Kiel Ranch Historic Park

I am not trying to dissuade anyone from visiting. I'm just saying that if you are in Las Vegas and have limited time, you might not choose to make a special trip to visit this venue as a standalone destination.I read about this park online before I decided to visit. I'm the sort who likes visiting places like "Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort State Park" and the "Springs Preserve". But I also planned my visit to see this attraction in conjunction with a trip to another nearby destination.What I did find is a nice 7 acre park, with three distinct sections: 1) the "historic park", containing an adobe structure, c.mid-1800s; a spring wetland habitat, leading to an orchard; and an overlook section. The original ranch was 240 acres, so this park is design to give a sense of what the ranch was once. (It is unfortunate that the largest structure--the "white house" c.1911, burned down in 1992. A lawn area roughly defines the perimeter of the foundations.) There are a number of pads, with picnic tables and bbqs.This is a passive park, with signage so that visitors can conduct their own self-guided tour. The signs highlight the seven eras of Las Vegas history witnessed by the property.Some online articles state that bodies from the family cemetery are stored at UNLV for research. But a February 2020 Review Journal article states that the bodies have been reinterred on the property. A fence protects the original adobe homestead and mausoleum.I do think this park is worth a visit, if you have the time and interest.

This historical park has great potential, but it is in need of love and attention from local historians and the Mormon and Paiute communities.There is a nice walk and informational signs. There is a section of path that is quite overgrown and needs to be weeded and trimmed.With care and connection to local historical societies, I could see this as a local field trip when studying community and state history.

Kiel Ranch, established by, Conrad Kiel in 1875 was originally a 240 acre homestead in what is now North Las Vegas. The 7 acres left of this historic site has finally been somewhat saved. There's been a fight to save Kiel Ranch for decades. It's been a long and unnecessary process because of the greedy mayor and city council who wanted Kiel Ranch to disappear. How the hell they can think this place isn't worth saving and that's it's OK to allow this place to be used as the city dump is beyond me and not forgivable. With all of the money raised over the years even some from private donations you'd think this place wouldn't have sat infested with overgrown weeds for so long due to the empty promises from the mayor and city council. Between Kiel and Las Vegas Ranch which are only a couple of miles from each other rooting this town and seeing how Vegas has grown to what it is today, the area should have been a historic park long ago. Mary Kincaid is responsible for initiating the sell off of the land to pay for other projects instead of doing what was right and promised by this very land which is very sad. Ray Vega bought 22 acres of the land and built the industrial park you see next to Kiel Ranch today and the money was supposed to be to improve Kiel Ranch, but nothing was done except paving a parking lot and putting in a locked gate so nobody could enter. In 1992 while the city was proposing to save the park, a fire broke out burning down the "White House" and it was proven by fire officials that the fire was intentionally set in 6 different places which sound super fishy. The BLM offered to give 2.4 million for preservation of Kiel Ranch and the city council said no to the money and tried instead to have the adobe house moved elsewhere so they could just try and erase this land like it never happened and there's no historical importance here, which there clearly is. The adobe house, one of the oldest buildings in Nevada, is thankfully still here at Kiel Ranch and it's fair to mention that the representatives from the Clark County Museum as well Springs Preserve feel it needs to stay right at Kiel Ranch where it belongs.Kiel Ranch Cemetery is currently closed to the public and if the city has their way it will remain that way. In 1884, Archibald Stewart was murdered here. There had been a long feud between the Kiel and Stewart families, both Vegas pioneers. It's believed Archibald was lured to Kiel Ranch to be murdered. Years later It is speculated that Edward and William Kiel, sons to Conrad, may have been murdered in retaliation for the death of Archibald even though there was a lengthy gap in time between the murders. In 1975 there were 5 bodies exhumed from Kiel Ranch and they supposedly remain in the forensics department at UNLV where they do not belong in my opinion. The bodies were supposed to be returned to Kiel Ranch which seems the right thing to do, so why not do it? Oh yes maybe because the city doesn't want to waste any more money that's funded specifically for Kiel Ranch to do so?! I believe these remains need a proper resting place and there's no place better than where they originally were. It's not too late! They have phase 2 and 3 just sitting there not getting finished, so there's still time to put these remains back where they belong and make a proper memorial. Those bodies found were of Conrad Kiel, William Kiel, Edwin Kiel, M.J. Latimer (family friend) and an unidentified infant. There's also a strong possibility that the remains of several Paiutes who lived here at the ranch are also buried somewhere. State Historical Marker 224 was moved. No longer mounted on the blue shaped NV metal backing, but just the plate is mounted near the bathrooms/parking lot. Why couldn't they just move the whole marker without removing the blue NV metal backing? Fucking strange. I laugh how it says at the bottom of the marker "division of historic preservation and archaeology" because where the hell were they while so many were fighting to save this place over the decades? Since the city allowed this land to be used as a dump it ruined its value as an archaeological site. Pathways in the park are easy to follow. At this time there isn't a playground, but there is a big grassy area, a covered picnic area and bathrooms. Learn about the Old Spanish Trail, take a look at the Adobe House and Doll House, see the artisan spring that once irrigated an orchard that was said to rival other orchards California and just enjoy learning about such an important piece of Nevada history.