Goodsprings, Nevada: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 17:46, 23 April 2025

Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox settlement Goodsprings is an unincorporated community in Clark County, Nevada, United States.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Pioneer Saloon and the Goodsprings School house were both built in 1913 and are still in use to this day. The town was once a prosperous mining town before seeing a significant decline in the population.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref> The population was 162 as of the 2020 census. Due to this, Goodsprings has been characterized as a ghost town.<ref name=":3">Template:Cite web</ref>

History

File:Goodsprings Schoolhouse.jpg

Goodsprings Schoolhouse was built in 1913

The town was named for cattle rancher Joseph Good, whose cattle frequented a spring nestled in the southeastern foothills of the Spring Mountains.<ref name=":3" /><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Mormon miners discovered lead at Potosi Mountain in 1856.<ref name=":5">Template:Cite web</ref> Gold was first discovered in the region in 1893.<ref name=":3" /> Goodsprings was once the heart of the most productive mining districts in Clark County.<ref name=":4">Template:Cite web</ref> Over the years, lead, silver, copper, zinc and gold have all been mined from this area.

Before 1900, a small cluster of tent cabins and a mill were erected, and a post office. Lincoln County established Goodsprings Township. In 1904, Salt Lake City mining interests platted the Goodsprings Township. Most early buildings in the town were constructed during the boom spurred by the railroad in 1910–1911.

After a number of moves, the current Goodsprings Schoolhouse was erected in 1913. Now on the National Register of Historic Places, it is the oldest school in Clark County that was built as a school and is still used as a school.<ref name=":5" /> In 2009 citing costs, the school was nearly shut down.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=":6">Template:Cite web</ref> By 2016, the school had only around 10 students.<ref name=":5" />

The town boasted a population of 800 by 1918.<ref name=":3" /> Lead mining increased during World War 1 to produce ammunition.<ref name=":8">Template:Cite web</ref> However, after World War I, mining slowed and families moved away. World War II created a second boom, but it too slowed after the war ended.<ref name=":4" /> The town's population has dwindled to approximately 200.<ref name=":6" />

During the 1950s, atomic testing took place in the area.<ref name=":6" />

Many of the buildings that were once built no longer are standing in Goodsprings. A major cause were the several fires destroyed buildings in the city, including a 1966 fire which destroyed the local Fayle Hotel.<ref name=":4" /> The Goodsprings Historical Society has attempted to preserve and restore local buildings by making repairs to the roofs.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Pioneer Saloon

File:Goodsprings Nevada Pioneer Saloon 2.jpg

The Pioneer Saloon, built in 1913

Goodsprings is the home of the Pioneer Saloon, which opened in 1913 and is considered to be one of the oldest saloons in Nevada.<ref name=":1" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The walls of the saloon are made out of pressed tin.<ref name=":3" /> On June 27, 1915 a dispute over a card game between Paul Coski and miner Joe Armstrong resulted in Armstrong firing twice at Coski, killing him.<ref name=":2">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Armstrong was initially exonerated of wrong doing by coroner's jury on the basis of self-defense.<ref name=":2" /> He was subsequently put on trial and found not-guilty according to Reno Gazette-Journal on the basis that "he had never been a quarrelsome man, and had a splendid record".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The contemporary saloon showcases two holes in the wall that it says were bullet holes from the shooting with a local newspaper article explaining the case.<ref name=":1" />

The Pioneer Saloon and several other locations around Las Vegas were raided in 1924 by regulatory officers in violation of prohibition banning the sale of alcohol.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In addition, the Pioneer Saloon has a small memorial to Carole Lombard and her husband Clark Gable. Lombard's plane TWA Flight 3 crashed into nearby Potosi Mountain on January 16, 1942,<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref> resulting in the death of all 22 people on board, including Lombard's mother and press agent.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The saloon and hotel were the centers of operations for the search in the aftermath of the accident.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

A new owner purchased the saloon in 2006, and put around 2 million dollars renovating the building.<ref name=":8" /> The Pioneer Saloon was purchased in 2021 for 1.5 million dollars after the previous owner had owned it for 15 years.<ref name=":1" />

The saloon has also been used as a filming location for film productions such as Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, and Miss Congeniality as well as the reality television series Ghost Adventures.<ref name=":0" /> This saloon appeared in several films and TV series, such as The Twilight Zone, The Misfits, and Cherry 2000.Template:Citation needed The town also features prominently in the 2010 video game Fallout: New Vegas. The saloon, which is re-created accurately in the videogame, has a small corner dedicated to the game. Since 2022, the saloon has hosted a yearly festival, drawing thousands of Fallout fans from around the world to Goodsprings.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":0" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Energy production

The Goodsprings Waste Heat Recovery Station opened in 2010, providing 7.5MW of energy from waste heat produced at a Kern River Pipeline compressor station.<ref name=":7">Template:Cite news</ref> The plant is owned and operated by NV Energy and is the first renewable energy plant owned by the company.<ref name="np1">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="ihs1">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The plant which cost $22 million was constructed by Ormat Technologies construction began in March 2010 and began operations in November of that year.<ref name="np1" /><ref name="ihs1" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=":7" />

Geography

Goodsprings is in the Goodsprings Valley of southern Nevada. The Bird Spring Range lies to the northeast with Las Vegas beyond. The community is on Nevada State Route 161 five miles northeast of Jean and Interstate 15.<ref>Nevada Atlas & Gazetteer, DeLorme, 8th ed, 2012, p. 70 Template:ISBN</ref>

According to the United States Census Bureau, the census-designated place (CDP) of Goodsprings has a total area of Template:Convert, all of it land.

Climate

Goodsprings experiences an arid climate with long, hot summers, and mild winters. Template:Weather box

Demographics

Template:US Census population As of the census<ref name="GR2">Template:Cite web</ref> of 2000, there were 232 people, 107 households, and 63 families residing in the CDP. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 122 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the CDP was 89.66% White, 1.72% African American, 0.43% Native American, 1.72% from other races, and 6.47% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.74% of the population.

There were 107 households, out of which 20.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.8% were married couples living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.2% were non-families. 35.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.83.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 22.8% under the age of 18, 3.0% from 18 to 24, 22.8% from 25 to 44, 28.9% from 45 to 64, and 22.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.7 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $40,430, and the median income for a family was $58,125. Males had a median income of $35,924 versus $28,594 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $22,282. None of the families and 9.2% of the population were living below the poverty line, including no under eighteens and 19.6% of those over 64.