Goldfield, Nevada was born in 1902 after a gold strike. By 1906, it boomed to nearly 20,000 residents, making it the largest town in the state. In 1904, Goldfield’s mines produced $2.3 million in gold—about 30% of Nevada’s entire output that year. The desert was shimmering with promise. But the boom was short-lived. By 1910, the population collapsed to under 5,000, as ore declined and costs rose. In 1923, disaster struck—most of Goldfield was destroyed in a massive fire. Though some buildings su