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Subject: [CASANFRA] JIC Bio of G. Wingfield
Date: Mon, 20 Oct 2003 00:15:23 EDT

JOURNALISM IN CALIFORNIA

BY JOHN P. YOUNG

Pacific Coast and Exposition Biographies

CHRONICLE PUBLISHING COMPANY
San Francisco, California
1915

Page 227

Great Men and Great Men's Achievements
Form the Background for
California's Progress
Page 338

George Wingfield


PERHAPS the most interesting lives in this country to contemplate are those
of the men who, starting with nothing, have achieved fame and fortune by their
own initiative and strength. One of such men in the "Western country is George
Wingfield of Nevada, a man, who now, before he is forty years of age, is
counted among the wealthy men of the country, is a potent factor in the mining and
banking world and is favorably known from one end of the nation to the other.
George Wingfield was born in Fort Smith, Arkansas, Au- gust 16, 1876, the
son of Thomas Y. and Martha M. Wingfield. His parents came across the plains
and settled near Lakeview, Oregon. It was here that Wingfield spent his youth,
attending the public schools and working on his father's ranch.
From Lakeview he went to Golconda, Nevada, when he had barely reached his
majority and interested himself in mining and other pursuits. He made two or
three small fortunes but these he lost. Finally he went to Tonopah, when the
mining boom started there in the spring of 1900.
Before leaving Golconda, George S. Nixon, who later became U. S. Senator
from Nevada, told Wingfield that if he saw anything that looked good around
Tonopah to let him know. Acting upon this suggestion, Wingfield advised Nixon that
he thought the opportunities around Tonopah excellent. Nixon thereupon joined
Wingfield in several enterpriises, Wingfield having accumulated some money in
the meantime.
It has been rumored that Senator Nixon "grubstaked" Wingfield, but this is
contrary to fact. The joint investments finally resulted in the partnership of
Nixon and Wingfield, which later developed into one of the biggest that the
West has ever known-a partnership that involved millions, but without a written
agreement, and which depended wholly upon the personal honor and Integrity of
the two men.
While Tonopah was booming a mining strike occurred at the camp then called
Grandpa, which later became the world-famous Goldfield. Nixon and Wingfield
secured, with others, a lease on the Florence mine, from which they took out
several hundred thousand dollars net. They then became interested in various
other leading mining properties in Goldfield and also established the banking
house of John S. Cook & Company.
Believing thoroughly in the camp's future, Wingfield gradually acquired
more partnership stocks. He studied the situation thoroughly and with the aid of
his associates determined upon those properties which should show the greatest
promise and which would command the situation. These properties were the
Combinat-ion, Mohawk, Laguna, Red Top, Jumbo and Goldfield Mining Company.
Having gained control of these he launched and carried the idea of
consolidating them into one company, known a s the Goldfield Consolidated Mines Co.,
with a capital stock of $50,000,000, of which approximately $35,000,000 in
stock was Issue d to absorb the
subsidiary companies. By the end of 1914 the company produced $44,000,000,
made a net recovery of $29,000,000 and paid a total of $27,398,215 in dividends
or $7.70 per share. As far as known this is a record.
Nixon and Wingfield extended their Investments to banking, livestock, real
estate and other business pursuits and acquired the Nixon National Bank of
Reno and the First National Bank of Winnemucca. In 1909 they decided upon a
friendly dissolution of the partnership. The banks- with the exception of that of
John S. Cook & Co. at Goldfield-the real estate and other property went to
Senator Nixon, while the mining and other interests passed to Mr. Wing- field.
In 1912 Senator Nixon died and Governor Oddie appointed Mr. Wingfield as
United States Senator from Nevada. But Mr. Wingfield declined to accept as he
wished to devote all his time to his business and the up building of the State.
Shortly thereafter the Nixon heirs requested Mr. Wingfield to act as
president of the Senator's banking institutions in Nevada. Later the interest of
the Nixon estate in these banks was sold to Mr. Wingfield and he is now
president and controlling factor in the Nixon National Bank of Reno, First National
Bank of Winnemucca, Bank of Nevada Savings & Trust Co. of Reno, Carson Valley
Bank of Carson and John S. Cook & Co., Bankers, of Goldfield. In addition he is
president of the Goldfield Consolidated Mines Co., and of numerous other
mining corporations, and has extensive ranch and livestock Interests.
Mr. Wingfield believes in spending his money where he made it. He has done
many things for Nevada, simply because he thought it would help make it grow
and prosper-where the profit to himself was very little or nothing.

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