Diamondfield

Esmeralda County

Diamondfield rose up on the heels of the Goldfield boom. The town was not named for it's diamond mining. It was named for a famous gunman named Diamondfield Jack Davis who was responsible for the founding of the town. As the story goes in Patera's "Columbia, Nevada", in the fall of 1903, there were only a few dozen miners in Goldfield. On the day before Thanksgiving, the miners were hunkered down with little food and no fresh meat. To their enjoyment, a wagon came into town hauling cargo that included two turkeys and a goose. The wagon was being driven by Jack Davis. Not long after this, Davis platted the Diamondfield town site 5 miles north of Goldfield. While the town was in Esmeralda County, many of the mines were located in Nye County. In 1904, Diamondfield appeared to have promise. A new road from Tonopah to Goldfield was established through Diamondfield. A stage line from Diamondfield to Goldfield ran three times a day with a one-way rate of $1.00, or round-trip for $1.50. Jack Davis was not only the main salesman for the town lots, but he also owned the stage line as well. Diamondfield Miners Union No. 233 was also established. The population appeared to see its height of 500 residents in 1905. Electricity was also available in Diamondfield, via Goldfield. In 1907, Jack Davis witnessed the murder of John Silva by union representatives at a restaurant in Goldfield. He became a witness for the prosecution and a bounty for his murder was put out. The threats eventually faded by 1908. By 1907, the population was estimated between 200 and 400 residents. From here, the decline was on. By 1910, Jack Davis himself left Diamondfield for other endeavors. By the start of World War I, Diamondfield was almost dead. A police raid at Diamondfield in 1923 did turn up a substantial moonshining operation though.

During the 1890's, prior to arriving at the Goldfield boom, Jack Davis worked for John Sparks (future Nevada Governor) and the massive Sparks cattle operation. His job appeared to be that of a gun thug who would scare off sheep herders or others unfriendly to the cattle operation. Two sheep herders were found murdered across the Idaho border in Cassia County. Jack Davis was eventually arrested, tried, convicted and sentenced to hang. John Sparks used the full force of his influence to help Davis in this legal battle. In 1898, another man named James Bower confessed to the killings. The Idaho Supreme Court eventually gave Davis a full pardon... The colorful life of Diamondfield Jack Davis came to an end in Las Vegas in 1949. He was hit and killed by a taxi-cab while crossing the street.

Post Office: November 2, 1904 to May 30, 1908

Last Trip/ Road Conditions: For some reason, I don't have a date on my last time there. I believe that it was the spring of 2015. The roads back to Diamondfield were fine in a two-wheel drive truck. There really isn't anything left to see of the actual town. There are historical signs that show where previous buildings such as the school and assay office once stood.