During recent public meetings leading up to the Nevada City Council’s decision to pay themselves and future councilmembers $500 a month, reference was made several times to the town having been incorporated in 1856 –– an oft-repeated misstatement of local history that needs clarification. A related frequent misstatement is the claim that in order to avoid confusion, the town of Nevada became Nevada City in 1864 when the new state to the east was admitted to the Union and appropriated the name Nevada.
It seems logical that a name change would have taken place in 1864 –– or perhaps earlier, in 1861, when the Nevada Territory was carved out of a portion of the Utah Territory. Logical, but not accurate.
Truth is, “Nevada City” was often used as early as 1851 –– thirteen years before Nevada statehood –– and the legal corporate name was, and remains, City of Nevada. So is the county seat Nevada City or City of Nevada? And was it incorporated in 1851 or 1856? Let’s see what happened, then you decide for yourself.
Advertisement
When miners were working Deer Creek and Gold Run Creek in 1849, most people referred to present-day Nevada City as Caldwell’s Upper Store (a general mercantile and grocery store located where Trinity Episcopal Church now stands on Nevada Street). By the spring of 1850, however, a more fitting name was desired.
According to pioneer Charles Marsh, who was at the meeting when it happened, the name “Nevada” was agreed to on April 17, 1850. The name was suggested by O. P. Blackman, a Main Street merchant, and means “snow covered” in Spanish.
Considering that the town-naming meeting was held following a winter that saw several feet of snow accumulate here, it’s easy to understand why Nevada was selected. As for the man who suggested the name, little is known except that Blackman later became a wholesale liquor distributor and purveyor of alcohol for the 1856 San Francisco Committee of Vigilance –– the feared Vigilantes.
The first local newspaper was the Nevada Journal, established in April 1851. In its first edition, the Journal identified its place of publication as Nevada City, and some advertisers began referring to their business being located in Nevada City. Also in 1851, the post office began using Nevada City, Cal. as its postmark.
Insofar as the formal and official City of Nevada designation is concerned, it is a name codified by the incorporations of 1851, 1854, 1856 and 1878, and reads, “The people of the City of Nevada shall be a body politic and corporate, under the style of the ‘City of Nevada.’”
Advertisement
Several months after its first incorporation, the City of Nevada was bankrupt, unable to pay bills because they had neglected to provide themselves with taxing authority. They tried paying with script, but the script had no monetary value. In addition, the incorporation document contained language inconsistent with the state constitution, so disincorporation became necessary.
In 1854 they again incorporated, and everything seemed fine until local newspaper coverage of a criminal trial drew the ire of the district attorney. The DA demanded an apology from the newspaper, but it wouldn’t issue one, so the DA, out of spite, challenged the legitimacy of the 1854 incorporation based on a procedural error, and in 1855 the state supreme court sided with the district attorney. A third incorporation took place in April 1856, and it remained intact until 1878, when a new state constitution was ratified and all California communities reincorporated with new language.
Confused? Here’s a summary: Originally called Nevada, but commonly referred to as Nevada City, its legal name since 1851 has been City of Nevada. The existing City Seal, used to emboss proclamations and other official 21st century documents, reads “City of Nevada,” but the USPS postmark remains Nevada City. Also, the first local newspaper referred to the town as Nevada City, and in the early 1850s some businesses used Nevada City in newspaper display ads.
Clearly, then, the “City” appellation was not added in 1864 when the State of Nevada was admitted to the Union. It’s one of those local myths that has endured –– similar to claims that Nevada County is shaped like a Derringer, the nozzle abutting the State of Nevada, in protest for them stealing the name. (But that’s a story for another day).
Be it Nevada City or City of Nevada, and using whichever incorporation date you prefer, the name Nevada has stood since April 17, 1850. That means next spring the town will observe its 175th birthday. Could be quite a party, but that’s a heck of a lot of candles to blow out with one breath.
A century-old Southern Nevada elementary school will shut its doors this summer after the Clark County School Board approved its closure Thursday.
Goodsprings Elementary School, said to be Nevada’s longest-operating school, will close June 30 after the board voted 6-0 to cease operations at the rural schoolhouse. Trustee Brenda Zamora was absent.
Located about 40 miles southwest of Las Vegas, Goodsprings Elementary had just two students this school year and was expected to have just one student next school year. That remaining student will be rezoned to attend Sandy Valley School, a K-12 school about 12 miles west of Goodsprings, under the plan approved by the board.
Tammy Flanagan, principal of Goodsprings Elementary, said closing the rural school will allow its remaining student to access more social opportunities through clubs and activities.
Advertisement
“Goodsprings Elementary School is a special place to me, and one that I want to preserve with the hope that many people will be able to experience the 113-year-old building and its history,” Flanagan said. “We need to be fiscally responsible. The cost of operating, and the upkeep of the school, is substantial when considering only one student.”
$1 million a year to operate school
The Clark County School District spends about $1 million per year to operate the rural school, district chief of facilities Brandon McLaughlin previously said. Closing Goodsprings will allow the district to redistribute that money to other schools, and the cost of transporting its sole student to Sandy Valley will be cost-neutral for the district, he added.
Goodsprings Elementary began inside a tent in 1907 before its current building opened in 1913, according to its website.
The approved plan did not determine what will become of the schoolhouse, but McLaughlin said the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District has shown interest in relocating its nearby facility into the schoolhouse permanently. McLaughlin added that Goodsprings residents said they would like to turn the building into a community space or a location for the town’s historical society.
If another entity were to take ownership of Goodsprings Elementary School, they would be responsible for any maintenance costs, according to reference materials associated with the plan. The schoolhouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Advertisement
Goodsprings Elementary has two employees: one licensed educator and one part-time custodian and food service worker. Both have already accepted new positions in the district, school officials previously said.
‘We have seen the writing on the blackboard’
Former Goodsprings students reflected on the school’s history during public comment, but acknowledged the strain keeping it open would have on the district.
“I am deeply saddened that we’re facing closure … but we have seen the writing on the blackboard,” said Steve Fleming, a Goodsprings Elementary alumnus whose father was a teacher at the school.
His sister, Mary Blake, who is a member of the Goodsprings Historical Society, urged trustees to visit Goodsprings Elementary and see firsthand what it means to the town’s residents.
“It’s more than just a little school. It’s an important cultural part of the Goodsprings community,” Blake said. “There’s nothing else there except the school.”
Advertisement
In first grade, Bobbie Poole said, she met her future husband while they were students at Goodsprings Elementary. She called the school a cornerstone of Goodsprings that has helped preserve the spirit of rural Nevada life.
Poole called on the school board to ensure the rich history of Goodsprings Elementary does not disappear.
“Once a building like this is unused, it quickly falls to disrepair,” Poole said. “We have an opportunity right now to do something different.”
She added: “Closing a school does not mean we have to lose it.”
The school district previously said district leaders will visit Goodsprings Elementary to celebrate its history on May 2 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. The last day of school at the campus is scheduled for May 21.
Advertisement
Contact Spencer Levering at slevering@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0253.
NEVADA (KOLO) – Three more Nevada counties have been included in a disaster declaration over drought conditions.
Elko, Lincoln, and White Pine Counties have now been added to the list of counties in the state of Nevada the USDA says are experiencing extreme drought.
Their inclusion in the list allows the Farm Service Agency to extend emergency credit to producers through emergency loans.
The loans can be used to replace essential items, reorganize farming operations and more.
Advertisement
The deadline to apply for such credit is Dec. 10.
Extreme drought has previously been declared in Clark, Esmeralda and Nye Counties in Nevada as well as for Mono County and Inyo County in California.
After getting shut out by Liberty on Tuesday, the Desert Oasis baseball team bounced back with an 11-4 victory Wednesday over the visiting Patriots.
With the win in the regular-season finale, the Diamondbacks secured the Desert League’s No. 2 seed in the 5A Southern Region playoffs, which start next week.
“All year, they’ve responded after we’ve lost games,” Desert Oasis coach Paul Buboltz said. “This is an experienced group of guys that are hungry, and they knew what was at stake today.”
The Diamondbacks (21-9-1, 6-4 Desert) didn’t waste any time getting on the scoreboard Wednesday. After Liberty (15-16, 5-5 Desert) jumped to a 1-0 lead in the first inning, Desert Oasis came out swinging.
Advertisement
Senior third baseman Brody Griffith got it started by driving home sophomore second baseman Jayson Marquez to tie the game. Then junior left fielder Ryan Roshak launched a fastball over the wall in right-center for a three-run homer, giving the Diamondbacks a lead they didn’t relinquish.
“That early momentum meant everything for the team,” Roshak said. “It takes a lot of pressure off the guys.”
The Desert Oasis bats made life easier for senior pitcher Crue Smith. After getting into early trouble, Smith kept a potent Patriots lineup at bay for most of the afternoon. The right-hander yielded four runs — one earned — on five hits and two walks while striking out three in 5⅓ innings.
“I think this win will boost our confidence and give us more motivation going into the playoffs,” Smith said.
The Diamondbacks continued to tack on early runs — three in the second inning, off a bases-loaded walk to senior center fielder Aidan Smith and two more on a single from senior designated hitter Ashton Kidd — to go up 7-1.
Advertisement
Liberty crept back into the game, thanks to solid relief pitching from senior Cayden Rodgers-Ramirez. The Patriots added two runs in the sixth, off RBI singles from Rodgers-Ramirez and senior Austin Pepe, to get within 8-4. But the Diamondbacks answered with three runs in the bottom of the inning.
Marquez went 2-for-4, driving in a run and scoring twice. Desert Oasis batters drew seven walks, including two each by senior catcher Landon O’Dell and freshman right fielder Sebastian Mansell.
Junior center fielder Nevan Chandler led Liberty’s offense, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs.
