Passing through Wickenburg, travelers may pass an historic little red schoolhouse on their way to Kingman, Laughlin or Las Vegas.
An abandoned wooden
and adobe house was moved from Vulture Gold Mine to the present day site, and Don Ignacio Garcia donated the land in 1895. It became the Garcia School, built in 1905 at a cost of $1,600!
We recently stopped to visit this historic site. The wealth of information contained within the schoolhouse walls is a treat! Photos and albums of late 19th and early 20th Century schoolmates are kept here. Student desks, musical instruments, and other educational memorabilia grace the
little one-room school. Alumni of Garcia School are encouraged to provide information on their attendance for the record.
Cousin Carl attended Garcia School in 1943 during his first year of school when his Mother, Uncle and Aunt managed the Greyhound Bus Stop in downtown Wickenburg. He even enjoyed ringing the old school bell during our visit!
Teacher qualifications in the late 1800s included "Ability to read,
write, do "sums", know some grammar, geography and history; have ninth
grade ability." Today's teachers can laugh at the requirements then!
It's interesting to compare the costs per pupil per year, the teacher's average monthly pay, and the population for the Town of Wickenburg through the years!
The little red schoolhouse is entered in the National Register of Historic Places, and is worth the time to visit. Garcia School was restored in 1984. It can make a fun day trip, an educational spring break destination, or a convenient stop for travelers. The little red schoolhouse is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
