Goodsprings, Nevada facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Goodsprings, Nevada
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The town of Goodsprings, Nevada on November 26, 2006.
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Location of Goodsprings in Clark County, Nevada
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| Country | United States |
| State | Nevada |
| County | Clark |
| Founded | 1900 |
| Named for | Joseph Good |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.98 sq mi (2.53 km2) |
| • Land | 0.98 sq mi (2.53 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 3,717 ft (1,133 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 162 |
| • Density | 165.81/sq mi (64.03/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (PST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| ZIP code |
89019
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| Area code(s) | 702 and 725 |
| FIPS code | 32-29500 |
| GNIS feature ID = | 2408308 |
| Reference #: | 102 |
Goodsprings is a small community in Clark County, Nevada, United States. It's called an "unincorporated community" because it doesn't have its own local government like a city. Two of its oldest buildings, the Pioneer Saloon and the Goodsprings Schoolhouse, were built in 1913 and are still used today!
Goodsprings was once a busy mining town. Over time, its population became much smaller. In 2010, only 229 people lived there. Because of its small size and rich past, some people call Goodsprings a ghost town.
Contents
History of Goodsprings
Goodsprings got its name from a cattle rancher named Joseph Good. His cattle often drank from a spring in the nearby Spring Mountains.
Miners from the Mormon faith first found lead at Potosi Mountain in 1856. Gold was discovered in the area later, in 1893. Goodsprings became the most important mining area in Clark County. Over the years, people mined lead, silver, copper, zinc, and gold here.
Before 1900, a small group of tent homes and a mill were set up. A post office also opened. In 1904, a plan for the Goodsprings area was created. Many of the first buildings were built between 1910 and 1911 when a railroad arrived.
The current Goodsprings Schoolhouse was built in 1913. It is now on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's a very important historical building. It is the oldest school in Clark County that was built as a school and is still used today. In 2009, the school almost closed because of costs. By 2016, it had only about 10 students.
By 1918, about 800 people lived in Goodsprings. Lead mining increased during World War I because lead was needed for ammunition. After the war, mining slowed down, and many families moved away. World War II brought another mining boom, but that also ended after the war. Today, the town's population is around 200 people.
During the 1950s, atomic testing happened in the area around Goodsprings.
Many old buildings in Goodsprings are no longer standing. Several fires destroyed buildings, including a big fire in 1966 that burned down the local Fayle Hotel. The Goodsprings Historical Society works to save and fix local buildings, like repairing their roofs.
The Pioneer Saloon
Goodsprings is famous for the Pioneer Saloon, which opened in 1913. It is one of the oldest saloons in Nevada. Its walls are made from special pressed tin.
In 1915, a disagreement during a card game led to a shooting inside the saloon. A miner named Joe Armstrong shot and killed Paul Coski. Armstrong was later found not guilty. Today, the saloon shows two holes in the wall that are said to be bullet holes from that shooting.
In 1924, during Prohibition (when selling alcohol was illegal), the Pioneer Saloon was raided by officers.
The Pioneer Saloon also has a small memorial for famous actress Carole Lombard and her husband Clark Gable. Lombard's plane crashed into nearby Potosi Mountain in 1942. All 22 people on board died, including Lombard's mother. The saloon and hotel became the main place for search operations after the accident.
A new owner bought the saloon in 2006 and spent about $2 million to fix it up. In 2021, the saloon was sold again for $1.5 million.
The Pioneer Saloon has been used as a filming location for movies like Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and Miss Congeniality. It also appeared in TV shows like Ghost Adventures and The Twilight Zone.
The town is also a big part of the 2010 video game Fallout: New Vegas. The saloon in the game looks just like the real one. The real saloon even has a small area dedicated to the game. Since 2022, the saloon has hosted a yearly festival. Thousands of Fallout fans from all over the world come to Goodsprings for it.
Energy Production
The Goodsprings Waste Heat Recovery Station opened in 2010. This power plant creates 7.5 megawatts of energy by using waste heat from a gas pipeline station. It's like recycling heat that would otherwise be wasted!
The plant is owned by NV Energy and was the first renewable energy plant they owned. It cost $22 million to build. Construction started in March 2010, and it began making power in November of that year.
Geography and Climate
Goodsprings is located in the Goodsprings Valley in southern Nevada. The Bird Spring Range is to the northeast, with Las Vegas beyond it. The community is on Nevada State Route 161, about five miles northeast of Jean and Interstate 15.
The area of Goodsprings is about 1.5 square miles (3.9 square kilometers), and it's all land.
Goodsprings has a dry climate. This means it has long, hot summers and mild winters.
Community Life
Goodsprings has a public library. It is part of the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District.
See also
In Spanish: Goodsprings (Nevada) para niños
