ON THE ROAD
GOLDFIELD DAYS
BY BOB BEERS

The iron rails shine, streaking off down the valley until they merge into one, then disappear altogether. The day is clear and blue, but it’s noisy — unceasing noise caused by rows of heavy iron stamps turning hard rock into sand. It never stops, but that’s OK, because without it nobody would get paid. It’s 1905, and the first passenger train to ever roll uphill into Goldfield is due on this day.

Just three years earlier, gold had been discovered — perhaps the richest gold ore ever found in Nevada. The strike attracted people like moths to a lantern — 45,000 of them at Goldfield’s peak! The town had three newspapers, five banks and its own mining stock exchange, and was the biggest city in our state.

The Guinness Book of World Records lists Goldfield for a boxing match held in 1906. The lightweight-class prizefight ran 42 rounds before one of the boxers was disqualified for a low blow, and stands today as the longest match under Queensbury rules. Let’s get ready to rumble, indeed!

Goldfield is an easy place to imagine old Nevada. Dozens of abandoned buildings in excellent condition line its main drag, which doubles as U.S. 95. The majestic Goldfield Hotel was the subject of a book last year by Patty Cafferata, who did an excellent job mixing tales of ghosts with photos of magnificent architecture.

Though the gold has long been pulled from its dirt and turned into bullion, about 300 people still remain here. And they are getting ready to party.

On the weekend of Aug. 20, Goldfield will awaken once again for “Goldfield Days,” an annual celebration of history, gold fever and real estate lust. This year, the theme will celebrate the Centennial of the first passenger train to steam into Goldfield. 

The celebration will include street dancing, live music, food and drink (Goldfield has two bars), historical tours and video presentations on historical Goldfield and the railroads of Goldfield. But the highlight will be the parade, featuring rural Nevada travel icon David Toll, author of The Complete Nevada Traveler, as Grand Marshall, followed by the land auction.

It turns out many of the residential lots in Goldfield have been abandoned by their owners, and the county government has a tidy portfolio of lots for sale. The prices are right, though the amenities are primitive. Not only will your neighbors include past auction winners like John Smith, the celebrated columnist for the Review-Journal, but you’ll have a hard time keeping Ol’ Jim, the most stubborn wild burro in the West, off your new property.

For more information, drop an e-mail to goldfieldchamber@yahoo.com or call them at 775-485-3560. LW