|
Santa Claus (also known as Santa Claus Acres) is an uninhabited desert town in Mohave County, Arizona, United States. Originating in 1937, Santa Claus lies approximately northwest of Kingman, Arizona, along U.S. Route 93 between mile markers 57 and 58, immediately north of Hermit Drive and just south of both Grasshopper Junction, Arizona, and the Junk Art of Chloride,〔 a group of metal statues in Chloride, Arizona, that include a flamingo made out of a motorcycle gas tank.〔 Characterized in 1988 as "a little roadside place on the west shoulder of U.S. Route 93,"〔 Santa Claus receives traffic from motorists driving between Phoenix, Arizona, and Las Vegas, Nevada, or Hoover Dam.〔 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 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 early years== In the 1930s, Nina Talbot〔Her first name may be spelled Ninon as in Ninon Talbert. See 〕 and her husband moved from Los Angeles, California, to Kingman, Arizona, to operate a motel.〔 Talbot held herself out as the biggest real estate agent in California, but also weighed 300 pounds at that time.〔 In 1937, she opened the town of Santa Claus approximately northwest of Kingman.〔〔 Her plans for the town included subdividing the site into lots that would form a resort town centered on a Santa theme in a parched desert location.〔 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.〔 The attraction was designed to promote the sales of surrounding, subdivided land.〔 In the early years, Santa Claus presented a popular attraction and featured a U.S. post office and Christmas related buildings.〔 Cinderella's Doll House was one of the buildings, designed to have the look of a Swiss chalet.〔 Children could visit a real Santa Claus in the town at anytime of the year.〔 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."〔 The Kit Carson Guest House became part of Santa Claus and was named the Santa Claus Inn.〔 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.〔 The restaurant became famed for its rum pie.〔 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.〔 By 1942, the town of Santa Claus had become a full-fledged tourist spot.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Santa Claus, Arizona」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|