Existing comment:
140 years ago-Today (1855-1900s):
1855-Today: Mormon Farmers, Ranchers, and Miners:
In 1855, Mormons from Utah built a fort in Las Vegas Valley and a temporary station at the California Crossing of the Muddy River. Within ten years, Mormon farms were established along the Muddy River as well, displacing the native Southern Paiutes. Descendants of both the Paiutes and of the Mormon settlers still live along the Muddy River.
1861-Today: Non-Mormon Settlers:
People from many different parts of the world came to southern Nevada to make a new start. In 1905, a railroad opened that linked this remote region to the Union Pacific RR main line at Ogden, Utah and the harbor of San Pedro, California. The same year, the railroad founded the City of Las Vegas to serve as a maintenance yard for its trains.
1873-Today: Moapa Indian Reservation:
In 1873, the US government confined the Southern Paiutes to a 1,000-acre reservation on a tiny part of their ancestral lands along the upper Muddy River. In 1882, President Jimmy Carter ordered about 73,000 acres to be added. Valley of Fire was not included, but the reservation now extends to the park entrance road at I-15. |