Located 4.5 miles northeast of Apache Junction, Arizona on the historic Apache Trail (SR-88) is the Goldfield Ghost Town, established in 1893. To the east is a magnificent mesa which is a flat-topped hill or mountain with steep sides, typically found in arid regions. It is formed by erosion, where softer rock layers are worn away, leaving behind a more resistant layer of rock on top, known as cap rock.

This probably looks very much like it did before the coming of the Europeans — except for the trailers and permanent structures that have been built between the mesa and the point where I took the photo.

Turning around, I pointed the camera at the so-called ghost town and you can see how little of this area has been developed. Sitting at the foothills of the Superstition Mountains, Goldfield is a well-known attraction in the vicinity of Phoenix, Arizona, a perfect day trip destination from the city. One of the few ghost towns in the Southwest, it showcases buildings and a main street that would fit in the old Wild West.

Back when the area was still the Wild West, a prospector found gold in the Superstition Mountains. It was a high-grade ore, worth a lot. Word spread about it, attracting more miners. Soon, they opened Mammoth Mine. Around the mine, a new settlement was born.

The new mine added to the legend of the Lost Dutchman’s gold mine that had been circulating in the media. The story brought more miners, more settlers. Goldfield soon grew to a town with a population of over a thousand.

This mining settlement eventually got its own post office, in 1893, which marked it as an official town. Around this time, the settlers built a church, a schoolhouse, a general store, and a meat market. A blacksmith came to town and opened shop. A brewery, a few saloons, a boarding house, and even a hotel followed. The town and population continued growing and growing. But eventually, the gold vein dried up.

As the mines closed, the town declined, until the last of its population left. In 1898, just five years after its inauguration as a town, Goldfield was abandoned. It became a ghost town.

But the legend of the lost Dutchman’s gold mine continued to circulate. The town rebounded but the limited amount of gold ore resulted in the town again becoming a ghost town.

In 1966, a ghost town and mining enthusiast, Robert Schoose, moved into the area with his wife. They bought the mill and surrounding area and began rebuiling the town as a tourist attraction which opened in 1988.

I was amazed at the amount of old mining equipment they found to provide the authentic look of an old mining town. Here is a railroad siding with a couple of steam engines and working cars.

Next we see the train station itself. With the coming of railroads, every town craved to be on a railroad line for both personal transportation and for shipping and receiving goods. In most western towns it was one of the most important buildings in the area.

This is a closer shot of the train station which is probably what many looked like at the time. It is filled with working equipment to move luggage and shipping goods around.

Note that the Goldfield Ghost Town does not charge admission or for parking. Many of the attractions such as the train charge a fee which is the primary source of income for the current owners. Other attractions charge for food and drink, souvenirs or experiences. Thus you can spend as much or as little as you like.

This historical plaque caught my eye. Now we know come of the people responsible for bringing this ghost town back to life.

This is an interesting piece of old mining equipment. In case you don't recognize it, it is a cage for miners to be lowered down a vertical shift where they are working on a vein of rock containing gold ore. I'm not normally uncomfortable in tight spaces but doing down a tiny shaft to a working vein with a bunch of other miners may be a bit more than I would wish to undertake.

And I believe this is a powered hoist that would have lowered the cage in the previous photo and, hopefully, bring the miners back to the surface.

No sign with this one but my guess is that this is a tribute to those old miners who searched for the legendary Lost Dutchman’s gold mine, hoping to become fabulously wealthy. Note the white wire with the short white sticks is simply left-over Christmas decorations. I was surprised they were still up.