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 Esmeralda
County was created in 1861, three years before Nevada became a state.
In 1907, Goldfield was the largest city in Nevada and became the Esmeralda
county seat when Mineral County was split off with Hawthorne as its county
seat.
The courthouse was
built to accommodate the county's needs for a total cost of $125,000 which
included the jail and the office furniture. It is a two-story, mission
revival style, stone structure, 75 feet by 85 feet with the jail added
onto the rear of the building. It opened for business on May 1, 1908.
More
about the Esmeralda County Courthouse:
- The District Court
was opened by Judge J.P. O'Brien on August 1, 1908.
 The
courtroom is furnished with its original steel desk and backdrop, Tiffany
style lamps, and the original wood jurors chairs.- Goldfield was the
largest city in Nevada from 1903 to 1910.
- The mines in Goldfield
produced more than $86 million in ore between 1902 and 1940.
- The town was destroyed
twice by major fires in 1905 and 1906, a flash flood in 1913 and yet
another fire in 1923, which leveled 54 square blocks.
- The jail was constructed
by the Pauly Jail Company of St. Louis, Missouri and shipped out. It
consists of 3 levels of metal cells, 2 levels for a total of 18 cells
are still in use for housing prisoners.
- Today, the building
is occupied by the elected county officials. The main floor houses the
offices of the Assessor, Auditor/Recorder, District Attorney, Sheriff,
and the Justice of the Peace courtroom. The second floor houses the
Clerk/Treasurer, district courtroom, judges chambers, jury room, law
library, and the Commissioners' office.
- The courthouse
has been in continuous use by the county since the building opened.
 Honorable
Juanita Colvin:
"I moved to Goldfield and began working in the courthouse in 1982,
it opened up my eyes to how important history is, how much I love Nevada,
how much came from Goldfield that made our state so great. That would
be the gold, the important people that evolved from here, came here with
nothing and made it, and moved on to become leaders of our state."
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Additional Information:
Goldfield Historical Society
P.O. Box 393
Goldfield, Nevada 89013
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