Pop quiz: What town has Nevada’s oldest and smallest school still in continuous operation?
If you answered Goodsprings — located just 34 miles southwest of Las Vegas — retired Goodsprings schoolteacher Julie Newberry might just give you a gold star. Talk about resilience. One hundred years later, class is still in session. On Sept. 14, the school, originally built as a one-room schoolhouse (with two outhouses) for the whopping cost of $2,000, celebrates its 100th anniversary. “I have said that if there is ever a fire, these things go out the window before I do,” says Newberry.
The party wouldn’t be a true celebration of a historic school if it didn’t have an educational twist. As part of the celebration, they’ll offer tours of the school and historical displays collected by Newberry. A parade of Model Ts, an auction and placing of a time capsule by the school’s current students are also part of the daylong event. A bonus: a walking tour of the town led by members of the Goodsprings Historical Society. Mark P. Hall-Patton, Clark County Museum system administrator and expert on the History Channel’s “Pawn Stars” says, “It’s a great way to understand some of the heritage of Clark County.” Info: goodsprings.org
