 = [[List of counties in Arizona|County]]
|leader_name =
|subdivision_name = United States
|established_date = 1937
|subdivision_name1 = [[Arizona]]
|area_magnitude =
|subdivision_name2 = [[Mohave County, Arizona|Mohave]]
|area_total_km2 =
|government_type =
|area_total_sq_mi =
|leader_title =
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|area_land_sq_mi =
|established_title = Founded
|area_water_km2 = 0.0
|established_date = 1937
|area_water_sq_mi = 0.0
|extinct_title = Abandoned
|elevation_ft =
|extinct_date = 1995
|elevation_m =
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|area_total_km2 =
|population_footnotes =
|area_total_sq_mi = 0.00625
|population_total =
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|population_metro =
|area_land_sq_mi = 0.00625
|area_water_km2 = 0.0
|area_water_sq_mi = 0.0
|elevation_ft = 3,392
|elevation_m = 1033.88
|population_as_of =
|population_footnotes =
|population_total =
|population_metro =
|population_density_km2 =
|population_density_km2 =
|population_density_sq_mi =
|population_density_sq_mi =
|timezone = [[Mountain Standard Time Zone|MST]]
|timezone = [[Mountain Standard Time Zone|MST]]
|utc_offset = -7
|utc_offset = -7
|coordinates = {{coord|35|20|12|N|114|12|59|W|region:US-AZ|display=inline}}
|latd = 35 |latm = 20 |lats = 12 |latNS = N
|longd = 114 |longm = 12 |longs = 59 |longEW = W
|timezone_DST =
|utc_offset_DST =
|timezone_DST =
|postal_code_type = [[ZIP code]]s
|utc_offset_DST =
|postal_code = 86401
|postal_code_type = [[ZIP code]]s
|area_code = [[Area code 928|928]]
|postal_code =
|GNIS_id =
|area_code = [[Area code 928|928]]
|blank_name = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|GNIS_id =
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|blank_name = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
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}}
}}


'''Santa Claus''' (also known as '''Santa Claus Acres''')<ref name="Route">{{cite book|last=Clark|first=Marian|year=2003|title=Route 66 Cookbook: Comfort Food from the Mother Road|pages=191|publisher=Council Oak Books|isbn=1571781285|accessdate=21 December 2008|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=3mPr1WEUw6gC&pg=PA191&dq=%22Arizona%22+%22Santa+Claus%22+date:2002-2003&lr=&as_brr=3&as_pt=ALLTYPES}}</ref> is an uninhabited desert town in [[Mohave County, Arizona|Mohave County]], [[Arizona]], [[United States]]. Originating in 1937,<ref name="Elvis">{{cite book|last=Winegardner|first=Mark|year=1988|title=Elvis Presley Boulevard: From Sea to Shining Sea, Almost|pages=175|publisher=[[Atlantic Monthly Press]]|isbn=0871132052|accessdate=21 December 2008|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=DfUHBiaE3goC&pg=PA175&dq=%22Arizona%22+%22Santa+Claus%22+date:1980-1990&lr=&as_brr=3&as_pt=ALLTYPES#PPA175,M1}}</ref> Santa Claus lies approximately 14 miles northwest of [[Kingman, Arizona|Kingman]], Arizona, along [[U.S. Route 93 in Arizona|U.S. Route 93]] between [[Milestone#United_States|mile markers]] 57 and 58,<ref name="Roadside2">{{cite web|last=|first=|year=2008|work=|title=Santa Claus, Arizona - Santa's Land Ruins|publisher=[[Roadside america]]|accessdate=21 December 2008|url=http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/12727}}</ref> immediately north of Hermit Drive and just south of both [[Grasshopper Junction, Arizona|Grasshopper Junction]], Arizona, and the Junk Art of Chloride,<ref name="Roadside2"/><ref name="Clay">{{cite book|last=Thompson|first=Clay|year=2003|title=Clay Thompson's Valley 101: A Slightly Skewed Guide to Living in Arizona|pages=102|publisher=Primer Publishers|isbn=0935810714|accessdate=21 December 2008|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=3ja4B4CRPGEC&pg=PA102&dq=%22Arizona%22+%22Santa+Claus%22+date:2002-2003&lr=&as_brr=3&as_pt=ALLTYPES#PPA102,M1}}</ref> a group of metal statues in [[Chloride, Arizona|Chloride]], Arizona, that include a [[flamingo]] made out of a motorcycle gas tank.<ref name="Roadside2"/><ref>{{cite web|last=|first=|year=2008|work=|title=Chloride, Arizona - Junk Art of Chloride - Metal Statues|publisher=[[Roadside america]]|accessdate=21 December 2008|url=http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/7665}}</ref> Characterized in 1988 as "a little roadside place on the west shoulder of U.S. Route 93,"<ref name="Elvis"/> Santa Claus receives traffic from motorists driving between [[Phoenix, Arizona|Phoenix]], Arizona, and [[Las Vegas, Nevada]], or [[Hoover Dam]].<ref name="Elvis"/><ref>{{cite book|last=|first=|date=|title=The Motorcycle Enthusiast in Action: The Magazine for More Motorcycling Pleasure|pages=2|publisher=[[Harley-Davidson Motor Company]]|isbn=|accessdate=21 December 2008|url=http://books.google.com/books?um=1&q=%22near+Santa+Claus%2C+Arizona%2C+on+the+way+I+to+Hoover+Dam%22}}</ref>
'''Santa Claus''' (also known as '''Santa Claus Acres''')<ref name="Route">{{cite book|last=Clark|first=Marian|year=2003|title=Route 66 Cookbook: Comfort Food from the Mother Road|pages=191|publisher=Council Oak Books|isbn=1-57178-128-5|access-date=December 21, 2008|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3mPr1WEUw6gC&q=%22Arizona%22+%22Santa+Claus%22+date:2002-2003&pg=PA191}}</ref> is an uninhabited desert place in [[Mohave County, Arizona|Mohave County]], [[Arizona]], United States. Originating in 1937,<ref name="Elvis">{{cite book|last=Winegardner|first=Mark|year=1988|title=Elvis Presley Boulevard: From Sea to Shining Sea, Almost|pages=175|publisher=[[Atlantic Monthly Press]]|isbn=0-87113-205-2|access-date=December 21, 2008|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DfUHBiaE3goC&q=%22Arizona%22+%22Santa+Claus%22+date:1980-1990&pg=PA175}}</ref> Santa Claus lies approximately {{convert|14|mi|km}} northwest of [[Kingman, Arizona|Kingman]], Arizona, along [[U.S. Route 93 in Arizona|U.S. Route 93]] between [[Milestone#United States|mile markers]] 57 and 58,<ref name="Roadside2">{{cite web|year=2008|title=Santa Claus, Arizona – Santa's Land Ruins|publisher=[[Roadside America (book series)|Roadside america]]|access-date=December 21, 2008|url=http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/12727}}</ref> immediately north of Hermit Drive and just south of both [[Grasshopper Junction, Arizona|Grasshopper Junction]], Arizona, and the Junk Art of Chloride,<ref name="Roadside2"/><ref name="Clay">{{cite book|last=Thompson|first=Clay|year=2003|title=Clay Thompson's Valley 101: A Slightly Skewed Guide to Living in Arizona|pages=102|publisher=Primer Publishers|isbn=0-935810-71-4|access-date=December 21, 2008|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3ja4B4CRPGEC&q=%22Arizona%22+%22Santa+Claus%22+date:2002-2003&pg=PA102}}</ref> a group of metal statues in [[Chloride, Arizona|Chloride]], Arizona, that include a [[flamingo]] made out of a motorcycle gas tank.<ref name="Roadside2"/><ref name="ChlorideArizona2008">{{cite web|year=2008|title=Chloride, Arizona – Junk Art of Chloride – Metal Statues|publisher=[[Roadside America (book series)|Roadside america]]|access-date=December 21, 2008|url=http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/7665}}</ref> Characterized in 1988 as "a little roadside place on the west shoulder of U.S. Route 93,"<ref name="Elvis"/> Santa Claus receives traffic from motorists driving between [[Phoenix, Arizona|Phoenix]], Arizona, and [[Las Vegas, Nevada]], or [[Hoover Dam]].<ref name="Elvis"/><ref name="TheMotorcycle">{{cite book|title=The Motorcycle Enthusiast in Action: The Magazine for More Motorcycling Pleasure|pages=2|publisher=[[Harley-Davidson Motor Company]]|access-date=December 21, 2008|url=https://books.google.com/books?um=1&q=%22near+Santa+Claus%2C+Arizona%2C+on+the+way+I+to+Hoover+Dam%22}}</ref>


In connection with its beginnings in 1937, Santa Claus received several attractions and buildings, including the [[Kit Carson]] Guest House which was renamed named as the Santa Claus Inn. Nina Talbot, a real estate woman and the owner of Santa Claus, made plans to use the Santa theme in a parched desert location to attract buyers for her surrounding, subdivided land. By 1942, the town of Santa Claus had become a full-fledged tourist spot.
In connection with its beginnings in 1937, Santa Claus received several attractions and buildings, including the [[Kit Carson]] Guest House which was renamed the Santa Claus Inn. Nina Talbot, a real estate woman and the owner of Santa Claus, made plans to use the Santa theme in a parched desert location to attract buyers for her surrounding, subdivided land. By 1942, the town of Santa Claus had become a full-fledged tourist spot.


After twelve years operating Santa Claus, Talbot's land resale plans for Santa Claus never materialized, in part because the only inhabitants in the town were the ones working there. Talbot sold her interest in the town in 1949. Others made plans during the 1950s to improve Santa Claus, which received publicity through the writings of [[United States|American]] [[novelist]] and famed [[science fiction]] [[writer]] [[Robert A. Heinlein]] and U.S. pioneer restaurant rater [[Duncan Hines]] and through 1961 [[remailing service]] advertisements offering to postmark letters from Santa Claus, for a small fee.
After twelve years operating Santa Claus, Talbot's land resale plans for Santa Claus never materialized, in part because the only inhabitants in the town were the ones working there. Talbot sold her interest in the town in 1949. Others made plans during the 1950s to improve Santa Claus, which received publicity through the writings of American novelist and famed science fiction writer [[Robert A. Heinlein]] and U.S. pioneer restaurant rater [[Duncan Hines]] and through 1961 [[remailing service]] advertisements offering to postmark letters from Santa Claus, for a small fee.


The popularity of Santa Claus went in decline in the 1970s. In July 1983, owner Tony Wilcox unsuccessfully offered to sell Santa Claus for $95,000, which was reduced to $52,500 by 1988. All remaining operating businesses in the town closed in 1995. In the 2000s, the town became difficult to locate and the few remaining structures and attractions were weather worn. What presently remains is several vandalized buildings, a wishing well, and the "Old 1225", a derailed, pink children's train tagged with [[graffiti]] that mar the hand-painted renderings of Santa and his elves on the train.
The popularity of Santa Claus went into decline in the 1970s. In July 1983, owner Tony Wilcox unsuccessfully offered to sell Santa Claus for $95,000, which was reduced to $52,500 by 1988. All remaining operating businesses in the town closed in 1995. In the 2000s, the town became difficult to locate and the few remaining structures and attractions were weather worn. What presently remains is several vandalized buildings, a wishing well, and the "Old 1225", a derailed, pink children's train tagged with [[graffiti]] that mar the hand-painted renderings of Santa and his elves on the train. The abandoned town was torn down sometime in late 2021 to early 2022.


==The early years==
==History==
===Early years===
[[File:Kitcarsonthefighting.jpg|150px|thumb|left|The legend of American frontiersman [[Kit Carson]] continued to grow after his 1868 death through [[dime novel]]s, such as the one above.]]
[[File:Kitcarsonthefighting.jpg|upright|thumb|left|The legend of American frontiersman [[Kit Carson]] continued to grow after his 1868 death through [[dime novel]]s, such as the one above.]]
In the 1930s, Nina Talbot<ref>Her first name may be spelled Ninon as in Ninon Talbert. See {{cite book|last=Quimby|first=Myron J.|year=1969|title=Scratch Ankle, U.S.A.: American Place Names and Their Derivation|pages=291|publisher=[[A. S. Barnes]]|isbn=|accessdate=21 December 2008|url=http://books.google.com/books?q=Let+them+belittle+the+verve+of+Mrs.+Ninon+Talbert%2C+when+&btnG=Search+Books}}</ref> and her husband moved from [[Los Angeles, California]], to Kingman, Arizona, to operate a [[motel]].<ref name="Clay"/> Talbot held herself out as the biggest [[real estate]] agent in California, but also weighed 300 pounds at that time.<ref name="Clay"/> In 1937, she opened the town of Santa Claus approximately 14 miles northwest of Kingman.<ref name="Elvis"/><ref name="Clay"/> Her plans for the town included subdividing the 80-acre site into lots that would form a resort town centered on a Santa theme in a parched [[desert]] location.<ref name="Clay"/><ref name="Santa">{{cite news|last=Arave|first=Lynn|date=December 25, 2004|work=[[Deseret Morning News]]|title=Santa comin' to town? Not to his namesake cities|section=Local|pages=B1|accessdate=21 December 2008|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4188/is_/ai_n11495190}}</ref> Talbot built a series of buildings using a North Pole, Santa's workshop theme as part of the Santa Claus (or Santa's Workshop) attraction.<ref name="Santa"/> The attraction was designed to promote the sales of surrounding, subdivided land.<ref name="Santa"/>
In the 1930s, Nina Talbot<ref name="Quimby1969">Her first name may be spelled Ninon as in Ninon Talbert. See {{cite book|last=Quimby|first=Myron J.|year=1969|title=Scratch Ankle, U.S.A.: American Place Names and Their Derivation|pages=[https://archive.org/details/scratchankleusa0000unse/page/291 291]|publisher=[[A. S. Barnes]]|isbn=9780498066382 |access-date=December 21, 2008|url=https://archive.org/details/scratchankleusa0000unse|url-access=registration}}</ref> (not to be confused with [[Nita Talbot|the actress of a similar name]]) and her husband moved from [[Los Angeles, California]], to [[Kingman, Arizona]], to operate a [[motel]].<ref name="Clay"/> Talbot held herself out as the biggest real estate agent in California, but also weighed 300 pounds at that time.<ref name="Clay"/> In 1937, she opened the town of Santa Claus approximately {{convert|14|mi|km}} northwest of Kingman.<ref name="Elvis"/><ref name="Clay"/> Her plans for the town included subdividing the {{convert|80|acre|ha|adj=on}} site into lots that would form a resort town centered on a Santa theme in a parched [[desert]] location.<ref name="Clay"/><ref name="Santa">{{cite news|last=Arave|first=Lynn|date=December 25, 2004|work=[[Deseret Morning News]]|title=Santa comin' to town? Not to his namesake cities|pages=B1|access-date=December 21, 2008|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4188/is_/ai_n11495190}}</ref> Talbot built a series of buildings using a North Pole, Santa's workshop theme as part of the Santa Claus (or Santa's Workshop) attraction.<ref name="Santa"/> The attraction was designed to promote the sales of surrounding, subdivided land.<ref name="Santa"/>


In the early years, Santa Claus presented a popular attraction and featured a U.S. post office and Christmas related buildings.<ref name="Clay"/> Cinderella's Doll House was one of the buildings, designed to have the look of a [[Chalet|Swiss chalet]].<ref name="Santa"/> Children could visit a real Santa Claus in the town at anytime of the year.<ref name="Clay"/> The post office was widely used in December by kids sending letters to the town addressed to Santa and by adults wanting their letters postmarked from "Santa Claus."<ref name="Clay"/> The [[Kit Carson]] Guest House became part of Santa Claus and was named the Santa Claus Inn.<ref name="Route"/> The Santa Claus Inn served "a big farm breakfast" for $.75 in an air-conditioned restaurant and offered menu items such as Chicken à la North Pole and Rum Pie à la Kris Kringle.<ref name="Route"/> The restaurant became famed for its [[rum pie]].<ref name="Santa"/> The "French Room" part of the restaurant was highlighted in now vintage postcards and a photo of Santa Claus himself was placed over the restaurant's fireplace.<ref name="Santa"/> By 1942, the town of Santa Claus had become a full-fledged tourist spot.<ref name="Santa"/>
In the early years, Santa Claus presented a popular attraction and featured a U.S. post office and Christmas related buildings.<ref name="Clay"/> Cinderella's Doll House was one of the buildings, designed to have the look of a [[Chalet|Swiss chalet]].<ref name="Santa"/> Children could visit a real Santa Claus in the town at any time of the year.<ref name="Clay"/> The post office was widely used in December by kids sending letters to the town addressed to Santa and by adults wanting their letters postmarked from "Santa Claus."<ref name="Clay"/> The [[Kit Carson]] Guest House became part of Santa Claus and was named the Santa Claus Inn.<ref name="Route"/> The Santa Claus Inn served "a big farm breakfast" for $.75 in an air-conditioned restaurant and offered menu items such as Chicken à la North Pole and Rum Pie à la Kris Kringle.<ref name="Route"/> The restaurant became famed for its [[rum pie]].<ref name="Santa"/> The "French Room" part of the restaurant was highlighted in now vintage postcards and a photo of Santa Claus himself was placed over the restaurant's fireplace.<ref name="Santa"/> By 1942, the town of Santa Claus had become a full-fledged tourist spot.<ref name="Santa"/>


===Decline===
==The decline of Santa Claus==
[[File:SantaClausLandSalesOffice2008-2.jpg|250px|thumb|right|April 2008 rear view of the Santa Claus Land Sales Office looking northeast. To the right is the "Old 1225", a derailed, pink children's train tagged with [[graffiti]]. [[U.S. Route 93 in Arizona|U.S. Route 93]], Ithaca Peak (left), and Turquoise Mountain (right) can be seen in the background.]]
[[File:SantaClausLandSalesOffice2008-2.jpg|thumb|right|Rear view of the Santa Claus Land Sales Office looking northeast, ,2008. To the right is the "Old 1225", a derailed, pink children's train tagged with graffiti. [[U.S. Route 93 in Arizona|U.S. Route 93]], Ithaca Peak (left), and Turquoise Mountain (right) can be seen in the background.]]
[[File:SantaClausArizona1960s.PNG|thumb|The Christmas Tree Inn, circa 1960s]]
Talbot continued to operate Santa Claus for the next 12 years.<ref name="Santa"/> However, Talbot's resort town plans were never carried through, in part because the only inhabitants in the town were the ones working there.<ref name="Santa"/> Talbot sold the town in 1949 essentially as an attraction that had a restaurant.<ref name="Clay"/><ref name="Santa"/> In 1950, Santa Claus appeared as a real place in ''[[Cliff And The Calories]]'' (1950), a fictional short story by [[United States|American]] [[novelist]] and famed [[science fiction]] [[writer]] [[Robert A. Heinlein]].<ref name="Heinlein">{{cite book|last=Heinlein|first=Robert Anson|year=1982|title=Expanded Universe|pages=368|publisher=[[Ace Books]]|isbn=0441218911|accessdate=21 December 2008|url=http://books.google.com/books?um=1&q=Expanded+Universe+santa+claus+arizona}}</ref> Heinlein describes a diet-shattering gourmet feast served by Mrs. Claus, in reality a Mrs. Douglas, who ran The Santa Claus Inn restaurant in the 1940s.<ref name="Heinlein"/> The short story was reprinted in his 1982 book ''[[Expanded Universe (Heinlein)|Expanded Universe]].''<ref name="Heinlein"/> In the early 1950s, the Santa Claus Inn was renamed The Christmas Tree Inn.<ref name="Route"/> The Christmas Tree Inn received positive reviews from U.S. pioneer restaurant rater [[Duncan Hines]], who noted at that time that The Christmas Tree Inn was one of the best eating places along [[Arizona State Route 66]].<ref name="Route"/> This helped draw celebrities to the restaurant, such as actress [[Jane Russell]], who threw a dinner party there for ten of her friends on August 5, 1954.<ref name="Santa"/> At about that same time, a plan was put forth to [[plat]] the town with streets with names like Santa Street, [[Prancer the Reindeer|Prancer]] Parkway, and [[Donner the Reindeer|Donner]] and divide the area into one-acre house lots.<ref name="Clay"/>


Talbot continued to operate Santa Claus for the next 12 years.<ref name="Santa"/> However, Talbot's resort town plans were never carried through, in part because the only inhabitants in the town were the ones working there.<ref name="Santa"/> Talbot sold the town in 1949 essentially as an attraction that had a restaurant.<ref name="Clay"/><ref name="Santa"/> In 1950, Santa Claus appeared as a real place in ''[[Cliff and the Calories]]'' (1950), a fictional short story by American novelist and famed science fiction writer [[Robert A. Heinlein]].<ref name="Heinlein">{{cite book|last=Heinlein|first=Robert Anson|year=1982|title=Expanded Universe|pages=368|publisher=[[Ace Books]]|isbn=0-441-21891-1|access-date=December 21, 2008|url=https://books.google.com/books?um=1&q=Expanded+Universe+santa+claus+arizona}}</ref> Heinlein describes a diet-shattering gourmet feast served by Mrs. Claus, in reality a Mrs. Douglas, who ran The Santa Claus Inn restaurant in the 1940s.<ref name="Heinlein"/> The short story was reprinted in his 1982 book ''[[Expanded Universe (Heinlein)|Expanded Universe]].''<ref name="Heinlein"/> In the early 1950s, the Santa Claus Inn was renamed The Christmas Tree Inn.<ref name="Route"/> The Christmas Tree Inn received positive reviews from U.S. pioneer restaurant rater [[Duncan Hines]], who noted at that time that The Christmas Tree Inn was one of the best eating places along [[Arizona State Route 66]],<ref name="Route"/> though it is actually several miles off Route 66. This helped draw celebrities to the restaurant, such as actress [[Jane Russell]], who threw a dinner party there for ten of her friends on August 5, 1954.<ref name="Santa"/> At about that same time, a plan was put forth to [[plat]] the town with streets with names like Santa Street, [[Prancer the Reindeer|Prancer]] Parkway, and [[Donner the Reindeer|Donner]] and divide the area into {{convert|1|acre|ha|adj=on}} house lots.<ref name="Clay"/>
Santa Claus received some attention in 1961 when several advertisements appeared in the 1961 issue of [[Popular Mechanics]],<ref name="Remailing">{{cite journal|title=Remailing Service|month=December | year=1961|journal=[[Popular Mechanics]]|pages=60|publisher=[[Hearst Magazines]]|volume-116|issue=6|accessdate=21 December 2008|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=H98DAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA60&dq=%22Arizona%22+%22Santa+Claus%22+date:1960-1980&lr=&as_brr=3&as_pt=ALLTYPES}}</ref> an [[United States|American]] magazine devoted to [[science]] and [[technology]]. The advertisements offered [[remailing service]]s where Christmas cards and letters would be remailed from Santa Claus, Arizona, at a cost of $.25 plus the postage for the remailing.<ref name="Remailing"/> The remailing service would result in a [[United States Postal Service]] [[postmark]] on the envelope reading Santa Claus, Arizona, something desirable around the annual [[Christmas]] holiday.<ref name="Remailing"/>


Santa Claus received some attention in 1961 when several advertisements appeared in the 1961 issue of [[Popular Mechanics]],<ref name="Remailing">{{cite journal|title=Remailing Service|date=December 1961|journal=[[Popular Mechanics]]|pages=60|publisher=[[Hearst Magazines]]|volume=116|issue=6|access-date=December 21, 2008|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H98DAAAAMBAJ&q=%22Arizona%22+%22Santa+Claus%22+date:1960-1980&pg=PA60}}</ref> an American magazine devoted to science and technology. The advertisements offered [[remailing service]]s where Christmas cards and letters would be remailed from Santa Claus, Arizona, at a cost of $.25 plus the postage for the remailing.<ref name="Remailing"/> The remailing service would result in a [[United States Postal Service]] [[postmark]] on the envelope reading Santa Claus, Arizona, something desirable around the annual Christmas holiday.<ref name="Remailing"/>
The popularity of Santa Claus declined in the 1970s.<ref name="Clay"/> By the mid-1970s, the Santa Claus development closed.<ref name="Clay"/><ref name="Santa"/> At some point, Santa Claus was removed from the official Arizona State Map.<ref name="Elsewhere">{{cite news|last=Maeder|first=Jay|date=July 14, 1983|work=[[Miami Herald]]|title=Elsewhere on the Available Real Estate front, the entire town of Santa Claus , Ariz ., is for sale.|section=Front|pages=2A|accessdate=21 December 2008|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=MH&s_site=miami&p_multi=MH&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB35CFCB353760E&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM}}</ref> In July 1983, owner Tony Wilcox listed the entire town for sale.<ref name="Elsewhere"/> Wilcox sought $95,000 for the four-acre community.<ref name="Elsewhere"/> He had received an offer of $50,000, but turned it down, convinced that the town was worth much more.<ref name="Elsewhere"/>


The popularity of Santa Claus declined in the 1970s.<ref name="Clay"/> By the mid-1970s, the Santa Claus development closed.<ref name="Clay"/><ref name="Santa"/> At some point, Santa Claus was removed from the official Arizona State Map.<ref name="Elsewhere">{{cite news|last=Maeder|first=Jay|date=July 14, 1983|work=[[Miami Herald]]|title=Elsewhere on the Available Real Estate front, the entire town of Santa Claus , Ariz ., is for sale.|pages=2A|access-date=December 21, 2008|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=MH&s_site=miami&p_multi=MH&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB35CFCB353760E&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM}}</ref> In July 1983, owner Tony Wilcox listed the entire town for sale.<ref name="Elsewhere"/> Wilcox sought $95,000 for the {{convert|4|acre|m2|adj=on}} community.<ref name="Elsewhere"/> He had received an offer of $50,000, but turned it down, convinced that the town was worth much more.<ref name="Elsewhere"/>
==On its last legs==
In 1988, Santa Claus had three tiny, poorly maintained [[A-Frame house|A-frame]] buildings painted to represent [[peppermint]] candies.<ref name="Elvis"/> American writer [[Mark Winegardner]] described Santa Claus at that time as being on its last legs.<ref name="Elvis"/> Additionally, Winegardner noted in his 1988 book ''Elvis Presley Boulevard: From Sea to Shining Sea, Almost'', that<blockquote>"[[Styrofoam]] silver bells, strands of burned-out Christmas lights and faded plastic likenesses of [[Santa Claus|Old Saint Nick]] garnished this little village. A lopsided, artificial twenty-foot tree whistled in the wind beside a broken [[Coke]] machine and an empty ice freezer. Two of the three buildings were padlocked; through their windows, encrusted with layers of sand and decade-old [[aerosol]] snow, ... I saw dusty, overturned [[fiberglass]] [[statuettes]] of [[elves]] and [[reindeer]]. Alongside the <code>SANTA CLAUS, ARIZONA/ESTABLISHED 1937</code> sign was another: <code>FOR SALE BY OWNER/$52,500/INQUIRE AT GIFTSHOP.</code> An arrow pointed the way."<br>"The gift shop stocked no seasonal items. Its shelves were littered with flea-market [[wiktionary:knickknack|knickknacks]] at antique-shop prices. Battered paperbacks cost a buck. What little money the place generated must have come from the short-ordered grill and the soft-drinks cooler. On a stool behind the countertop cash register, a haggard, fiftyish man looked up from his circle-the-word puzzle and asked if we needed anything."<ref name="Elvis"/></blockquote>


In 1988, Santa Claus had three tiny, poorly maintained [[A-Frame house|A-frame]] buildings painted to represent [[peppermint]] candies.<ref name="Elvis"/> American writer [[Mark Winegardner]] described Santa Claus at that time as being on its last legs.<ref name="Elvis"/> Additionally, Winegardner noted in his 1988 book ''Elvis Presley Boulevard: From Sea to Shining Sea, Almost'', that<blockquote>"[[Styrofoam]] silver bells, strands of burned-out Christmas lights and faded plastic likenesses of [[Santa Claus|Old Saint Nick]] garnished this little village. A lopsided, artificial twenty-foot tree whistled in the wind beside a broken [[Coca-Cola|Coke]] machine and an empty ice freezer. Two of the three buildings were padlocked; through their windows, encrusted with layers of sand and decade-old [[aerosol]] snow, ... I saw dusty, overturned [[fiberglass]] [[statuettes]] of [[elves]] and [[reindeer]]. Alongside the <code>SANTA CLAUS, ARIZONA/ESTABLISHED 1937</code> sign was another: <code>FOR SALE BY OWNER/$52,500/INQUIRE AT GIFTSHOP.</code> An arrow pointed the way."<br>"The gift shop stocked no seasonal items. Its shelves were littered with flea-market [[wiktionary:knickknack|knickknacks]] at antique-shop prices. Battered paperbacks cost a buck. What little money the place generated must have come from the short-ordered grill and the soft-drinks cooler. On a stool behind the countertop cash register, a haggard, fiftyish man looked up from his circle-the-word puzzle and asked if we needed anything."<ref name="Elvis"/></blockquote>
[[Image:SantaClausArizona1960s.PNG|thumb|left|200px|Santa Village building "The Christmas Tree Inn" from the 1960s in the now abandoned town of Santa Claus, Arizona, now on its way to becoming another lost American highway icon.]]
Prior to 1990, the [[U.S. Postal Service]] announced the release of its annual Christmas stamps in Santa Claus due to the town's holiday ring.<ref>{{cite news|last=|first=|date=October 19, 1990|work=[[Associated Press]]|title=Christmas Stamp Unveiled In Evergreen|section=Domestic|quote=Each year, the Postal Service releases Christmas stamps in a town whose name has a holiday ring. Past sites include Santa Claus, Arizona, and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.|accessdate=21 December 2008|url=}}</ref> In the early 1990s, the restaurant offered Dasher and Dancer [[omelette]] and Santa Claus burgers and oil portraits of John Wayne could be purchased from the shops.<ref name="Roadside1"/> However, the last gift shops and child amusements went out of business in 1995.<ref name="Roadside1"/>


Prior to 1990, the [[U.S. Postal Service]] announced the release of its annual Christmas stamps in Santa Claus due to the town's holiday ring.<ref name="ChristmasStamp1990">{{cite news|date=October 19, 1990|agency=[[Associated Press]]|title=Christmas Stamp Unveiled in Evergreen|quote=Each year, the Postal Service releases Christmas stamps in a town whose name has a holiday ring. Past sites include Santa Claus, Arizona, and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.}}</ref> In the early 1990s, the restaurant offered Dasher and Dancer [[omelette]] and Santa Claus burgers and oil portraits of John Wayne could be purchased from the shops.<ref name="Roadside1"/> However, the last gift shops and child amusements went out of business in 1995.<ref name="Roadside1"/>
In 2003, the population of Santa Claus was 10, divided among five houses, one of which had a buffalo.<ref>{{cite book|last=Montiel|first=Dito|year=2003|title=A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints: A Memoir|pages=73|publisher=Thunder's Mouth Press|isbn=1560254742|accessdate=21 December 2008|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=oL2_YYIILZoC&pg=PT84&dq=%22Arizona%22+%22Santa+Claus%22+date:2002-2003&lr=&as_brr=3&as_pt=ALLTYPES}}</ref> By 2004, the town had become difficult to locate.<ref name="Santa"/> In that year, the town was identified as being located on the southward (western side) of the then newly divided and expanded, four-lane [[U.S. Route 93 in Arizona|U.S. Route 93]].<ref name="Santa"/> The town was described as "an abandoned, road-rise pull off with a handful of old buildings -- all closed" with "This is it! Santa's Land" and "Santa's Desert Retreat" being the only two signs left from the early days of the town.<ref name="Santa"/>


In 2003, the population of Santa Claus was 10, divided among five houses, one of which had a buffalo.<ref name="Montiel2003">{{cite book|last=Montiel|first=Dito|year=2003|title=A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints: A Memoir|pages=73|publisher=Thunder's Mouth Press|isbn=1-56025-474-2|access-date=December 21, 2008|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oL2_YYIILZoC&q=%22Arizona%22+%22Santa+Claus%22+date:2002-2003&pg=PT84}}{{Dead link|date=August 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> By 2004, the town had become difficult to locate.<ref name="Santa"/> In that year, the town was identified as being located on the southward (western side) of the then newly divided and expanded, four-lane [[U.S. Route 93 in Arizona|U.S. Route 93]].<ref name="Santa"/> The town was described as "an abandoned, road-rise pull off with a handful of old buildings – all closed" with "This is it! Santa's Land" and "Santa's Desert Retreat" being the only two signs left from the early days of the town.<ref name="Santa"/>
Santa Claus, Arizona, had long lost its remailing service opportunities and, as of 2005, all U.S. mail addressed to Santa Claus is sent to [[Santa Claus, Indiana]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Brown|first=Cameron|year=2005|title=Christmas Facts, Figures & Fun: Facts, Figures & Fun|pages=37|publisher=[[Sterling Publishing Company, Inc.]]|isbn=1904332277|accessdate=21 December 2008|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=GLz9TkBgv-cC&pg=PA37&dq=%22Arizona%22+%22Santa+Claus%22+date:2004-2005&lr=&as_brr=3&as_pt=ALLTYPES}}</ref> In 2006, Santa Claus, Arizona, was noted as being abandoned and likely to become another lost American highway icon.<ref>{{cite book|last=Jim|first=Hinckley|year=2006|title=Backroads of Arizona: Your Guide to Arizona's Most Scenic Backroad Adventures|pages=37|publisher=Voyageur Press|isbn=0760326894|accessdate=21 December 2008|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=PuRKTgMgCZEC&pg=PA37&dq=%22Arizona%22+%22Santa+Claus%22+date:2006-2007&lr=&as_brr=3&as_pt=ALLTYPES}}</ref> In that same year, videographer Matt McCormick retraced and filmed the steps of his family road trip through Santa Claus in 1956.<ref name="Missoula">{{cite news|last=Browning|first=Skylar|date=September 20, 2007|work=[[Missoula Independent]]|title=Missoula and more|Volume=18|Issue=38|section=|pages=42|accessdate=21 December 2008|url=}}</ref> The resulting three minute movie, ''Fifty Years Later'' (2006),<ref>{{cite web|last=McCormick|first=Matt|year=2009|work=|title=Matt McCormick Projects Film And Video|publisher=rodeofilmco.com|accessdate=7 January 2009|url=http://www.rodeofilmco.com/projects/film_and_video}}</ref> included clips of Santa Claus in 1956 and comparison clips from the town in 2006.<ref name="Missoula"/> Presented at the 2007 [[Northwest Film and Video Festival]], the film reveals the significant changes in the town over fifty years.<ref name="Missoula"/> As of 2007, the Christmas-themed architecture in the closed town of Santa Claus was listed for sale.<ref>{{cite book|last=Butko|first=Brian|year=2007|title=Roadside Attractions: Cool Cafes, Souvenir Stands, Route 66 Relics and Other Road Trip Fun|pages=104|publisher=Stackpole Books|isbn=0811702294|accessdate=21 December 2008|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=-p9HerXN0ZcC&pg=PA104&dq=%22Arizona%22+%22Santa+Claus%22+date:2006-2007&lr=&as_brr=3&as_pt=ALLTYPES}}</ref> What presently remains is several vandalized buildings, a wishing well, and the "Old 1225", a derailed, pink children's train tagged with [[graffiti]] that mar the hand-painted renderings of Santa and his elves on the train.<ref name="Roadside1"/>

Santa Claus, Arizona, had long lost its remailing service opportunities and, as of 2005, all U.S. mail addressed to Santa Claus is sent to [[Santa Claus, Indiana]].<ref name="Brown2005">{{cite book|last=Brown|first=Cameron|year=2005|title=Christmas Facts, Figures & Fun: Facts, Figures & Fun|pages=37|publisher=[[Sterling Publishing Company, Inc.]]|isbn=1-904332-27-7|access-date=December 21, 2008|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GLz9TkBgv-cC&q=%22Arizona%22+%22Santa+Claus%22+date:2004-2005&pg=PA37}}</ref> In 2006, Santa Claus, Arizona, was noted as being abandoned and likely to become another lost American highway icon.<ref name="Jim2006">{{cite book|last=Jim|first=Hinckley|year=2006|title=Backroads of Arizona: Your Guide to Arizona's Most Scenic Backroad Adventures|pages=37|publisher=Voyageur Press|isbn=0-7603-2689-4|access-date=December 21, 2008|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PuRKTgMgCZEC&q=%22Arizona%22+%22Santa+Claus%22+date:2006-2007&pg=PA37}}</ref> In that same year, videographer Matt McCormick retraced and filmed the steps of his family road trip through Santa Claus in 1956.<ref name="Missoula">{{cite news|last=Browning|first=Skylar|date=September 20, 2007|work=[[Missoula Independent]]|title=Missoula and more|volume=18|issue=38|pages=42}}</ref> The resulting three-minute movie, ''Fifty Years Later'' (2006),<ref>{{cite web|last=McCormick|first=Matt|year=2009|title=Matt McCormick Projects Film And Video|publisher=rodeofilmco.com|access-date=January 7, 2009|url=http://www.rodeofilmco.com/projects/film_and_video |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081027151814/http://www.rodeofilmco.com/projects/film_and_video |archive-date=October 27, 2008 }}</ref> included clips of Santa Claus in 1956 and comparison clips from the town in 2006.<ref name="Missoula"/> Presented at the 2007 [[Northwest Film and Video Festival]], the film reveals the significant changes in the town over 50 years.<ref name="Missoula"/> As of 2007, the Christmas-themed architecture in the closed town of Santa Claus was listed for sale.<ref name="Butko2007">{{cite book|last=Butko|first=Brian|year=2007|title=Roadside Attractions: Cool Cafes, Souvenir Stands, Route 66 Relics and Other Road Trip Fun|pages=104|publisher=Stackpole Books|isbn=978-0-8117-0229-4|access-date=December 21, 2008|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-p9HerXN0ZcC&q=%22Arizona%22+%22Santa+Claus%22+date:2006-2007&pg=PA104}}</ref> What presently remains is several vandalized buildings, a wishing well, and the "Old 1225", a derailed, pink children's train tagged with [[graffiti]] that mar the hand-painted renderings of Santa and his elves on the train. As of early 2022, all remaining buildings have been removed. <ref name="Roadside1"/>

==Geography==
[[File:MohaveCountyWaterDepth2006.PNG|thumb|2006 [[United States Geological Survey]] survey of the depth to water and water-level altitude in the Santa Claus, Arizona area]]

In a 2006 [[United States Geological Survey]] survey of the depth to water and water-level altitude in Arizona, the younger [[alluvium]] surficial deposits atop Santa Claus were viewed as ranging from unconsolidated to strongly consolidated alluvial deposits.<ref name="USGS">{{cite map|last=Anning|first=David W.|publisher=[[United States Geological Survey]]|title=Depth to water and water-level altitude in 2006 for selected wells, Detrital, Hualapai, and Sacramento Valley Basins, Mohave County, Arizona—Plate 1|url=http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2007/5182/plate/sir2007-5182_plate.pdf|format=PDF|year=2007|cartography=[[Universal Transverse Mercator]]|scale=1:100,000|accessdate=2008-12-22}}</ref> Residing in the [[Sacramento Valley (Arizona)|Sacramento Valley]] basin, the ground water in Santa Claus is contained in a basin-fill aquifer and other water-bearing sediments at a depth of approximately {{convert|1200|ft|m}} below the land surface.<ref name="USGS"/> Additionally, the underground water level resides approximately at an altitude of {{convert|2100|ft|m}} above [[mean sea level]] and is moving directly south.<ref name="USGS"/>


==Geology==
[[File:MohaveCountyWaterDepth2006.PNG|right|200px|thumb|2006 [[United States Geological Survey]] survey of the depth to water and water-level altitude in Santa Claus, Arizona]]
In a 2006 [[United States Geological Survey]] survey of the depth to water and water-level altitude in Arizona, the younger [[alluvium]] surficial deposits atop Santa Claus were viewed as ranging from unconsolidated to strongly consolidated alluvial deposits.<ref name="USGS">{{cite map|last=Anning|first=
David W.|publisher=[[United States Geological Survey]]|title=Depth to water and water-level altitude in 2006 for selected wells, Detrital, Hualapai, and Sacramento Valley Basins, Mohave County, Arizona—Plate 1|url=http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2007/5182/plate/sir2007-5182_plate.pdf|format=PDF|edition=|year=2007|cartography=[[Universal Transverse Mercator]]|scale=1:100,000|series=|page=|section=|inset=|accessdate=2008-12-22|isbn=|id=}}</ref> Residing in the Sacramento Valley basin, the ground water in Santa Claus is contained in a basin-fill aquifer and other water-bearing sediments at a depth of approximately 1200 feet below the land surface.<ref name="USGS"/> Additionally, the underground water level resides approximately at an [[altitude]] of 2100 feet above [[mean sea level]] and is moving directly South.<ref name="USGS"/>
{{-}}
==See also==
==See also==
* [[Chloride, Arizona]]
* [[Santa Claus, Indiana]]
* [[Santa Claus, Indiana]]
* [[Santa Claus, Georgia]]
* [[Santa Claus, Georgia]]
{{clear}}


==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist|35em}}

{{coord|35|20|12|N|114|12|59|W|type:city_region:US-AZ|display=title}}


{{Mohave County, Arizona}}
{{Mohave County, Arizona}}


[[Category:Ghost towns in Arizona]]
[[Category:Landmarks in Arizona]]
[[Category:Landmarks in Arizona]]
[[Category:Mohave County, Arizona]]
[[Category:Ghost towns in Arizona]]
[[Category:Former populated places in Mohave County, Arizona]]
[[Category:Santa Claus]]
[[Category:Santa Claus]]
[[Category:1937 establishments in Arizona]]

Latest revision as of 01:44, 21 May 2024

For other uses, see Santa Claus (disambiguation).

Santa Claus, Arizona
Ghost town
Santa Claus Land sign. The "office" portion was added later.[1]
Santa Claus Land sign. The "office" portion was added later.[1]
Santa Claus is located in Arizona
Santa Claus
Santa Claus
Coordinates: 35°20′12″N 114°12′59″W / 35.33667°N 114.21639°W / 35.33667; -114.21639
CountryUnited States
StateArizona
CountyMohave
Founded1937
Abandoned1995
Area
 • Total
0.00625 sq mi (0.0162 km2)
 • Land0.00625 sq mi (0.0162 km2)
 • Water0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation
3,392 ft (1,033.88 m)
Time zoneUTC-7 (MST)
ZIP codes
86401
Area code928

Santa Claus (also known as Santa Claus Acres)[2] is an uninhabited desert place in Mohave County, Arizona, United States. Originating in 1937,[3] Santa Claus lies approximately 14 miles (23 km) northwest of Kingman, Arizona, along U.S. Route 93 between mile markers 57 and 58,[4] immediately north of Hermit Drive and just south of both Grasshopper Junction, Arizona, and the Junk Art of Chloride,[4][5] a group of metal statues in Chloride, Arizona, that include a flamingo made out of a motorcycle gas tank.[4][6] Characterized in 1988 as "a little roadside place on the west shoulder of U.S. Route 93,"[3] Santa Claus receives traffic from motorists driving between Phoenix, Arizona, and Las Vegas, Nevada, or Hoover Dam.[3][7]

In connection with its beginnings in 1937, Santa Claus received several attractions and buildings, including the Kit Carson Guest House which was renamed the Santa Claus Inn. Nina Talbot, a real estate woman and the owner of Santa Claus, made plans to use the Santa theme in a parched desert location to attract buyers for her surrounding, subdivided land. By 1942, the town of Santa Claus had become a full-fledged tourist spot.

After twelve years operating Santa Claus, Talbot's land resale plans for Santa Claus never materialized, in part because the only inhabitants in the town were the ones working there. Talbot sold her interest in the town in 1949. Others made plans during the 1950s to improve Santa Claus, which received publicity through the writings of American novelist and famed science fiction writer Robert A. Heinlein and U.S. pioneer restaurant rater Duncan Hines and through 1961 remailing service advertisements offering to postmark letters from Santa Claus, for a small fee.

The popularity of Santa Claus went into decline in the 1970s. In July 1983, owner Tony Wilcox unsuccessfully offered to sell Santa Claus for $95,000, which was reduced to $52,500 by 1988. All remaining operating businesses in the town closed in 1995. In the 2000s, the town became difficult to locate and the few remaining structures and attractions were weather worn. What presently remains is several vandalized buildings, a wishing well, and the "Old 1225", a derailed, pink children's train tagged with graffiti that mar the hand-painted renderings of Santa and his elves on the train. The abandoned town was torn down sometime in late 2021 to early 2022.

History

[edit]

Early years

[edit]
The legend of American frontiersman Kit Carson continued to grow after his 1868 death through dime novels, such as the one above.

In the 1930s, Nina Talbot[8] (not to be confused with the actress of a similar name) and her husband moved from Los Angeles, California, to Kingman, Arizona, to operate a motel.[5] Talbot held herself out as the biggest real estate agent in California, but also weighed 300 pounds at that time.[5] In 1937, she opened the town of Santa Claus approximately 14 miles (23 km) northwest of Kingman.[3][5] Her plans for the town included subdividing the 80-acre (32 ha) site into lots that would form a resort town centered on a Santa theme in a parched desert location.[5][9] Talbot built a series of buildings using a North Pole, Santa's workshop theme as part of the Santa Claus (or Santa's Workshop) attraction.[9] The attraction was designed to promote the sales of surrounding, subdivided land.[9]

In the early years, Santa Claus presented a popular attraction and featured a U.S. post office and Christmas related buildings.[5] Cinderella's Doll House was one of the buildings, designed to have the look of a Swiss chalet.[9] Children could visit a real Santa Claus in the town at any time of the year.[5] The post office was widely used in December by kids sending letters to the town addressed to Santa and by adults wanting their letters postmarked from "Santa Claus."[5] The Kit Carson Guest House became part of Santa Claus and was named the Santa Claus Inn.[2] The Santa Claus Inn served "a big farm breakfast" for $.75 in an air-conditioned restaurant and offered menu items such as Chicken à la North Pole and Rum Pie à la Kris Kringle.[2] The restaurant became famed for its rum pie.[9] The "French Room" part of the restaurant was highlighted in now vintage postcards and a photo of Santa Claus himself was placed over the restaurant's fireplace.[9] By 1942, the town of Santa Claus had become a full-fledged tourist spot.[9]

Decline

[edit]
Rear view of the Santa Claus Land Sales Office looking northeast, ,2008. To the right is the "Old 1225", a derailed, pink children's train tagged with graffiti. U.S. Route 93, Ithaca Peak (left), and Turquoise Mountain (right) can be seen in the background.
The Christmas Tree Inn, circa 1960s

Talbot continued to operate Santa Claus for the next 12 years.[9] However, Talbot's resort town plans were never carried through, in part because the only inhabitants in the town were the ones working there.[9] Talbot sold the town in 1949 essentially as an attraction that had a restaurant.[5][9] In 1950, Santa Claus appeared as a real place in Cliff and the Calories (1950), a fictional short story by American novelist and famed science fiction writer Robert A. Heinlein.[10] Heinlein describes a diet-shattering gourmet feast served by Mrs. Claus, in reality a Mrs. Douglas, who ran The Santa Claus Inn restaurant in the 1940s.[10] The short story was reprinted in his 1982 book Expanded Universe.[10] In the early 1950s, the Santa Claus Inn was renamed The Christmas Tree Inn.[2] The Christmas Tree Inn received positive reviews from U.S. pioneer restaurant rater Duncan Hines, who noted at that time that The Christmas Tree Inn was one of the best eating places along Arizona State Route 66,[2] though it is actually several miles off Route 66. This helped draw celebrities to the restaurant, such as actress Jane Russell, who threw a dinner party there for ten of her friends on August 5, 1954.[9] At about that same time, a plan was put forth to plat the town with streets with names like Santa Street, Prancer Parkway, and Donner and divide the area into 1-acre (0.40 ha) house lots.[5]

Santa Claus received some attention in 1961 when several advertisements appeared in the 1961 issue of Popular Mechanics,[11] an American magazine devoted to science and technology. The advertisements offered remailing services where Christmas cards and letters would be remailed from Santa Claus, Arizona, at a cost of $.25 plus the postage for the remailing.[11] The remailing service would result in a United States Postal Service postmark on the envelope reading Santa Claus, Arizona, something desirable around the annual Christmas holiday.[11]

The popularity of Santa Claus declined in the 1970s.[5] By the mid-1970s, the Santa Claus development closed.[5][9] At some point, Santa Claus was removed from the official Arizona State Map.[12] In July 1983, owner Tony Wilcox listed the entire town for sale.[12] Wilcox sought $95,000 for the 4-acre (16,000 m2) community.[12] He had received an offer of $50,000, but turned it down, convinced that the town was worth much more.[12]

In 1988, Santa Claus had three tiny, poorly maintained A-frame buildings painted to represent peppermint candies.[3] American writer Mark Winegardner described Santa Claus at that time as being on its last legs.[3] Additionally, Winegardner noted in his 1988 book Elvis Presley Boulevard: From Sea to Shining Sea, Almost, that

"Styrofoam silver bells, strands of burned-out Christmas lights and faded plastic likenesses of Old Saint Nick garnished this little village. A lopsided, artificial twenty-foot tree whistled in the wind beside a broken Coke machine and an empty ice freezer. Two of the three buildings were padlocked; through their windows, encrusted with layers of sand and decade-old aerosol snow, ... I saw dusty, overturned fiberglass statuettes of elves and reindeer. Alongside the SANTA CLAUS, ARIZONA/ESTABLISHED 1937 sign was another: FOR SALE BY OWNER/$52,500/INQUIRE AT GIFTSHOP. An arrow pointed the way."
"The gift shop stocked no seasonal items. Its shelves were littered with flea-market knickknacks at antique-shop prices. Battered paperbacks cost a buck. What little money the place generated must have come from the short-ordered grill and the soft-drinks cooler. On a stool behind the countertop cash register, a haggard, fiftyish man looked up from his circle-the-word puzzle and asked if we needed anything."[3]

Prior to 1990, the U.S. Postal Service announced the release of its annual Christmas stamps in Santa Claus due to the town's holiday ring.[13] In the early 1990s, the restaurant offered Dasher and Dancer omelette and Santa Claus burgers and oil portraits of John Wayne could be purchased from the shops.[1] However, the last gift shops and child amusements went out of business in 1995.[1]

In 2003, the population of Santa Claus was 10, divided among five houses, one of which had a buffalo.[14] By 2004, the town had become difficult to locate.[9] In that year, the town was identified as being located on the southward (western side) of the then newly divided and expanded, four-lane U.S. Route 93.[9] The town was described as "an abandoned, road-rise pull off with a handful of old buildings – all closed" with "This is it! Santa's Land" and "Santa's Desert Retreat" being the only two signs left from the early days of the town.[9]

Santa Claus, Arizona, had long lost its remailing service opportunities and, as of 2005, all U.S. mail addressed to Santa Claus is sent to Santa Claus, Indiana.[15] In 2006, Santa Claus, Arizona, was noted as being abandoned and likely to become another lost American highway icon.[16] In that same year, videographer Matt McCormick retraced and filmed the steps of his family road trip through Santa Claus in 1956.[17] The resulting three-minute movie, Fifty Years Later (2006),[18] included clips of Santa Claus in 1956 and comparison clips from the town in 2006.[17] Presented at the 2007 Northwest Film and Video Festival, the film reveals the significant changes in the town over 50 years.[17] As of 2007, the Christmas-themed architecture in the closed town of Santa Claus was listed for sale.[19] What presently remains is several vandalized buildings, a wishing well, and the "Old 1225", a derailed, pink children's train tagged with graffiti that mar the hand-painted renderings of Santa and his elves on the train. As of early 2022, all remaining buildings have been removed. [1]

Geography

[edit]
2006 United States Geological Survey survey of the depth to water and water-level altitude in the Santa Claus, Arizona area

In a 2006 United States Geological Survey survey of the depth to water and water-level altitude in Arizona, the younger alluvium surficial deposits atop Santa Claus were viewed as ranging from unconsolidated to strongly consolidated alluvial deposits.[20] Residing in the Sacramento Valley basin, the ground water in Santa Claus is contained in a basin-fill aquifer and other water-bearing sediments at a depth of approximately 1,200 feet (370 m) below the land surface.[20] Additionally, the underground water level resides approximately at an altitude of 2,100 feet (640 m) above mean sea level and is moving directly south.[20]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Santa's Land Ruins". Roadside america. 2008. Retrieved December 21, 2008.
  2. ^ a b c d e Clark, Marian (2003). Route 66 Cookbook: Comfort Food from the Mother Road. Council Oak Books. p. 191. ISBN 1-57178-128-5. Retrieved December 21, 2008.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Winegardner, Mark (1988). Elvis Presley Boulevard: From Sea to Shining Sea, Almost. Atlantic Monthly Press. p. 175. ISBN 0-87113-205-2. Retrieved December 21, 2008.
  4. ^ a b c "Santa Claus, Arizona – Santa's Land Ruins". Roadside america. 2008. Retrieved December 21, 2008.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Thompson, Clay (2003). Clay Thompson's Valley 101: A Slightly Skewed Guide to Living in Arizona. Primer Publishers. p. 102. ISBN 0-935810-71-4. Retrieved December 21, 2008.
  6. ^ "Chloride, Arizona – Junk Art of Chloride – Metal Statues". Roadside america. 2008. Retrieved December 21, 2008.
  7. ^ The Motorcycle Enthusiast in Action: The Magazine for More Motorcycling Pleasure. Harley-Davidson Motor Company. p. 2. Retrieved December 21, 2008.
  8. ^ Her first name may be spelled Ninon as in Ninon Talbert. See Quimby, Myron J. (1969). Scratch Ankle, U.S.A.: American Place Names and Their Derivation. A. S. Barnes. pp. 291. ISBN 9780498066382. Retrieved December 21, 2008.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Arave, Lynn (December 25, 2004). "Santa comin' to town? Not to his namesake cities". Deseret Morning News. pp. B1. Retrieved December 21, 2008.
  10. ^ a b c Heinlein, Robert Anson (1982). Expanded Universe. Ace Books. p. 368. ISBN 0-441-21891-1. Retrieved December 21, 2008.
  11. ^ a b c "Remailing Service". Popular Mechanics. 116 (6). Hearst Magazines: 60. December 1961. Retrieved December 21, 2008.
  12. ^ a b c d Maeder, Jay (July 14, 1983). "Elsewhere on the Available Real Estate front, the entire town of Santa Claus , Ariz ., is for sale". Miami Herald. pp. 2A. Retrieved December 21, 2008.
  13. ^ "Christmas Stamp Unveiled in Evergreen". Associated Press. October 19, 1990. Each year, the Postal Service releases Christmas stamps in a town whose name has a holiday ring. Past sites include Santa Claus, Arizona, and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
  14. ^ Montiel, Dito (2003). A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints: A Memoir. Thunder's Mouth Press. p. 73. ISBN 1-56025-474-2. Retrieved December 21, 2008.[permanent dead link‍]
  15. ^ Brown, Cameron (2005). Christmas Facts, Figures & Fun: Facts, Figures & Fun. Sterling Publishing Company, Inc. p. 37. ISBN 1-904332-27-7. Retrieved December 21, 2008.
  16. ^ Jim, Hinckley (2006). Backroads of Arizona: Your Guide to Arizona's Most Scenic Backroad Adventures. Voyageur Press. p. 37. ISBN 0-7603-2689-4. Retrieved December 21, 2008.
  17. ^ a b c Browning, Skylar (September 20, 2007). "Missoula and more". Missoula Independent. Vol. 18, no. 38. p. 42.
  18. ^ McCormick, Matt (2009). "Matt McCormick Projects Film And Video". rodeofilmco.com. Archived from the original on October 27, 2008. Retrieved January 7, 2009.
  19. ^ Butko, Brian (2007). Roadside Attractions: Cool Cafes, Souvenir Stands, Route 66 Relics and Other Road Trip Fun. Stackpole Books. p. 104. ISBN 978-0-8117-0229-4. Retrieved December 21, 2008.
  20. ^ a b c Anning, David W. (2007). Depth to water and water-level altitude in 2006 for selected wells, Detrital, Hualapai, and Sacramento Valley Basins, Mohave County, Arizona—Plate 1 (PDF) (Map). 1:100,000. Cartography by Universal Transverse Mercator. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved December 22, 2008.
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