Goldfield Ghost Town

 While trying to make the most of the Phoenix, AZ. area we headed to Superstition Mountain and once we got to Apache Junction we stumbled upon the Goldfield Ghost Town.  The town was originally known as Goldfield, it was later renamed Youngberg and once again was named Goldfield by the current owners. The town was founded in 1893, after the discovery of gold in the surrounding area of the Superstition Mountains. The town was abandoned twice by its residents, after the mine veins faulted. The land where the town is located was purchased by a private investor and is now a tourist attraction. Collin Hakes, Riley Morse and Orlando and Orin Merrill were the first to discover gold in the Goldfield area of the Superstition Mountains. Soon thereafter, prospectors came to the area in search of gold. In 1893, the mining town, which became known as Goldfield, was founded next to the Superstition Mountain in what was then the Arizona Territory. The town, in its heyday, reached a population of about 4000 residents.  

It had a hotel, general store, post office, church and school. The Goldfield Post Office was established on October 7, 1893. When the mine vein faulted in 1897, the grade of ore dropped leaving the miners without a job. The town began to suffer since its economy depended heavily on the earnings of the miners who moved out. It was not long before the rest of the town’s residents relocated to other areas leaving Goldfield a ghost town. The Goldfield post office was discontinued on November 2, 1898. 

In 1910, several mines were opened nearby with the installation of a mill and cyanide plant. A small community called Youngberg evolved around the ghost town. The town was named after George U. Young, secretary of Arizona and acting governor at the time. Young was interested in the development of the mining industry of the area. He became President and general manager of the Madizelle Mining Company and Young Mines Company, Ltd. However, the mines faulted again and by 1926, the town was once again deserted.

Robert F. "Bob” Schoose heard of the old site of Goldfield and moved to the town of Mesa, Arizona. In 1984, Schoose and his wife Lou Ann, purchased the location of the Goldfield Mill and decided to rebuild and restore the buildings of the old town with the help of various friends whose names are inscribed in a plaque on the tower which leads to the town. The town and its historic buildings were revived as a tourist attraction. The town has the only 3 ft narrow gauge railroad in operation in Arizona. It also has numerous shops and buildings which include a brothel, bakery, leather works, a jail, livery, and more. Many of these buildings now function as souvenir shops and ticket booths for the mine tour and other attractions that operate out of the ghost town. The Main Street of the town features a reenactment of a western shootout. Mammoth Steakhouse and Saloon on the property is a local dinner attraction.