Old Mormon Fort (Las Vegas, Nevada)
Las Vegas · Nevada · Civil War
History & Significance
The Mormon Corridor, part of the Spanish Trail, was the only road that remained open in winter, and the Mormons and their settlements were instrumental in its protection and development. The Mormons' purpose was to raise crops which would not grow in the colder Utah climate, convert the local Indians to Mormonism and instruct them in farming and hygiene, build a fort and settlement, establish a halfway station for protecting travelers on the Mormon Road between the Pacific and Salt Lake City, set up a post office, and explore the country.
The fort was made of adobe bricks and, when completed, consisted of four walls 150 feet long, two bastions and a row of two-story interior buildings. While called a fort, it was never home to any military troops but like many Mormon forts provided a defense and shelter for local settlers and travelers.
As a result of the beginning of the Utah War, the Mormons abandoned the fort. The fort was called Fort Baker during the Civil War, named after Edward Dickinson Baker, but presumably the post was never garrisoned during the Civil War. In 1865, Octavius Gass re-occupied the fort and started the irrigation works, renaming the area to Los Vegas Rancho; Gass defaulted on a loan to Archibald Stewart in 1881 and lost the ranch, with Stewart and his wife Helen becoming the new caretakers.
Key Facts
Map
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🧳 Visiting
What you’ll see when you visit:
- 1855 adobe-walled structure built by Mormon missionaries
- Waystation on Spanish Trail between Salt Lake City and Los Angeles
- Las Vegas's first permanent building, now within urban park
- Museum exhibits on frontier travel, ranching, and local history
- Preserved adobe architecture and visitor center
Sources
- https://www.nps.gov/articles/the-old-mormon-fort-birthplace-of-las-vegas-nevada-teaching-with-historic-places.htm
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Las_Vegas_Mormon_Fort_State_Historic_Park
- https://parks.nv.gov/parks/old-las-vegas-mormon-fort
- https://parks.nv.gov/learn/park-histories/old-las-vegas-mormon-fort-history
- https://shpo.nv.gov/nevadas-historical-markers/historical-markers/las-vegas-morman-fort