We passed through Goldfield while driving north on highway 95 from Las Vegas to Reno. It’s a small town, about 180 miles north of Vegas, that gives the impression of being (nearly) abandoned. The town has an “old-time” vibe and gives you a sense of what a gold mining town was like.
Silver was discovered in Tonopah, a town to the north of Goldfield, around 1900. Prospectors drifted to Goldmine where a rich strike of gold and silver was uncovered, gold being especially abundant. The town of Goldmine was established in 1903 and the following 6 historic photos show scenes from the early years of the town.
Goldfield was at its zenith from 1905 – 1910, with up to 20,000 people living here at the time (making it the largest community in Nevada). Like many gold mining boom towns it featured the conveniences of a city including restaurants, hotels, churchs, theaters, stores, casinos, brothels — most any service you’d want. Much of the town was destroyed by a fire in 1923, although several buildings survived which you can visit today. Ore production diminished by 1912, but gold exploration and limited mining continue around the town even today.
On a historic note, Wyatt and Virgil Earp came to Goldfield in 1904. Virgil was hired as a Goldfield deputy sheriff in January 1905 and died that fall of pneumonia; Wyatt left Goldfield shortly thereafter.
We explored some of the sights around the town, today with only a few hundred residents. Several of the larger buildings were being refurbished and largely obscured by scaffolding and construction gear. But there are a lot of interesting old buildings and pieces of equipment you can see, making a walk through Goldfield seeming like visiting a living museum.
Goldfield Days festival is held in the town in August. The festival includes parades, historical displays, and a land auction. Might be a fun event to attend.
A few more photos of Goldfield:
Lastly photos of a few old mines:
