View of hundreds of people gathering in front of the Mining Stock Exchange building, Goldfield, Nevada, ca.1906

Photograph of a view of hundreds of people gathering in front of the Mining Stock Exchange building, Goldfield, Nevada, ca.1906. Crowds of people are gathered shoulder to shoulder in front of the three-story building. Several men furthest away from the building are sitting on horses. The street is muddy and wet. Several puddles cover the street (at left). Legible signs include: "1905, Nixon Block", "Scully, Norton & Co. Inc.", "The Del Monte", "barber, baths, shop", "The D & N", "the hardware store", "Bankers [...]".; "In 1902 gold was discovered in the hills near Tonopah, Nevada. Soon a few tents dotted the barren hills among the Joshua trees, and the boomtown of Goldfield was born. In 1903 only 36 people lived in the new town. By 1908 Goldfield was Nevada's largest city, with over 25,000 inhabitants. Along with the influx of miners and businessmen, came the labor unions. The Western Federation of Miners, the Industrial Workers of the World and the American Federation of Labor all vied for power in the region. During the early years, the unions were able to control wages and working hours. But in November, 1906, the Goldfield Consolidated Mines Company was incorporated by owners George Wingfield and United States Senator George Nixon, signaling the beginning of monopoly control in Goldfield, and the start of an adversarial relationship between mine owners and the unions." -- unknown author