"Another important marker fallen to the wayside. If I was forced to choose an MIA to bring back, of all the missing plaques in Clark County it would be this one ... #40, the very piece of history that roots Las Vegas ..." -- March 2009

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Springs Preserve, 333 S. Valley View Blvd - Las Vegas Las Vegas   36.170737, -115.189885

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Original Date Visited: 3/17/09
Last Confirmed: 11/16/22
Signed: No

Notes: Marker 40 used to be located at the busy crossroads of Charleston and Valley View Blvds: placed approximately on the northeast corner at the Las Vegas Valley Water District (LVVWD) Headquarters. Nevada's largest city began renovations on the intersection around 2002 at the same time when the LVVWD Headquarters began reconstruction of their facility. From my research, landscapers came in and started full renovation on the entire northeast corner after the intersection had been widened by NDOT, and in all courses of renovation, this one most likely fell by the wayside.

Fortunately, this marker was magically resurrected during Nevada's 150th sesquicentennial marker re-vamping program in 2019 a few years after the wonderfully celebrated debut opening of the Springs Preserve. This was a well-chosen location, but its placement has left a bit of a headache for casual marker hunters. While we're grateful for its return, the SHPO thought it was a good idea to place it inside the confines of the Preserve-- frustratingly locking it behind a paywall. During my re-visit in 2022, I was short on time and couldn't fully revisit the marker (hence the lack of a slideshow below!), but I did get a bit of valuable insight about how you can get around this.

- First, request to view the marker by way of a "temporary pass" ($5) which allows a maximum time limit of 10 minutes inside of the preserve. The docents keep your driver's license as collateral and guarantee that you won't exceed the ten minutes. If you go over ten minutes, you need to pay the standard $25 entrance fee. There are no exceptions, and no freebies here.

- Once you have that out of the way, proceed through the museum and make a right down the walking path in the direction of the "Springs Cafe." Follow the path a little further to find the marker in between the restaurant and the gift shop. Although it's an idyllic location, and I can understand what they were trying to do given the historical aspect of the Preserve, this is a very frustrating process. This one would be better located outside of the grounds to avoid the entrance fees and red tape involved with this one. I recommend making this one a half-day adventure to fully explore and walk the entire Springs Preserve in all its glory. When you combine this with the included Nevada State Museum, this is a lovely visit and welcomed destination away from the Strip.

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Street View

Here's what you'll see!

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Exact Description:
The famous Las Vegas Springs rose from the desert floor here, sending two streams of water across the valley to nurture the native grasses and create lush meadows in the valley near Sunrise Mountain. The water gushed forth with such force that a man could not sink in the Springs. The natural oasis of meadow and mesquite forest was the winter homeland of Paiutes, who spent the summers in the Charleston Mountains.

An unknown Spanish-speaking sojourner, whether padre, trapper or trader, named Las Vegas "The Meadows," and marked it as such on a map of the Southwestern Desert.

Antonio Armijo stopped at the Springs in 1829-30, traveling a route which became known as the Old Spanish Trail. After 1830, the route was traveled by Spanish traders, emigrants and frontiersmen, who rested beside the Springs. On one of his western explorations trips, John C. Fremont camped here on May 3, 1844.

Because of artesian water here, Mormons established the Las Vegas Mission and Fort in 1855; the Valley became a huge cattle ranch from 1866 to 1904; and the San Pedro, Los Angeles, Salt Lake Railroad Company acquired water rights and land and created the City of Las Vegas in 1905.

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 COVERED IN US 95 ROAD TRIP

Next Marker

PUEBLO GRANDE DE NEVADA

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Related Links & Markers:

- 35 - Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort    - 141 - Old Spanish Trail (Armijo's Route)   - 195 - The Last Spike   LAS VEGAS SPRINGS PRESERVE   A Visit to the Springs Preserve  -

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