GOODSPRINGS HISTORICAL SOCIETY
21st Old Timer's Reunion Report
May 3rd & 4th, 2003
ALL HAD A GREAT TIME
In spite of being a bit cool and with showers at night (in Camelot it only rains after sundown) a little over 100 adults signed-in for the Old-Timer's get together.
It's the Whitneys and the Kemples and their extended families who keep this thing going, but the rest of us have a good time too. It has always been the case that each year there are some who can not make it. And there are some who come who we haven't seen for awhile.
There were 17 this year who we hadn't seen for a long time. I won't list everyone but they included Steve and Beth Fredrickson, Dale Lowe, and six of Raymond Kemple's boys, who I grew up with. I failed to mention it in the last letter but their mother, Mabel Kemple, passed away about a year ago.
We started the morning with a dedication of the "Splash Park". Recently the state or county spent over $200,000 on park, playground, and other facilities around the school. Various commisioners spoke and the Goodsprings Elementary School Choir sang a few rousing songs. It is great that these kids have such facilities. I could not help but remember that in my day, for fun, we threw rocks at each other.
After lunch there were pictures and displays in the school. Some of the pictures I had never seen before. Dale Lowe also had a great picture scrapbook that I wish I had seen rnore of.
For the Goodsprings Historical Society, Bobbie Sue (Reed) Pool is collecting stories that you may remember of living in or growing up in Goodsprings. I have not sent Bobbie Sue anything yet but I believe everyone has a lot to offer. I remember community outings down on the dry lake. We would have a ball game and a big bonfire in the evening. We would sing half of the night. I was just a kid but I remember that there was a lot of beer (and soda). And if someone missed the softball, and there was a wind behind it, it could roll on forever on the dry lake. I also remember Carol Lumbard's plane crash. Others can write it up a lot better than I. David Lowe and I, and probably Lisle Lowe, hiked up to it just over the top of Potosi. But the best memories are probably to talk about the different people who lived in town. I hope someone tells about Miss (Sara) Williams. Send to Bobby Sue Pool, (address)
After the potluck some of the folks took a tour of Steve Fleming's new house. The walls are made of bales of straw in the most modern tradition. It is on a small hill about 1/4 mile behind the Pioneer Saloon. It has windows behind and above with a spectacular view of the rnountains and of Potosi.
There has been no development of the proposed windmill farm or of the electric power plant or of the lvanpah-Jean International Airport. Only the airport is for certain and it is on hold pending the resuscitation of the airline business. The Historical Society is going great and has made substantial progress in gathering artifacts, photos, stories of the area, and identifying points of historical importance.
See you next year. Bill & Frances