West Sahara in Las Vegas in Clark County, Nevada — The American Mountains (Southwest)
Las Vegas Ranches 1865-1905
Photographed by Jeremy Snow, February 16, 2024
1. Native People Knew the Old Spanish Trail Marker
Life in the Las Vegas Valley in the 19th Century revolved around three ranches owned by O.D. Gass/Archibald Stewart, Conrad Kiel and Jim Wilson.
The Gass/Stewart Ranch (1865-1905) was built on land developed earlier by the Mormons. The Kiel Ranch (1875-1904) expanded from the Indian Farm the Mormons created. The Wilson Ranch (1876-1929) below Red Rock escarpment grew out of farmland first planted to feed Potosi miners.
Ranchers provided meat and produce to mining camps, using the wagon road which ran through this park. Travelers on their way to California or Utah used it too.
The railroad bought the Stewart Ranch in 1902 and the Kiel Ranch in 1904. A remnant of the Stewart Ranch is now the Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort State Historic Park, and Wilson's Ranch is now the Spring Mountain Ranch State Park.
The Kiel Ranch, reduced to seven acres, is owned by North Las Vegas. All are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
[Captions:]
Conrad Kiel at the reservoir on his ranch
Special Collections, Lied Libary, UNLV
Archibald Stewart and his wife Helen took over the Las Vegas Ranch in 1882, which O.D. Gass forfeited when he did not repay a loan. - Special Collections, Lied Library, UNLV
Octavius Decatur Gass, founder of the Las Vegas Ranch. Gass was president of the Arizona Territorial Senate until Congress gave his part of Clark County to Nevada in 1867. - Special Collections, Lied Library, UNLV
James B. Wilson, Sr on his his Sand Stone Ranch, now Spring Mountain Ranch State Park, with his two adopted sons, Tweed and Willard. George, great-grandson of rancher Conrad Kiel, is seated in background. - Special Collections, Lied Library, UNLV
Erected by Clark
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1865.
Location. 36° 8.356′ N, 115° 16.117′ W. Marker is in Las Vegas, Nevada, in Clark County. It is in West Sahara. It can be reached from 8150 Tara Ave. Marker is located along walking path in the middle of Old Spanish Trail Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 8150 Tara Ave, Las Vegas NV 89117, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Nevada’s Mojave Desert. It is also in the American Southwest and in the Mountain West. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain and also Mexicos Alta California.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Native People Knew the Old Spanish Trail (here, next to this marker); Children and the Old Spanish Trail (within shouting distance of this marker); The Mormon Battle & The Old Spanish Trail (within shouting
Photographed by Jeremy Snow, February 16, 2024
2. Las Vegas Ranches 1865-1905 Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on December 19, 2024. It was originally submitted on February 23, 2024, by Jeremy Snow of Cedar City, Utah. This page has been viewed 1,479 times since then and 135 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on February 23, 2024, by Jeremy Snow of Cedar City, Utah. 2. submitted on February 24, 2024, by Jeremy Snow of Cedar City, Utah. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
