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Links to additional information on Esmeralda County, Nevada : Goldfield Chamber of Commerce, Goldfield Historical Society

Some history of Esmeralda County, Nevada
The historic town of Goldfield, the Esmeralda County seat, is filled with
the history of its old mining days. Located approximately 26 miles south
of Tonopah on US Highway 95, Goldfield has the grand old buildings of yesteryear.
The Goldfield Historical Society has been making strides to preserve the
rich heritage and buildings of the area. As part of a beautification process,
the town has put in new sidewalks and lighting.

Goldfield is a community with private businesses like a gas station, an
auto repair shop, a grocery/convenience store, an antique store, U-haul,
a saddle shop, and some local bars. The Santa Fe saloon has slot machines
for gaming and you can catch a meal at the Mozart (the local restaurant).

Esmeralda County, Spanish for Emerald, was created in 1861, three years
before Nevada became a state.  The county seat, originally in Aurora,
was moved to Hawthorne, and finally to Goldfield in 1907 at a cost of $125,000
which included office furniture and the construction of the jail.

The district courtroom is furnished with the original steel bench and back-drop
with Tiffany Lamps.  Located in the rear of the courthouse, the
jail was constructed by the Pauly Jail Company of St. Louis, Missouri.

The jail contains three levels of metal cells; two levels still house inmates
in 18 cells. The two-story stone building is occupied today by the elected county officials.

Silver Peak is one of the oldest mining areas in Nevada, discovered in 1863;
it produced substantial amounts of silver, gold, and other minerals. The
town site was established in 1864 due to a spring that was in the area. A
10 stamp mill was built in 1865 and a 20 stamp mill was built in 1867. However,
mining was far from steady in the area as the mines changed ownership and
new milling techniques were invented. The ups and downs of the mining industry
resulted in a fluctuation in the population as well. In 1948 a fire burned
the town of Silver Peak. After that there was little activity until 1966,
when the Foote Mineral Company started its lithium extracting operations
in nearby Clayton Valley.

Photographs below are of Esmeralda County, Nevada - click on thumbnails for larger view

click here to see images of the proposed Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Oversight Project.

click here to visit a web site with images of key events in the atomic age.

click here to visit a web site with images from Goldfield Chamber of Commerce.