Goldfield Hotel

03/01/2026

Headstone of William R. Marmaduke in Goldfield, Nevada.

02/28/2026

A crowd of miners stands at the hoist in Goldfield, Nevada, in 1905.

A crowd of miners stands at the hoist in Goldfield, Nevada, in 1905, waiting their turn to head underground. Some clutch simple lunch bags, others carry the classic tin pails. A few hold candles, a necessity when your workplace is carved out of rock and lit by flame.

No hard hats, no reflective vests, no safety briefing. I am fairly certain OSHA would have needed a moment before signing off on this operation 😂.

We do not know which mine this was, but the photograph says enough on its own. It is a straightforward look at the men who powered Goldfield’s gold rush, lined up and ready to drop into the dark for another day’s work.

Image courtesy of the Huntington Digital Library.

02/09/2026

Photograph from 1934, showing the Goldfield Hotel.

Photograph from 1934, showing the Goldfield Hotel.
Built in 1908, during the peak years of the gold discoveries, the four story hotel replaced two earlier buildings on the same site, both lost to fire. Designed in the Classical Revival style, it was meant to project confidence, wealth, and permanence in a town built almost overnight.

For a time, it delivered exactly that. The hotel hosted miners fresh from the hills, investors chasing the next strike, politicians, and well known visitors drawn by the money flowing through Goldfield. Behind its grand facade were stories of ambition, risk, success, and collapse, all unfolding as the gold veins slowly played out.

As mining declined, so did the fortunes tied to it. The hotel eventually closed in the mid twentieth century and slipped into disuse. Over the decades, its empty halls earned a reputation for unexplained activity, drawing curiosity from paranormal investigators as well as photographers and explorers fascinated by what remains. Though there have been restoration attempts and changes in ownership, the building still stands largely silent, currently still offered for sale.

Image courtesy of the Pomona Public Library.

01/30/2026

Yes, we can get snow in May from time to time.

Spring had already arrived on the calendar, but winter was not quite finished with Goldfield Nevada. On May 9, 1908, snow settled across the town, catching residents off guard with a reminder that high desert weather followed its own rules. It is an unexpected scene for the season, quiet, cold, and unmistakably real for anyone who lived there that morning.

Image courtesy of the University of Nevada, Reno.

12/31/2025

Great view of the Goldfield Hotel under construction.

An early photograph from 1907 to 1908 shows construction underway on the Goldfield News building beside the Goldfield Hotel in Goldfield, Nevada. The newspaper building represented the growing importance of local reporting and communication, while the hotel was designed to serve mine owners, investors, and visitors drawn to one of Nevada’s richest gold discoveries.

Image courtesy of UNLV Special Collections.

12/14/2025

Nixon Block in Goldfield!

The Nixon Block is shown here in 1905 during construction, with the crew paused for the camera as a young boy on his bicycle and several onlookers stand nearby.
Designed by architect G.E. Holesworth, the building rose at a moment when Goldfield was rapidly transforming following major gold discoveries. Its construction reflects both the confidence and scale of development taking place in the town during that short but intense period of growth.

Image courtesy of University of Nevada, Reno, Special Collections.

12/08/2025

12/07/2025

Today we honour the miners across the United States and around the world on Miner’s Day.
Countless men and women spent their lives in the mines, and many never came home. Their work opened the way for railroads, cities, electricity, modern industry, and so much more.

To those who faced the dangers underground so future generations could move forward, we remember you.
And to every miner who carried out the hard work that supplied the raw materials shaping human progress, thank you.

11/27/2025

If you're interested in exploring Nevada’s old railroad towns and forgotten places, two new books have just been released just in time for Christmas that shine a light on Elko and White Pine Counties by Lawrence E Meeker.

Nevada Northern Railway – Cobre to McGill
This guide includes more than 75 photos and 40 maps that help you travel the old rail line and visit 19 historic locations such as Cobre, Shafter, Dolly Varden, Currie, Goshute, Cherry Creek, and Steptoe. It also includes Then and Now photo comparisons, notes on road conditions, and details on what you can expect to find at each site. The maps make navigating the wide open country much easier for anyone planning a trip.
65 pages, softcover.
Now available on Amazon: https://a.co/d/5cYj8B8

Nevada Northern Railway – Ely to Ruth
This volume offers more than 130 photos and 40 maps covering 17 locations along the line, including the East Ely rail yards, Ely Junction, Lane City, Keystone, Copper Flat, Kimberly, Veteran, and old Ruth. It also features Then and Now comparisons, clear access notes, and a look at how the original 1913 Lincoln Highway once crossed through what is now an active mining area. It’s also a great companion for anyone riding the Ghost Train through Robinson Canyon.
100 pages, softcover.
Available on Amazon: https://a.co/d/05Y7q0r

Both books are excellent resources for anyone who enjoys exploring Nevada’s backroads, history, and forgotten towns.

11/18/2025

11/18/2025

If you’re into Nevada’s ghost towns and the history of the old Carson & Colorado Railroad, there’s a new book you’ll want to check out.

Author Lawrence E. Meeker has just released Along the Carson & Colorado Railroad: Hawthorne to Benton, published by the Southern Pacific Narrow Gauge Historical Society (SPNGHS). This new guidebook includes detailed maps, access routes, and photos for more than 25 plus historic sites along the line, an incredible resource for anyone who loves exploring these forgotten places.

You can order it now by mail through the SPNGHS website under the Publications tab, or use this direct link:https://spnghs.org/pdf/Flyer_Hawthorne_to_Benton.pdf

It’ll also be available soon in selected museum bookstores across western Nevada and the Owens Valley.