Retro Route 66 Unisex Jersey Tee | Goldenroad, AZ: This is Gold Country

Part of Our Route 66 Everytown Collection – Goldenroad Edition

Crafted from ultra-soft 100% Airlume combed and ring-spun cotton, this unisex jersey tee blends comfort with Route 66 history. Featuring the slogan "This is Gold Country," it celebrates Goldenroad, Arizona and its rich gold mining heritage.

Perfect for road trippers, history buffs, or collectors of our exclusive Route 66 Everytown Collection, this tee honors Goldenroad's rugged legacy along the Mother Road.

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About Goldenroad, Arizona: Gold Rush Legacy on the Mother Road

Hidden in the rugged Black Mountains of Mohave County, Goldenroad stands as one of Route 66's most overlooked treasures. The town was a genuine gold mining ghost town that offers travelers a rare glimpse into Arizona's glittering past. Just miles from the more famous burro-filled streets of Oatman, this remote settlement tells a different story: one of extraordinary wealth, hard-rock mining, and the inevitable boom-and-bust cycle that defined the American West.

Goldenroad exploded into existence following the discovery of spectacularly rich gold veins in the surrounding mountains during the late 1890s. The strike drew a flood of prospectors, mining engineers, and fortune seekers who carved an entire community from the unforgiving desert landscape. Within years, the hillsides bristled with mine shafts, stamp mills thundered day and night, and businesses lined the dusty streets serving a population that swelled into the hundreds.

The legendary Gold Road Mine, which gave the town its name, and the neighboring Tom Reed Mine became two of Arizona's most productive gold and silver operations, extracting millions of dollars in precious metals from the ancient volcanic rock. At its peak, the Gold Road Mine alone employed over 200 workers and produced ore so rich it helped establish Arizona Territory's reputation as a premier mining destination. This mineral wealth didn't just create local prosperity; it fueled infrastructure development, attracted railroads, and contributed significantly to Arizona's path to statehood in 1912.

When U.S. Route 66 was established through the Black Mountains in 1926, it passed directly through Goldenroad, offering the struggling mining camp a potential lifeline. For a brief period, the town reinvented itself as a roadside stop, with services catering to motorists braving the steep, winding ascent through Sitgreaves Pass. But unlike Oatman, which successfully transformed into a tourist attraction, Goldenroad's identity remained too closely tied to mining a finite resource that couldn't sustain a permanent community.

As gold prices fluctuated and the richest veins played out during the 1930s and '40s, families departed, businesses shuttered, and the sound of machinery fell silent. The town that once glowed with lamplight shining against golden ore and rang with the sounds of commerce slowly surrendered to the unforgiving Mojave Desert.

Today, Goldenroad exists in a state of atmospheric abandonment: not quite a ghost town, but far from thriving. Weathered structures cling to the mountainside, rusting mining equipment dots the landscape, and empty building foundations mark where homes and businesses once stood. Desert winds whistle through broken windows, carrying what locals swear are echoes of dynamite blasts and the clang of pickaxes against rock.

For adventurous Route 66 travelers willing to venture off the main highway, Goldenroad offers something increasingly rare: an authentic, uncommercial connection to the Old West. There are no gift shops, no staged gunfights, no tourist amenities - just the raw, honest remains of a community built on golden dreams and the stark reality of boomtown impermanence.

Pack water, bring your camera, and tread respectfully through this open-air museum where Arizona's mining heritage meets Mother Road history. Goldenroad reminds us that not every Route 66 town survived the journey into the modern era, and sometimes, that's exactly what makes them worth discovering.

Product Features:

100% Airlume combed and ring-spun cotton for premium softness
Side seams for added structure and durability
Tear-away label for comfort
Classic crew neckline with a flattering unisex fit - true-to-size for all day comfort (see size chart for details)
Fulfilled in the USA