America’s Haunted Hotels: The Goldfield Hotel.

Believe it or not ghosts are pretty good for business. Hotels that claim to have a resident ghost or two will oftentimes jack up the price of that room for any brave soul who would dare to lay their head down for a restful nights sleep among the dead. Can I be perfectly honest with you? Whenever I hear of a hotel that boasts a lost soul I become a little more than just skeptical I can be downright disbelieving. Hotels, like any other business, are out to accomplish one thing, making those Bejamins and they will go to any lengths to ensure that their profit margin is way up, even if it means making up a B.S. story to achieve that goal.

Despite the fact that many hotels have been disproved or found to be frauds in the quest to make that green some hotels can honestly say with all certainty that some weird shit truly happens when their guests lay their heads down at night and the dead roam. In this series I want us to explore five such hotels that can truly be said to be the of a few specters that just can not find the rest they need despite the fact they haunt places where their flesh and blood counterparts are able to do so. So sit back, crack a beer and enjoy.

The Goldfield Hotel

Sitting in the dead center of the virtual ghost town of Goldfield, Nevada sits a reminder of the former glory days of the once bustling metropolis that was considered to the greatest city between Chicago and San Francisco, The Goldfield Hotel. Like many stories concerning the old west in 1902, rich veins of gold were discovered by a few grizzled old prospectors who moved out west to make a buck, after the mines were established and the money began rolling in hand over fist the city of Goldfield Nevada was established. Upon hearing of the rich gold strikes thousands began making their way to the newly established mining town and the town’s population soon swelled to a modest thirty-five thousand greedy souls bent on striking it rich in this former wasteland of Nevada desert.

By 1908, a number of mining companies banded together when they realized a need to build a hotel for the hundreds of tourists and travelers who paid their glorious gold rush town a visit. They felt that the saloons that offered a few rooms for the weary traveler just wasn’t cutting it especially for the many rich and famous that came to their town. Noted Architect, George Holesworth was hired by the mining companies to build the most luxurious hotel the west had ever seen and the Goldfield Hotel was born.

Holesworth, certainly filled his contract with the mining companies to create the most fabulous hotel west of the Mississippi. The Goldfield boasted working telephones in each room of the four story hotel, which at that time was still a raritie. The hotel had electric lights, elevators, each room had their own restroom and the rooms were heated with radiators. Cosmetically the hotel was a beauty to behold. The hotel had gold inlaid sconces, a marble reception desk, black leather upholstered chairs and marble floors. Yes, the Goldfield was certainly a sight to behold and hundreds flocked to their doors to stay a night in one of the lavish rooms as long as they could afford it.

By 1909, despite all the business the Goldfield received the hotels seemed to be hemhorriging money and a new owner was quickly sought to get the luxurious hotel out of the red. Such a man was George Wingfield. Wingfield, was considered at the time to be the most powerful man in the state of Nevada and for good reason, Wingfield had his fingers in the pies of politics, gold mines and real estate prospects. George Wingfield certainly appeared to be the man for the job, but appearances can be deceiving.

One of the many ghost stories surrounding the Goldfield centered on Wingfield and a lady of the night named Elizabeth. Elizabeth, was a beautiful young woman and some would say prostitute that George Wingfield took to his bed every night. Shortly into their illicit affair, Elizabeth came to George and told the powerful millionaire that she was pregnant and the child was most certainly his. As is the case with many wealthy and married men of his time, George Wingfield panicked at the thought of the scandal that could bring him to ruin. At first, Wingfield attempted to pay the young woman off, however Elizabeth would have none of his money she wanted Wingfield to be her husband and the father of her child. Unfortunately, Wingfield would have none of it he was a married man with a family of his own, he must do something to silence this woman up.

As the story goes, Wingfield lured Elizabeth to the already failing hotel with what she wanted to hear, he was going to leave his wife and make a life for the two of them and their child. When the couple entered room 109, Wingfield blindsided the pretty young woman almost beating her death. When Elizabeth awoke she found herself chained to the radiator with a bowl of water and a few pices of bread. Elizabeth screamed for mercy but no mercy came.

It is said that when Elizabeth gave birth to their child George Wingfield ruthlessly slaughtered the young girl and threw the crying new born to it’s untimely death down an elevator shaft. Those who have been brave enough to visit the Goldfield have heard what sounds like the haunting crying of a baby in an elevator shaft. Room 109 is said to be the abode of the apparition of the poor unfortunate woman who thought that the man of her dreams would love her forever. The apparition of Elizabeth has been seen pacing the area around room 109 and is said to vanish as she walks into the room where she met her doom. The room, despite the hot Nevada days is said to feel like a meat locker as an icy sensation grips all who enter. It would appear that poor Elizabeth is unable to rest possibly reliving her horrible experience until the end of time.

By the late 1930s the rich gold mines that made the city of Goldfield, Nevada famous were all but dried up and the town and the hotel began to go into serious decline which could be the reason for the two ghosts that are said to haunt the third floor. One ghost, a female, was said to be a former employee who took the news of the possible closing down of the hotel quite seriously and hung herself in one of the rooms. Her spirit is often preceded by a weeping sound and a cold chill. The second spirit, a former male employee took his own life by jumping from the window of a third floor room. His spirit manifests as a feeling of intense dread and feelings of regret.

The Goldfield Hotel saw it’s last paying customer before it closed it’s doors in 1945. Ownership of the hotel changed hands numerous times over the next forty years with investors hoping to reopen the doors of the former jewel of Nevada, however all was not well. Workers and contractors refused to work in the hotel more than one day after stating that something was wrong with the building. Numerous strange accidents were experienced by the workers and many were scared from the premises by what they described as the ghost of an old west gunman who appears on the second floor and various other unexplained events.

In 1985, the abanoned hotel was bought by a local rancher who intends to someday restore the hotel to it’s former glory and revitalize the failing town. This rancher is the crusty old cowboy sort and will not be scared away by tales of ghosts and spooks because as he claims, he just don’t believe in them. Perhaps one day the hotel will reopen with a few extra “guests” who are unable to leave.

Rick E. Hale
t_seeker@hotmail.com