Las Vegas a deadly tale, Helen Stuarts Desert Ranch from the meadow to the Las Vegas strip.
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- Опубліковано 10 лис 2024
- Discover the inspiring story of Helen, a determined rancher who overcame challenges in a harsh desert community. Learn how she transformed her ranch into a thriving business and ultimately Las Vegas, capitalizing on the railroad's arrival in 1902.
The Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort is a historic site that tells the story of the first permanent settlement in the Las Vegas Valley. Here are some highlights from the fort's history:
Construction
In 1855, 30 Mormon missionaries led by William Bringhurst built the fort as a halfway station for travelers between Salt Lake City and the Pacific Coast. The fort was made of adobe bricks and had four walls, two bastions, and two-story interior buildings.
Abandonment
The fort was abandoned in 1857 due to crop failures, lead mining issues, and disagreements among the leaders.
Uses after abandonment
The fort was used as a store by Albert Knapp in 1861, and as a ranch by Octavius Decatur Gass in 1865.
Development of Las Vegas
Helen J. Stewart owned the property from 1882 to 1902, and expanded the ranch to 1,800 acres. She sold the land to the San Pedro, Los Angeles & Salt Lake Railroad, who auctioned it in 1905, starting the process of building Las Vegas.
Today
The Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort is now a state historic park that features a visitor center, exhibits, a replica fort, a pioneer garden, and more. #DesertLife #EntrepreneurialSpirit #RanchLife #HistoryUnfolded #WomenInBusiness #RailroadHistory #InspiringStories #CowgirlHeritage #HardWorkPaysOff #americanwest
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It just like Calico ghost town in southern California, we met ( mom & dad too) a first woman, she was an elderly woman at that time in early 1960's, my dad having conversation with her about the town. Few years later she pass away. Thank you for sharing this video!
Thank you for the great comment and watching. We will see you in the next one
Thanks Weekend,
Stayin tuned! 👍🤠
Thank you so much for your support and watching. We will see you soon in the next one.
Helen was a shrewd business woman. The railroad incorporated in 1901 and the Main Line was completed in 1905. She sold at the perfect time, after securing the water source.
She sure was, this was one tough lady and made some tough decisions. Her early years were rough, but she made it through and helped Vegas grow. Thank you for watching and the comment and we will see you in the next one.
Great history lesson!
Thanks Bob the welder and wife
Hello, thank you. We learned a lot at the location. Thank you for the comment and watching and we will see you in the next one.
WOW!!!! I used to live in North Las Vegas, and traveled daily past the Mormon Fort location, and that was not there in the mid 70's. I was a serious treasure hunter on my days off from the Fire Department and would have loved to explore that one. I spent a lot of time at Kiel Ranch, the only thing there was the White House. and a lot of open land. There also was a lot of Native American artifacts scattered in the open fields surrounding the ranch. I enjoyed this very much, thank you!
Hi, thank you for the great comment, I sure wish more of the buildings were in tact, such a great piece of history. We will see you in the next one.
Road trip
Hello, hope all is well. Thank you for the comment and watching. See you in the next one.
My 2nd g.grandfather on my mother's maternal side, Elijah Knapp Fuller, was one of the first settlers of the Mormon Fort. His daughter, Zilpha Diadema Fuller, was the first white child born on "the meadows." Truth be told the fort was not built to protect so much against Indian raids as incursions by the US Calvary. When it became obvious the Fort would be indefensible against trained troops the Mormons abandoned the enterprise. This was a reaction to "The Mormon War" of 1858 that never actually happened. My mother's dad cowboyed on the Vegas meadows with his brothers as a teenager-1905-1910. I know they drove cattle from as far as Beatty to the railhead in Vegas and also from Vegas to St. Thomas. He said by 1910 Vegas had gotten too "citified" to run cattle down Las Vegas wash and all the old springs had been fenced off. He said being in Las Vegas was like being in a frying pan stuck in an oven, but without any shade. He thought building a city there was "an un-natural act and a crime against nature." And this before a single casino or gambling hall had been built! (but there was a brothel)
Thank you for this great story and piece of history. LAs Vegas is beautiful at night on the strip but that is the strip, by day it looks and feels like it is not supposed to be there. I worked in Vegas a couple days a week and it is just a big with fancy lights. I think your relatives were correct. A crime against nature. Thank you for watching and the great comment and we will see you in the next one.
A pity that I didn't know about this before my 1 and only 1-day visit to Las Vegas. (The gambling has never been of any interest in my life.) 😉😊
Hello, I worked in Vegas for a couple years in the past and also drove by and never stopped, so glad we did. Glad you liked it. Thank you for the comment and watching and we will see you in the next one.
@@weekendescapades That's always the case! There are local roads that I've passed regularly for the 70 years until I retired that I've never traversed. I try to turn in to 1 each time I travel now. Amazing what scenic spots you never knew were just next door! 😊
So true, sometimes we need to slow down and look around 👍🏻