Goldfield...A Century Old

Last week, the wrestling world lost another great man in Bob McCune. He was the first "Mr. America" to appear in the squared circle. I had the privilege to meet and speak to him last year at the CAC in Las Vegas. What a great gentleman he was...

Rest in peace....

Percival

It all began in 1902 as two miners named Harry Stimler and Billy Marsh made camp at Rabbit Springs, just west of the present town of Goldfield, Nevada. Until then, the only people that had seen the area were native Indians and an occasional sheepherder passing to the winter ranges with their flocks.

The initial assay of rocks only showed $12 per ton of ore, but most of the ore was pure Gold, something that was not common to Nevada, which had noted itself the past 25 or so years as being the Silver State.

As the news spread back to Tonopah where the two had been grubstaked by Jim Butler and Tom Kendall, men began to arrive in the area to seek their fortunes out of the ground. It wasn't until nearly a year later that the camp exploded with excitement as huge ore strikes were discovered by Al Myers at his Combination claim.

Big money began to take a huge interest in the district, which initially was named Grandpa and later named Goldfield. It was not until 1903 that a town was laid out and building began on the largest city in Nevada to that point. Fortune hunters came in by the hundreds, followed by business owners of Mercantile stores, banks, hotels and just about everything else that was needed to run a town.

Lots that were sold in the beginning for $25 were soon sold for as much as $350 and, by 1907, sold in the thousands. In 1904, a post office was established, and as more news leaked out about the rich claims, it brought with it gamblers, promoters and ladies of the night. Goldfield was declared the greatest goldcamp ever known, surpassing the huge strikes of Alaska and California.

Adobe and stone buildings were soon replaced by wooden structures with ornate furnishings and splendor. The finest of foods were brought in to feast on. Whiskey flowed like water as the miners sometimes waited in line to get into the few saloons that dotted the main street. It was said that, during 1903 and 1904, as much as $10,000 a day was produced in the mines, and it just seemed like there was no end in site.

By the middle of 1904, the population soared to nearly 8,000. The Goldfield and Tonopah railroad made its way into Goldfield, and with that came more wealth, as they were able to ship more of the precious ore to the smelters. The rails also brought more folks to grow in the splendor of this diamond in the desert.

1906 saw the population pass the 15,000 mark as more than 150 new buildings were put up in a month's time. Promoters like "Tex" Rickard put on a World's Lightweight Championship fight and offered $20,000 to the champion, "Battling" Nelson, to defend against Joe Gans. An 8,000-seat arena was built for the 42-round fight, but more then 15,000 fans turned out to see the event. A plaque marking that site still exists today and is one of the key spots to visit.

In 1907, a miners strike by 1,900 members slowed operations as mine owners plagued by high grading (theft of ore carried out by miners) began to cut wages. Shortly after that, a huge cut in financial aid from San Francisco hit with the silver panic. Ore prices plummeted, and two of the three banks failed and closed. Federal troops were brought in to settle many disputes between striking miners and mine owners.

In 1908, a two-story courthouse was built, followed by the Goldfield Hotel. It was the finest hotel west of the Mississippi and was said to cost $450,000 to build. 1910 saw a peak production of just over $11 million in boullion. In September 1913, a huge flood swept through Goldfield and took with it many houses and buildings in its path. Just a decade later, a fire would take 53 city blocks before being contained.

By 1930, less than 1,000 people remained in Goldfield. Many of the huge producers had left for bigger strikes to the south at places like Bullfrog and Rhyolite. More floods have left their mark on the once-largest city in Nevada and have taken their toll on the remaining structures.

Goldfield is by no means a ghost town but is a ghost of its past. Today, it is a permanent place for around 200 people and is a winter home to nearly 500. The hotel was in its restoration stages when money ran out, and it now sits empty and has not had a paying customer since 1946. Soon, a huge summer festival will take place, and people will line the steps of the courthouse to take their chances to own a piece of Western history as more parcels of non-taxable properties will be offered to the highest bidder. The hotel will be offered again in 2003 to settle a tax lien.

I have visited Goldfield many times in my travels out West and always marvel at the beauty of its buildings and friendly people. It is small enough to not get lost in, but it's large enough to get your attention. The many small shops that carry anything from souvenirs to antiques dot its main and side streets. The general store has gas and just about every conceivable item that a traveler or want-to-be miner could want.

A visit to Goldfield will leave you with many good memories that will last a lifetime. The best part is that it is just three hours north of Las Vegas on Highway 95.