The Goffs Schoolhouse

Hidden away in the Mojave Desert north of I40 and west of Needles, California is a place called Goffs. Not much of it remains except its schoolhouse, the Goffs Cultural Center, and an appreciable amount of history. My wife Dixie and I visited Goffs the day after Christmas 2010, and are delighted we did.

People here have accomplished an abundance of good work and intend to do a great deal more. Come take a look and see if you agree.

The Santa Fe Railroad is the primary reason Goffs exists, so we were not surprised to see trains run­ning alongside the road as we approached the tiny town from the southwest.

At Lanfair Road off to the left we caught out first glimpse of what remains of Goffs. From this distance it did not appear that there would be a lot to see and do. But surprises were in store.

Already having viewed several photographs of the Goffs Schoolhouse, we knew what to expect. There amongst the trees, bushes and fences was a familiar-looking structure.

We had traveled two hundred twenty-two miles from Sierra Madre that morning, and then we found ourselves standing at the schoolhouse gate.

We walked around the building taking pictures every few steps. How many youngsters had studied and played here between 1914 and 1937, the years during which classes were held? As it turns out, records of 412 students who attended the school have been located.

This is the east wall that had collapsed, causing the ceiling to droop almost three feet and the roof to threaten to come tumbling down. Repairs were made during the nineteen eighties.

Caretaker John Harrington met us at the schoolhouse entrance and escorted us indoors where he showed us the model he had created of the new Library building constructed in the image of the old Goffs Railway Depot. Photos of the actual Library can be seen farther down this page.

The next few images show the interior of the schoolhouse and the various memorabilia collections that are housed within. It is obvious that great care has been taken in assembling the historic items.

Mojave Desert Heritage and Cultural Association Secretary Hugh Brown soon joined us, and added to the lore that John Harrington, left, had been sharing with us moments before. Dixie was delighted with the merchandise on display, and purchased several books and commemorative T-shirts.

This interesting display shows samples of indigenous plants that were used to dye yarn for weaving.

Hugh Brown shared details with me of various photos from long-gone days and events. Many more items are in storage, and plans are being made to put them on display as time and space will allow.

U.S. Army troops were stationed at Goffs during World War II, as many as ten thousand at certain times. An impressive collection of military gear is on display along the schoolhouse’s east wall.

Mission-style architecture features spacious porches on the south and west sides of the schoolhouse.

A desert cottontail enjoys the tranquility of the grounds surrounding the Goffs Cultural Center.

(Italics signify text found in the free publication entitled “Guide to the Goffs Cultural Center School­house Out­door Museum Nature Trail.”)
The Double-Ended Model T — This fascinating example of “desert engineering” was donated by Maurice and Lenna Swain. You will note it is a Model T with two engines joined back to back. The miners would run one of the engines while the other one, fitted with bushings in spark plug holes and hoses, served as a compressor to drive mining machinery.

It has been said that “the desert is no lady,” a blunt reference to fierce winds and wide variations in temperature. Coupled with decades of exposure to the elements, tires on this 1928 truck attest to the harsh conditions with which all desert dwellers are familiar.

The new Library that was designed to replicate the old Goffs Railway Depot. The long low corrugated section houses memorabilia that eventually will be put on display.

Stotts Stamp Mill—Baker Iron Works, Los Angeles. Probably the last remaining original and com­plete stamp mill in the East Mojave Desert. We have all the pieces to erect a functioning mill—stamps, mortar boxes, feeders, shake table, and more. It was purchased in 1999, disassembled by volunteers (mainly Glenn Miller and the Dick MacPherson family), and brought to Goffs along with a diagram to assist putting it back together. The Stotts Stamp Mill was originally in a spot where it would have been completely destroyed by the 70,000-acre Mojave National Preserve fire of 2005.

A hand-operated post drill sometimes employed by blacksmiths. Several of these exist at Goffs.

Nevada Engineering Works two-stamp mill—This two-stamp ore mill—rare for its place of manu­facture in Reno—spent its life above the 8,000-foot level on Mount Grant southeast of Yerington, Nevada. Ore was forced into the slot in the back of the battery box. the flywheel was turned by a belt that was driven by a large engine. As the flywheel turned, the cams struck on the tappets and raised the stamps about five inches. As the cam continued to turn, the stamps would slip off the end and drop, and the ore that had moved under the stamp shoe would be crushed. That was the basic principle for the great majority of stamp mills in the American West before 1900.

Fairbanks-Morse Engine—This massive base and its huge flywheels are all that remain of a huge Fairbanks-Morse engine that was used to operate the hoist at the MacPherson Mine.

Bucket with refractory lining—This huge bucket is from a copper smelter in Butte, Montana.

Across the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad tracks from the schoolhouse and the Goffs Cultural Center are these buildings, and are about all that remains of Goffs.