A bronze statue of Helen Jane Stewart, who earned the title “The first lady of Las Vegas,” is located outside the entrance of the visitor center in the Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort State Historic Park.
Helen Jane Stewart arrived in Las Vegas Valley with her husband and three children in 1882. While pregnant with her fifth child, her husband got shot by a neighbor and died. She continued running her farm while expanding it by purchasing land, until she became the area’s largest landowner. In 1893, she was the first postmaster of Las Vegas. In 1902 she sold her ranch, and on her land, the city of Las Vegas was established.
Stewart remarried, moved to a new home in the growing community of Las Vegas, and had a key role in developing the city. She helped fund the city’s first public library and assisted in forming the Las Vegas School District.
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