GOLDFIELD

mining ghost town, seat (1907) of Esmeralda county, southwestern Nevada, U.S., in desert country south of Tonopah. It was the site of a gold rush that began in 1902; the mining boom lasted until 1918. In 1910 the production of ore reached an all-time high, valued at more than $11,000,000. Federal troops were stationed in the town during a bitter labour struggle (1907-08) between the miners and the operators. After 1918 Goldfield's population declined rapidly from an estimated 40,000 in 1910 to less than 200. The 200-room Goldfield Hotel was closed except for a brief period during World War II when it accommodated servicemen at an air force station located a few miles north. To the southeast is the vast Nellis Air Force Range and Nuclear Testing Site. Tourism keeps the few people still living in Goldfield in business.