Goldfield Nevada

Goldfield is Nevada State Historical Marker number fourteen and is located in Esmeralda County, Nevada. Goldfield was a boomtown  between 1903 and 1940. Goldfield’s mines produced more than $86 million at then-current prices. Much of the town was destroyed by a fire in 1923, although several buildings survived and remain today, notably the Goldfield Hotel, the Consolidated Mines Building, the schoolhouse.

Goldfield was established in 1902 when gold was discovered in the surrounding hills. This discovery ignited a rush of prospectors, investors, and opportunists eager to capitalize on the newfound wealth. Unlike other mining towns in Nevada, which primarily focused on silver, Goldfield was notable for its rich gold deposits.

The town’s boom truly began in 1904 when the Consolidated Goldfield Company was formed, consolidating smaller claims and turning mining operations into a large-scale enterprise. By 1906, Goldfield’s population had swelled to over 20,000, making it Nevada’s largest city at the time.

During its heyday, Goldfield was a hub of wealth and activity. The mines produced an estimated $86 million in gold, a staggering amount for the era. The town boasted modern amenities, including electricity, telephones, and luxurious buildings such as the Goldfield Hotel, completed in 1908, which remains an iconic structure to this day.

The town also became a cultural center, hosting boxing matches, theatrical performances, and other events that attracted notable figures, including heavyweight champion Jack Johnson.

Goldfield’s prosperity was not without challenges. In 1907, the Panic of 1907 and declining ore quality began to affect mining profits. Labor disputes further disrupted operations, with a notable miners’ strike in 1907 escalating tensions between workers and mine owners.

A devastating fire in 1923 destroyed much of the town, including many of its iconic buildings. By this time, mining activity had significantly declined, and the town’s population dwindled as residents sought opportunities elsewhere.

Nevada State Historic Marker Text

Nevada State Historical Markers identify significant places of interest in Nevada’s history. The Nevada State Legislature started the program in 1967 to bring the state’s heritage to the public’s attention with on-site markers. Budget cuts to the program caused the program to become dormant in 2009. Many of the markers are lost of damaged.

For a 20-year period prior to 1900 the mining in Nevada fell into a slump that cast the entire state into a bleak depression and caused the loss of one-third of the population.

The picture brightened overnight following the spectacular strikes in Tonopah and, shortly afterwards, in Goldfield. Gold ore was discovered here in December, 1902, by two Nevada-born prospectors, Harry Stimler and Billy Marsh. From 1904 to 1918 Goldfield boomed furiously. The city had a railroad that connected into Las Vegas and a peak population of 20,000. Between 1903- 40 a total of $86,765,044 in metals was produced here.

Neada State Historic Marker #14

Summary

ID	14
Name	Goldfield Nevada State Historic Marker
Location	Esmeralda County, Nevada
Latitude, Longitude	37.7076, -117.2335

Points of Interest

References

• NV-Landmarks.com