NATIVE Juice By Candice Wiener
REALVEGASMAGAZINE.COM
The First Lady of Las Vegas – Helen J. Stewart
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Helen J. Stewart settled in Las Vegas in 1882. At that time, she was the first and only female resident in Las Vegas, NV. Helen was a female pioneer in Las Vegas and truly paved the path for generations of women in the west to come. Helen J. Stewart was born in Springfield, Illinois on April 16, 1854. Hiram Wiser, her father, moved the family to Sacramento, California where she went to public school and eventually college in Woodland, California. She married Archibald Stewart In April of 1873 and the young couple moved to Pony Springs near Pioche, Nevada. Helen’s husband, Archibald operated a freighting business near Pioche, a wood ranch, a cattle ranch where he also raised vegetables, hauled mining equipment, as well as other businesses he ventured into. As a successful businessman, Stewart loaned $5,000 in gold to Octavius D. Gass and eventually gained the Las Vegas ranch as collateral for the loan upon default. It was said that Gass had been trying to sell the ranch for years and rumored that he may have never had intended on
ever paying back the debt. The growing family moved to Las Vegas in April of 1882. They took possession of what was called at the time the “Los Vegas Rancho”. Helen wasn’t particularly fond of the isolated ranch life in Pioche and Archibald told her they would only be in Las Vegas for 2 years. She started to embrace and enjoy the constant flow of travelers in Las Vegas, though. She desired female friends and feminine companionship; therefore, she was said to be overly joyed when a new group of travelers had women in their groups for the female camaraderie. Helen was however concerned upon initial arrival of not having another female present when she gave birth and the absence of educational opportunities for her children. They settled into the 960-acre ranch and started to do what they set out to do – make it successful and profitable. Archibald continued to travel and supply produce and farm animals to miners in El Dorado Canyon. He was gone for a few days when a ranch handler confronted Helen, told her he was quitting and demanded his final wages. Helen declined and told the ranch hand, Schyler Henry, that he would have to wait until Archibald’s return so he could adequately
