Helen J. Stewart: Pioneer and Postmaster of Las Vegas

Helen J. Stewart was from German/ English decent and was born on April 16, 1854 in Springfield, Illinois and died on March 6, 1926 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Helen attended the public schools in Sacramento county and attended Hesperian College in Woodland, California for about a year. Helen J. Stewart developed into a highly skilled rancher and a business woman. Understanding that someday the land in the Las Vegas Valley would become of value, she started buying land that was close to her ranch. By 1890, she was the biggest landowner in Lincoln County, which during that time included present-day Clark County. She was selected as the principal postmaster of Las Vegas in 1893. The name was spelled “Los Vegas” until 1903. The authentic spelling was designed to prevent confusion with Las Vegas, New Mexico. As the new town of Las Vegas started to develop and become settled with people, Helen J.

In 1916, she was the first woman elected to the Clark County School Board. She agreed to accept the position of clerk with the stipulation that the actual clerical work would be done by the principal of the high school. When the problem was submitted to the Nevada Attorney General for a decision on the legality of the plan, his decision was favorable to her. Helen J. Stewart served as a juror on the first trial in Clark County containing women jurors as well as being one of the first women jurors to participate in a murder trial. Helen J. Stewart was considered an authority on the history of southern Nevada and wrote a portion of Sam Davis’ The History of Nevada. With the help of her friend, Dr. Jeanne Wier, she organized a branch of the Nevada Historical Society in Las Vegas. Dr. Wier had become the founding Executive Director of the Nevada Historical Society located in Reno in 1904. Active in several women’s clubs, Helen encouraged the women to record their stories and their history. In 1997 Helen J. Stewart was among