Between Carson City and Las Vegas lies Goldfield, a boomtown that began in 1903 with the discovery of gold. Much of the town was destroyed by a fire in 1923 but many buildings survived and still exist today.
In 1907 President Theodore Roosevelt sent 300 troops to Goldfield to quell striking miners.
Today the town is populated with 200 or so people still mining in the area. The vacant historic buildings are not abandoned but owned by residents with plans to restore them. The town is also home to the grave of the unknown paste eater.
You can still stand on the porch of the Santa Fe Saloon and look out at tons of old equipment with tailings and headframes galore in the background.