The Native Juice – The 1 st Lady of Las Vegas

NATIVE Juice

By Candice Wiener

The First Lady of Las Vegas – Helen J. Stewart

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

determine what he was owed. She stated not much about the incident to anyone including Archibald; but stated that the ranch hand had a “black-hearted slanderer’s tongue.” Upon Archibald’s return to the ranch, it wasn’t long before a short rest and meal that he was saddled back up and on his way to the Kiel Ranch. Owner, Conrad Kiel was present along with Schyler Henry and Hank Parrish, who were said to frequent the ranch with other unsavory characters and outlaws. A gunfight took place and Archie Stewart was shot and killed in 1884. Message was sent to Helen and she was on her way to the Kiel Ranch, which is located near where the cross streets of Losee Road and Carey Ave. meet currently in N. Las Vegas. She helped to load her late husband’s body and he was buried on their land in a family plot with four acres the following day. At this time Helen was pregnant with the couple’s 5th child. After some legal battles, the probate was finalized in 1885 and she and her children owned the entire land. She sought to sell the land but to no prevail and then in 1889, speculation started to occur that there was a possible railroad in the works. She continued to run the ranch with the help of her father, Hiram and Helen started purchasing property adjacent to the ranch. She eventually became the largest landowner in all of Lincoln County, Nevada. Helen now felt better about remaining living in Las Vegas, especially after the arrival of a teacher of Mr. James Ross Megarrigle, who agreed to tutor Helen’s children and she became very close with. He became the first schoolteacher in the Las Vegas School District in Lincoln County before his unfortunate passing in 1894. He was also buried in the families 4-acre plot.

She sold the 1,834 acres of the ranch along with the rights to the water to the Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad in 1902 and moved into a newer home in the growing community of Las Vegas, where she had many additional contributions.

In 1886, Frank Roger Stewart arrived in Las Vegas, with coincidentally no relation to the late Archie Stewart. He and his partner operated a post office and general store. He helped Helen as a ranch handler and would entertain guests and travelers often in the wine cellar. Helen and Frank’s relationship grew into more than an employee work relationship/friendship and in 1903, into marriage between the couple, along with a prenuptial agreement that would allow Helen and her children to retain their assets. Travelers would often leave messages for those coming into town for Helen to give them upon their arrival. And in 1893, Stewart was named the first postmaster of the “Los Vegas” postal office. The incorrect spelling was an attempt to not confuse the post office with mail for Las Vegas, New Mexico. She became the 1st woman elected to the Clark County School District’s Board of Trustees, donated land for the Las Vegas Grammar School, the 1st public school that would be attended by Native American students from the Southern Paiute Indian Tribe and Colony. She maintained and still maintains to be a vital piece of Las Vegas history in business, social, political and educational aspects. Today, there is a public school named after Helen J. Stewart, which I’ve had the pleasure of volunteering and it’s an incredibly awarding experience and school; not solely based on what you learn about Helen and her historic and noble native roots, but the school is a special education school that serves students with significant intellectual disabilities and other secondary disabilities who range in age from 6-22 years old. If you’ve ever walked the ground of Helen J. Stewart, you will be pleased to know that the resources provided to these students in our local community that have significant disabilities are met with specialized instruction in daily living, functional academics, vocational, communication, behavioral, and transitional needs in their large facility which boasts an indoor swimming pool, a barn, sensory room, computer lab, daily living skills room, and a greenhouse facility. These facilities are used to enhance student learning and to develop life-long skills and interests that can be generalized to the community in which they live. The school also helps students with communication, and life skills goals. REALVEGASMAGAZINE.COM

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