Kyle (Kiel) Ranch

One of the valley's oldest ranches grew up around artesian springs. Conrad Kiel settled here in 1875—the spelling drifted to "Kyle" over the years—and his ranch became one of the earliest in the Las Vegas Valley, its water raising hay, fruit, and vegetables to sell to miners and travelers. It was also a place of violence: Archibald Stewart, owner of the neighboring Las Vegas Rancho, was shot dead here in 1884, and years later Kiel's two sons were found dead on the property in a ruled murder-suicide. North Las Vegas grew up around the site.

What the plaque says

Established by Conrad Kiel in 1875, this was one of the only two major ranches in Las Vegas Valley throughout the 19th century. The Kiel tenure was marked by violence. Neighboring rancher Archibald Stewart was killed in a gunfight here in 1884. Edwin and William Kiel were found murdered on the ranch in October 1900. The San Pedro, Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad purchased the ranch in 1903 and later sold it to Las Vegas banker John S. Park, who built the elegant white mansion. Subsequent owners included Edwin Taylor (1924-39), whose cowboy ranch hands competed in national rodeos, and Edwin Losee (1939-58), who developed the Boulderado Dude Ranch here, a popular residence for divorce seekers. In the late 1950's, business declined and the ranch was sold. In 1976, 26 acres of the original ranch were purchased jointly by the City of North Las Vegas and its Bicentennial Committee as a historic project.

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• The Neon Museum — 1.8 mi
  The Neon Boneyard — where the Strip''s discarded signs are rescued and lit again
• Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort State Historic Park — 1.9 mi
  The 1855 adobe fort where Las Vegas began — a mile and a world away from the neon
• The Mob Museum — 2.1 mi
  Organized crime, told in the downtown courtroom that first exposed it
• Fremont Street — 2.3 mi
  Glitter Gulch — the neon canyon where Las Vegas actually began

More markers nearby

• Old Spanish Trail — 1.6 mi
• Las Vegas Mormon Fort (Nevada’s Oldest Building) — 1.6 mi
• The Morelli House — 2.6 mi
• Original Home of “Pop” Squires (1865-1958) — 2.7 mi