Our friend (and FCLV member) Dr. Linda Miller is profiled in this video on Las Vegas pioneer, Helen Stewart.

Helen Stewart is often called the "First Lady of Las Vegas".  She and her husband, Archibald, pioneered the old Las Vegas Ranch, which also served as as waystation for travelers.  The Ranch had water, which in a desert enviroment, was an essential.  After Archibald was killed at the old Kiel Ranch, the owner sent a note telling Helen that her husband was dead and she could come get his body.

She hitched up a buckboard, retrieved Archie's body and gave him a decent burial.  With her children, she stayed on at the Ranch.  When Sen. William Clark came looking for land and water rights for his railroad that would change Las Vegas forever, Helen J. Stewart was the woman he sought out.

She sold her ranch to Clark but maintained the property where Archie was buried.  She bought more acreage and continued to live in Las Vegas.  She became a good friend to the Paiute Indians and traded with them.  Her collection of Indian baskets are now part of the collection at the Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas.

For more information on Helen J. Stewart and her place in Las Vegas history:

http://www.1st100.com/part1/stewart.html