Moapa Valley
From the parent colonies in Utah during the mid nineteenth century, pioneer groups began to spread out to the surrounding country. Wherever valleys existed with possibilities for farming, these groups established communities, usually with fairly compact community centers similar to New England towns. Thus it was that the Moapa and Virgin River Valleys came to be settled, largely by Mormon colonists. In Moapa Valley, the first colonization began in 1864 and in Virgin Valley about the same time.
Education of the colonists’ children was important to them and a school was one of the priorities. Classes were held under difficult conditions, in homes, under trees and in temporary structures. However it did not take long for dedicated structures to be built. Presented here are pictures of some of these early buildings.
By 1919, the struggle for equalization in school financing led the state legislature to consolidate the two "Valleys" and the surrounding area into Clark County Educational District No. 1. This action gradually closed all the one and two room schools. In 1956, all schools in the county were consolidated forming the Clark County School District. At that time, four of the original District No. 1 schools remained, Overton, Logandale, Mesquite and Bunkerville.
While Education in the Neon Shadow features a section on Moapa Valley, not all of the Archive Committee's collection fit into the publication. To view additional artifacts on this community, take the Moapa Valley tour. Begin by clicking the below START button or click on thumbnails to jump to an individual page.
Moapa Valley Tour
St. Thomas
St. Joseph
Logandale, part 1
Logandale, part 2
Moapa
Dry Lake & Warm Springs
Overton, Part 1
