Goldfield - Nevada Ghost Town

GOLDFIELD

NAME: Goldfield
COUNTY: Esmerelda
ROADS: 2WD
GRID: 7
CLIMATE: Mild Winter, hot summer.
BEST TIME TO VISIT: Anytime.

COMMENTS: Near Tonopah.
REMAINS: A few buildings.

Goldfield is dead. Except for the padlocks, the boarded -up windows, bars across the doors and other means of denying entry, Goldfield would look very much alive. To its credit, there are few mining towns, if any, that have such an array of original buildings in good repair. Founded in 1902, Goldfield boasted a population of 30,000 during its boom year of 1906 when it produced $11million in gold. The town probably has the longest bar in the history of mining towns. The bar, Tex Rickard's Northern, was so long it required 80 tenders to serve its customers. By 1912, ore production had dropped to $5 million. Those who recognized the signs began to leave and Goldfield eventually became what it is today-a ghost town. A drive south on highway 95 from Tonopah will take you to Goldfield-one of the must see towns. Submitted by Henry Chenoweth. Goldfield, Nevada: Here's a Desert Magazine article from Arthur Woodward about the High-Graders of Goldfield Four historical photos of Goldfield, and insight into the situation of the miners and the town. A real good read. Along Highway 95 in the eastern part of Esmeralda County is a town made famous by the Earp brothers, Wyatt and Virgil, following their famous gunfight at the OK Corral in Tombstone, Arizona. Wyatt was already in Goldfield and wrote Virgil, who was living in California at the time, to move to Goldfield where �money was following like wine.� Virgil arrived in Goldfield in the spring of 1904. Soon after arriving in Goldfield, he was hired as a deputy sheriff. Wyatt was working as a pit boss in Tex Rickard's gambling casino. On July 8, 19 05, Goldfield suffered its first major fire when a stove exploded in a millinery shop. The town was saved when the wind shifted but not before two blocks of business houses burned to the ground. Three months later, Virgil contracted pneumonia and died. Wyatt left Nevada shortly after Virgil's death and spent many years mining in the Whipple Mountains on the California side of the Colorado River. He died on January 13, 19 29 at the age of 80. Goldfield, Nevada: A Desert Magazine Article 'Gold From Goldfield', by John Hilton, page 8: http://www.dezertmagazine.com/mine/1942DM11/index.html Four photos, and the first one is great. Quotes from your website "The town probably has the longest bar in the history of mining towns. The bar, Tex Rickard's Northern, was so long it required 80 tenders to serve its customer "Along Highway 95 in the eastern part of Esmeralda County is a town made famous by the Earp brothers, Wyatt and Virgil, following their famous gunfight at the OK Corral in Tombstone, Arizona. Wyatt was already in Goldfield and wrote Virgil, who was living in California at the time, to move to Goldfield where “money was following like wine.” Virgil arrived in Goldfield in the spring of 1904. Soon after arriving in Goldfield, he was hired as a deputy sheriff. Wyatt was working as a p it boss in Tex Rickard's gambling casino." This information is not based on any fact. The Northern Saloon was not big enough to hold that many bartenders. There is no record of Wyatt Earp working in Goldfield. His Brother Virgil did live in goldfield and yes died there. These are tall tales were not based on fact but stories or oral histories. The Earps did not make Goldfield Famous it was Goldfield and people like Tex Rickard and George Graham Rice and George Wingfield who put Goldfield on the map. Goldfield still remains the county seat and of course never will be anything like it was. But there are people who live and work here and care about the real history. several books to refer to are : There are many conflicting stories written on the Earp family. Virgil and Wyatt were both in Central Nevada for a short period of time after the turn of the century. For further reading on the Earps in Central Nevada: The Earps' Last Frontier: Wyatt and Virgil Earp in the Nevada Mining Camps, 1902-1905. Jeffrey Kintop and Guy Louis Rocha. Reno: Great Basin Press, 1989. On the Trail of Wyatt Earp by Norman Lee Hogget www.goldfieldhistoricalsociety.com Angela Haag Goldfield Courtesy Bill Yanneck Goldfield Courtesy Bill Yanneck Ruins Courtesy Dolores Steele Cemetery Courtesy Dolores Steele Goldfield Courtesy Dolores Steele Cemetery Courtesy Dolores Steele Cemetery Courtesy Dolores Steele Cemetery Courtesy Dolores Steele Cash register of the Goldfield Hotel, Goldfield, Nevada. On display at the Beatty, Nevada Museum. 1/1/99. Courtesy David A. Wright Barrel House at Tonopah. Postcard mistakenly postmarked Goldfield, Nevada, September 20, 1909. David A. Wright collection "as far as we can find, It's the oldest continuously operating in the state of Nevada" Courtesy Paul & Connie Hodson Goldfield, NV. D.A. Wright photo. Goldfield, NV. D.A. Wright photo. Goldfield, NV. D.A. Wright photo. Goldfield, NV. D.A. Wright photo. Goldfield, NV. D.A. Wright photo. Goldfield, NV. D.A. Wright photo. Goldfield, NV. D.A. Wright photo. Inside Goldfield Hotel. D.A. Wright photo. Inside Goldfield Hotel. D.A. Wright photo. Inside Goldfield Hotel. D.A. Wright photo. Inside Goldfield Hotel. D.A. Wright photo. Goldfield Courtesy Luke Chassidy Goldfield Courtesy Luke Chassidy	Building in the center of Goldfield Courtesy Nevada Historical Society. A mining supply shop in Goldfield Courtesy Nevada Historical Society. Drilling contest in the center of Goldfield to test the strength of miners Courtesy Nevada Historical Society. The main street of Goldfield on year after initial discoveries Courtesy Nevada Historical Society. Courthouse Courtesy Dolores Steele Goldfield Municipal High School Courtesy Dolores Steele GoldField Courtesy Dolores Steele Mozart Club -- Maurice Durand built the Mozart Club in 1934 andpromoted heavy weight boxing champion Jack Dempsey, " The Manassa Mauler". Courtesy Dolores Steele Goldfield Courtesy Dolores Steele Goldfield Courtesy Dolores Steele Goldfield Hotel - 1908 --- In the early days the Hotel was the finest and most luxurious between the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Ocean.Teddy Roosevelt spoke to a large crowd in the street from the balcony in 1908. Courtesy Dolores Steele Cash register of the Goldfield Hotel, Goldfield, Nevada. On display at the Beatty, Nevada Museum. 1/1/99. Courtesy David A. Wright Cash register of the Goldfield Hotel, Goldfield, Nevada. On display at the Beatty, Nevada Museum. 1/1/99. Courtesy David A. Wright Cash register of the Goldfield Hotel, Goldfield, Nevada. On display at the Beatty, Nevada Museum. 1/1/99. Courtesy David A. Wright Townsite Saloon Extension Inside is now a saloon/Museum Courtesy David A. Wright Goldfield, NV. D.A. Wright photo. Goldfield, NV. D.A. Wright photo. Goldfield, NV. D.A. Wright photo. Goldfield, NV. D.A. Wright photo. Goldfield, NV. D.A. Wright photo. Goldfield, NV. D.A. Wright photo. Las Vegas & Tonopah Railroad grade with Goldfield in the background. D.A. Wright photo. Following the Las Vegas & Tonopah Railroad southeast from Goldfield. D.A. Wright photo. Goldfield Courtesy Johnnie Church Inside at the Goldfield Hotel Courtesy Amanda Warner Inside at the Goldfield Hotel Courtesy Amanda Warner Inside at the Goldfield Hotel Courtesy Amanda Warner Goldfield Courtesy Luke Chassidy Goldfield Courtesy Russell Beere Goldfield Courtesy Russell Beere

Goldfield is dead. Except for the padlocks, the boarded -up windows, bars across the doors and other means of denying entry, Goldfield would look very much alive. To its credit, there are few mining towns, if any, that have such an array of original buildings in good repair. Founded in 1902, Goldfield boasted a population of 30,000 during its boom year of 1906 when it produced $11million in gold. The town probably has the longest bar in the history of mining towns. The bar, Tex Rickard's Northern, was so long it required 80 tenders to serve its customers. By 1912, ore production had dropped to $5 million. Those who recognized the signs began to leave and Goldfield eventually became what it is today-a ghost town. A drive south on highway 95 from Tonopah will take you to Goldfield-one of the must see towns. Submitted by Henry Chenoweth.

Goldfield, Nevada: Here's a Desert Magazine article from Arthur Woodward about the High-Graders of Goldfield

Four historical photos of Goldfield, and insight into the situation of the miners and the town. A real good read.

Along Highway 95 in the eastern part of Esmeralda County is a town made famous by the Earp brothers, Wyatt and Virgil, following their famous gunfight at the OK Corral in Tombstone, Arizona. Wyatt was already in Goldfield and wrote Virgil, who was living in California at the time, to move to Goldfield where �money was following like wine.� Virgil arrived in Goldfield in the spring of 1904. Soon after arriving in Goldfield, he was hired as a deputy sheriff. Wyatt was working as a pit boss in Tex Rickard's gambling casino. On July 8, 19 05, Goldfield suffered its first major fire when a stove exploded in a millinery shop. The town was saved when the wind shifted but not before two blocks of business houses burned to the ground. Three months later, Virgil contracted pneumonia and died. Wyatt left Nevada shortly after Virgil's death and spent many years mining in the Whipple Mountains on the California side of the Colorado River. He died on January 13, 19 29 at the age of 80.

Goldfield, Nevada: A Desert Magazine Article 'Gold From Goldfield', by John Hilton, page 8: http://www.dezertmagazine.com/mine/1942DM11/index.html

Four photos, and the first one is great.

Quotes from your website "The town probably has the longest bar in the history of mining towns. The bar, Tex Rickard's Northern, was so long it required 80 tenders to serve its customer

"Along Highway 95 in the eastern part of Esmeralda County is a town made famous by the Earp brothers, Wyatt and Virgil, following their famous gunfight at the OK Corral in Tombstone, Arizona. Wyatt was already in Goldfield and wrote Virgil, who was living in California at the time, to move to Goldfield where “money was following like wine.” Virgil arrived in Goldfield in the spring of 1904. Soon after arriving in Goldfield, he was hired as a deputy sheriff. Wyatt was working as a p

it boss in Tex Rickard's gambling casino."

This information is not based on any fact. The Northern Saloon was not big enough to hold that many bartenders.

There is no record of Wyatt Earp working in Goldfield. His Brother Virgil did live in goldfield and yes died there.

These are tall tales were not based on fact but stories or oral histories.

The Earps did not make Goldfield Famous it was Goldfield and people like Tex Rickard and George Graham Rice and George Wingfield who put Goldfield on the map. Goldfield still remains the county seat and of course never will be anything like it was. But there are people who live and work here and care about the real history.

several books to refer to are :

There are many conflicting stories written on the Earp family. Virgil and Wyatt were both in Central Nevada for a short period of time after the turn of the century.

For further reading on the Earps in Central Nevada: The Earps' Last Frontier: Wyatt and Virgil Earp in the
Nevada Mining Camps, 1902-1905. Jeffrey Kintop and Guy Louis Rocha.
Reno: Great Basin Press, 1989. On the Trail of Wyatt Earp by Norman Lee Hogget

www.goldfieldhistoricalsociety.com

Angela Haag

Goldfield
Courtesy Bill Yanneck

Ruins
Courtesy Dolores Steele

Cemetery
Courtesy Dolores Steele

Goldfield
Courtesy Dolores Steele

Cemetery
Courtesy Dolores Steele

Cash register of the Goldfield Hotel, Goldfield, Nevada. On display at the Beatty, Nevada Museum. 1/1/99.
Courtesy David A. Wright

Barrel House at Tonopah. Postcard mistakenly postmarked Goldfield, Nevada, September 20, 1909.
David A. Wright collection

"as far as we can find, It's the oldest continuously operating in the state of Nevada"
Courtesy Paul & Connie Hodson

Goldfield, NV. D.A. Wright photo.

Inside Goldfield Hotel. D.A. Wright photo.

Goldfield
Courtesy Luke Chassidy

Building in the center of Goldfield Courtesy Nevada Historical Society.

A mining supply shop in Goldfield Courtesy Nevada Historical Society.

Drilling contest in the center of Goldfield to test the strength of miners Courtesy Nevada Historical Society.

The main street of Goldfield on year after initial discoveries Courtesy Nevada Historical Society.

Courthouse
Courtesy Dolores Steele

Goldfield Municipal High School
Courtesy Dolores Steele

GoldField
Courtesy Dolores Steele

Mozart Club -- Maurice Durand built the Mozart Club in 1934 andpromoted heavy weight boxing champion Jack Dempsey, " The Manassa Mauler".
Courtesy Dolores Steele

Goldfield
Courtesy Dolores Steele

Goldfield Hotel - 1908 --- In the early days the Hotel was the finest and most luxurious between the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Ocean.Teddy Roosevelt spoke to a large crowd in the street from the balcony in 1908.
Courtesy Dolores Steele