GOLDFIELD, a mining town in the desert in south-western Nevada, U.S.A., served by the Tonopah and Goldfield and the Tonopah and Tidewater railways ; the county seat of Esmeralda county. The population in 1930 was 692. Gold was discovered here in 1902, two or three years after the lucky strike at Tono pah, 28m. north, and Goldfield soon became the largest town in the State. Production was at its peak in 1910-11, with an annual output of about $10,000,000. Af ter 1918 it declined until in 1927 only about Soo tons of ore was mined. Much of the ground has not yet been explored, and in 1928 active prospecting operations were in progress by lessees of the principal mining property.
The Goldfield mines were the scene of a bitter labour struggle. Conflict between the miners (organized as a branch of the Western Federation of Miners) and the operators began early, and there were several set strikes in the year beginning Dec. 1906. From Dec. 6, 1907, to March 7, 1908, Federal troops under Gen. Frederick Funston, sent by President Roosevelt on an appeal from Gov. Sparks, were stationed in the town to maintain order. On their arrival the mine-owners reduced wages and announced that no members of the Western Federation of Miners would be employed. Af ter their withdrawal work was gradually resumed, on the operators' terms, and there has been no union organization since.