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The Mesquite Club | America 250 Nevada
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Members of the Mesquite Club posing in costume for a George Washington’s Birthday celebration in Las Vegas, circa 1914.
Courtesy of the Clark County Museum
The Mesquite Club
702 E St Louis Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89104
Founded in 1911
Seventeen visionary women started the Mesquite Club in 1911. Just as the group’s namesake tree provided necessary shelter, shade, and vital resources for Native Americans, founding member Helen J. Stewart wanted the club to improve the shared life of the Las Vegas community.
Early Mesquite Club meetings took place in the home of Leva Beckley, who served as the club’s first secretary. The Mesquite Club planted 2,000 Mesquite trees -what Leva called “umbrella trees”- to bring shade and beauty to the dusty streets of early Las Vegas. In the words of Leva: “We’d better be doing something than sitting thinking ‘it’s hot”.
This spirit of action led to Las Vegas becoming more a liveable place, and spurred further growth. The Mesquite Club founded the first Las Vegas public library, helped launch Secret Witness (now Crime Stoppers), and introduced Las Vegas’s first opera, fashion show, and Neighborhood Watch program. They remain an active force in the Las Vegas community. The clubhouse achieved historic property designation in 2009.
People:
- Helen J. Stewart, 1854-1926
- Helen J. Stewart was a pioneer known as the “Matriarch of the Las Vegas Valley.” She ran a large ranch in the late 1800s welcoming early travelers and workers, later selling her land to the San Pedro, Los Angeles, and Union Pacific Railroad that would eventually lead to the growth of Las Vegas. She was an avid supporter of local schools, libraries, and women’s rights.
Learn More:
- https://mesquiteclub.com/about-us%2Fhistory
- https://www.ktnv.com/news/first-womens-club-in-las-vegas-celebrates-over-a-century-of-service
- https://www.vegaspbs.org/blogs/america-250/the-grand-dame-of-southern-nevada-helen-j-stewart-18541926-america-250/
For questions or comments, please reach out to the Clark County Museum at ccmuseum@clarkcountynv.gov.