Archive Record
Metadata
Catalog Number |
MSNC00001-2 |
Filing Title |
Wingfield (George) collection |
Collection |
George Wingfield collection |
Dates of Creation |
1900-1958 |
Creator |
Wingfield, George |
Scope & Content |
Correspondence and other materials relating to Wingfield and his activities in mining and banking. Includes records of companies run by Wingfield, including Getchell Mine Inc., Goldfield Consolidated Mines Company, Nevada Stock Farm Inc., Reno Securities Company, and numerous banks. Correspondents include Bernard M. Baruch, Clarence F. Burton, Alfred Frankenthal, Henry Clay Frick, Herbert Hoover, Estey A. Julian, Pat McCarran, John Victor Mueller, Tasker L. Oddie, Key Pittman, M.L. Requa, and Fred Searls. |
Admin/Biographical History |
George Wingfield, the most powerful financial and political figure in Nevada during the first half of the 20th century, received his start in the early days of the Tonopah boom and soon went into mining ventures. In a short time, he held control of the fabulously rich Goldfield Consolidated Mines Company and amassed a very sizeable fortune. From there he went on to establish a chain of banks across the state, the collapse of which eventually caused Wingfield and thousands of other Nevada citizens to suffer financial disaster during the Depression of the 1930s. Recouping his losses, Wingfield joined with Noble H. Getchell in developing the Getchell Mines near Winnemucca, with supposed assistance from Bernard Baruch, a long-time friend. Wingfield diversified his holdings, creating the Reno Securities Company, and purchasing the Riverside Hotel in Reno, the Tonopah Club in Tonopah, and other ranching and commercial properties in Nevada and California, as well as breeding world-famous horses. For years, Wingfield was a figure of controversy, winning both praise and enmity. Doubtless his greatest impact on the state was his management of Nevada politics through a "bi-partisan machine" that won him nationwide attention and the title "King of Nevada." Through his organization, Wingfield sought liberalized legislation affecting divorce, gambling, and other laws, ultimately leading to Nevada's receiving a reputation that is still widely recognized. Despite strong criticism, Wingfield served as Regent of the University of Nevada, receiving an honorary degree from that institution, and was President of the American Mining Congress. He also made philanthropic contributions to such civic organizations as the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. George Wingfield's political influence climaxed in the 1930s, but he continued to be a major force in the Republican Party until the 1950s before his semi-retirement and death at the age of 83. |
Finding Aids |
George Wingfield collection finding aid |
Language of Material |
English |