In 1927, Goldie and Marion came to the Quijotoa Mining District in southwestern Arizona. Rich deposits of silver had been discovered in the Quijotoa Mountains in the 1880s, and the area quickly became a booming mining district. By the 1920s, however, just a few rugged miners remained. Prospecting was grueling work. Dirt was shoveled into a shaker box and water was poured over it to separate out any dust-sized specks of gold. The work was hot and backbreaking, and water had to be hauled from miles away.

Goldie and Marion lived with Marion's brother, Joshua, in a one-room mining shack, helping him work his claims and prospecting for gold and silver in the nearby hills. Most of the heavy work fell to Goldie since Marion and Joshua were in poor health and too old to do a long day's work. Joshua died in 1929, leaving all of his claims to Goldie and Marion.