Gold Prospector.
When significant gold strikes in Goldfield, Tonopah, and Rawhide began drawing thousands of people to the Nevada desert, they also drew a prospector named Tim Cody. Setting up a base camp at Stewart Springs, about 15 miles from Goldyke, Cody quickly began prospecting the area.
Before long, he was running low on supplies and decided to make a trip to Goldyke on an overcast winter’s morning. On foot, he began the long journey when a storm began to brew. In the windstorm, he was soon lost and found shelter in an abandoned mine shaft.
Spending the night in the mine, he arose to find the storm was gone and the skies were clear blue. He climbed a nearby ridge to get his bearings before continuing his journey to Goldyke. He found a rich gold vein in a quartz outcropping along the way. Picking up some samples, Cody continued his climb to the top.
He could clearly see Paradise Peak and Rawhide Peak to the northwest from the summit. Making his way back down to continue his trip to Goldyke, he was lost again, but after some difficulty, he finally made his way to the settlement. After re-supplying, he returned to his base camp and tried several times to relocate the gold-laden quartz vein.
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However, his continued searches proved fruitless, and finally, he moved on. However, three men showed up in 1949 with a map Cody had supposedly drawn for them. The three scoured the area looking for the lost ledge, but they, too, could not find the rich gold vein.
Today, the legend continues. The lost ledge is said to be somewhere in the hills south of Gabbs. Perhaps, you will be the lucky prospector to find it again.
©Kathy Alexander/Legends of America, updated November 2025.
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