Old Las Vegas Mormon State Historic Park 500 E. Washington Ave Las Vegas, NV 89101 (702) 486-3511 Oldfort@parks.nv.gov    Old Vegas Mormon State Historic Park is located in downtown Las Vegas, at the intersection of Las Vegas Boulevard and Washington Avenue.  See park hours below.   An entrance fee is charged to enter the fort. Click here for all individual park fees by region (PDF file). The first permanent non-native settlers in the Las Vegas Valley were a group of Mormon missionaries who built an adobe fort along Las Vegas Creek in 1855.   They successfully farmed the area by diverting water from the creek.  Today, the park includes a remnant of the original adobe fort, which contains interpretive displays.   The Visitor Center contains exhibits on the history of the site, as well as historic artifacts.  Historic interpretation is and will remain the focus of the park.  There are series of programs throughout the summer.  The "Friends of the Fort" also provide a series of programs throughout the year.   For more information about the "Friends of the Fort" click here. Park Hours.  Beginning Sunday, November 2, 2008, the Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort State Historic Park will start its winter schedule.  The park will remain open on Tuesday through Saturday from 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., but will be closed on Sundays and Mondays.  The park is located at 500 E Washington Avenue in Las Vegas, Nevada. See Map 2009 Park Programs (Sep-Dec) History of Mormon Fort in Las Vegas Holds Up Volunteers Needed !  Click here for more information. If interested, contact the park at 702-486-3511 or email Nevada State Parks stparks@parks.nv.gov for a volunteer brochure and application. Facilities & Amenities Visitor Center  Historic Sites  Park Origin and History: The Place Where Las Vegas Began One hundred and fifty years ago, a spring-fed creek flowed through this valley, creating an oasis in the desert. With the only free-flowing water and grass for miles around, it attracted the native Paiute people as well as traders, emigrants and gold seekers traveling the Old Spanish Trail to California. The Spaniards called the place Las Vegas - The Meadows. In June of 1855, William Bringhurst and 29 fellow Mormon missionaries from Utah arrived at this site and began construction of a 150-foot square adobe fort, the first permanent structure erected in the valley. The Mormon outpost, complete with post office, served as a way station for travelers. The creek provided irrigation for fields and orchards. Lead was later discovered in the mountains to the Southwest, and the mission was expanded to include mining and smelting, but the effort proved unsuccessful. After less than two years, the Mormon effort was abandoned after dissension arose between two of the local leaders, adding to discouragement of many in the group with the hot summer climate. In 1865, Octavius D. Gass bought the site and developed a large-scale ranch that included a small store and blacksmith shop to serve travelers and supply produce for nearby mining communities. In 1881, Gass defaulted on the mortgage note and ownership of the ranch passed to Archibald and Helen Stewart. Although Archibald was killed in a gunfight in 1884, Helen and her father continued to operate the ranch. In 1902, Helen Stewart sold the ranch and water rights to the San Pedro, Los Angeles & Salt Lake Railroad, and a new town, Las Vegas, sprang into existence in 1905 when the rails reached the valley. From this place, Las Vegas has since expanded to become one of the nation's major metropolitan areas. The Las Vegas Springs & Creek It all started with water. Rising from underground aquifers about four miles west of this point, springs supplied Las Vegas Creek with a year-round supply of water that flowed for several miles before being lost in the desert. For thousands of years the creek was the site of seasonal camps for various groups of native people who hunted the animals and collected the wild plants that grew at this oasis. Later the creek provided early travelers with a welcome place for water and feed. Starting in 1895, the water was used for irrigating crops and orchards by the Mormons and later ranchers. After the city of Las Vegas was founded in 1905, the spring water was diverted into the town's water system and the creek largely dried up. The Old Fort The original fort built by the Mormons in 1855 consisted of an adobe enclosure, 150 feet on each side, with towers or bastions at the northwest and southeast corners. The adobe building closest to the creek is the only surviving part of this structure. The other walls you see and the bastion at the northeast corner are reconstructions. The building was most recently used as a testing lab and office for the United States Bureau of Reclamation, which leased and renovated the building in 1929 during the construction of Hoover Dam. The photo shows the lab in 1929. The Ranch House In 1865 Octavius D. Gass, a miner from El Dorado Canyon acquired the Mormon fort site and used part of the foundation and walls to build a ranch house. Gass also bought out other landholders to assemble a sizable ranch, and built a store and blacksmith shop to supply travelers. Later the ranch was taken over by Archibald and Helen Stewart. Mrs. Stewart occupied the ranch house until she sold it to the San Pedro, Los Angeles & Slat Lake Railroad. The building shown above right was used for various purposes until it was demolished in 1966.

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