LAS VEGAS CITY CEMETERY (a/k/a Griffith Cemetery) Submitted by Gerry Perry Copyright 2009 HISTORY In the early history of Las Vegas, the Stewart Ranch served as the final resting place of the deceased. A new cemetery was deemed necessary as the town grew. The following information is taken from different issues of The Las Vegas Age, a newspaper that eventually became the Las Vegas Review Journal. The records maintained by Helen J. Stewart for deaths/burials was also consulted to determine burial location. Sources are listed with each burial in the 'new cemetery'. In 1914, the City of Las Vegas determined they needed a permanent cemetery. The permanent cemetery was later named Woodlawn Cemetery. Some of the burials at the Stewart Ranch and the Las Vegas City Cemetery (Griffiths Cemetery) were reinterred to Woodlawn. Others, where no record of reinterment has been found, are assumed to be in their original burial site, lost to history. Known reinterments are listed below. This is a continuing project of research and anyone who has information is encouraged to contribute. One known death during the early periods of Las Vegas history is that of James Bradley who died on July 2, 1913. There is no published record of his burial; however, in the 1970s, when Owens St. (next to Woodlawn Cemetery) was being widened to 4 lanes, some bodies were found outside the cemetery fence. These bodies were reinterred in the Woodlawn Cemetery, Section O. One of those unknowns was later identified as James Bradley. His burial is not recorded in either the Helen J. Stewart records or recorded in a newspaper article by the Las Vegas Age. We are assuming he was actually buried at the old Ranch Cemetery due to the location of where they found his body. Date Description 3/13/1909 First article talking about getting a new cemetery (Las Vegas Age, 3/13/1909) 4/24/1909 40 acres of land was purchased by the Las Vegas Cemetery Association, E. W. Griffith, President. The land was purchased from the Artesian Water Syndicate. The land is located about one and one-half miles south of the city, near the railroad. "Five acres would be laid out and subdivided into lots and blocks for burial purposes." NOTE: The 1909 South city limits was Garces St. The description of the location of the cemetery would place the cemetery just East of the railroad tracks and somewhere between Charleston Blvd. and Sahara Avenue. (Las Vegas Age, 6/19/1909) 7/10/1909 Michalis, Ralph Lloyd Buried at New Cemetery 7/11/1909 (Stewart Ranch Burial records) (Las Vegas Age, 7/17/1909) 7/14/1909 Finney, N. H. Buried at New Cemetery 7/14/1909 (Stewart Ranch Burial records) (Las Vegas Age 7/24/1909) 10/5/1909 Del Real, Pablino Died 10/5/1909; Buried at New Cemetery 10/7/1909. Note: Obituary states buried at Ranch (Stewart Ranch Burial records-burial location 6/3) (Las Vegas Age, 10/9/1909) 10/18/1909 Minks, A. Died at Arden; Buried at New Cemetery 10/19 (Stewart Ranch Burial Records) (Las Vegas Age, 10/23/1909-"Buried in the Griffith Cemetery") 11/20/1909 Edwards, Herbert Leslie "Interred in the cemetery south of Vegas, but will be later removed to the old home in the east." (Las Vegas Age, 11/27/1909) (Stewart Ranch Burial Records-buried at New Cemetery) 2/9/1910 Erickson, Gustave (1) "He was buried Thursday from the undertaking parlors of Lloyd D. Smith." Las Vegas Age, 2/12/1910 2/26/1910 Meeting held at office of Judge Lillis to consider means for obtaining a permanent cemetery. A committee was appointed to investigate. The committee consisted of W. J. Stewart, F. M. Grace and E. W. Griffith. Las Vegas Age, 2/26/1910 5/7/1910 Pinault, John E. (1) Died 5/7/1910. Sister in Massachusetts asked that the "body be buried here." Las Vegas Age, 5/14/1910 Mr. Pinnault was reinterred to Woodlawn. (Las Vegas Age, 2/6/1915) 5/28/1910 Three proposals for new cemetery received: 20 acres offered by the Las Vegas Land & Water Co. which would include the site of the present cemetery; 20 acres owned by John McGrath of St. Paul, Minn.; and 10 acres offered by Mas. Helen J. Stewart of Las Vegas. (Las Vegas Age, 5/28/1910) 10/25/1910 Sherman, W. H. (1) "Interment was made by L. D. Smith, the undertaker." Las Vegas Age 10/29/1910 11/28/1910 Valdevez, Celio "The interment was made in the Las Vegas Cemetery…" Las Vegas Age 12/3/1910 11/28/1910 Johnson, Ludwig (1) "He was buried in this city…" Las Vegas Age 12/3/1910 12/6/1910 Unknown man (1) "..remains were interred …at the expense of the county." Las Vegas Age, 12/10/1910 1/11/1911 Dole, Maria (1) "Local interment." Las Vegas Age, 1/14/1911 (Note: Newpaper shows date of Saturday, 1/14/1910, but other dates in the newspaper indicate this edition of the newspaper is actually 1/14/1911 2/8/1911 Crowley, Charles W. (1) Las Vegas Age, 2/11/1911 Reinterred to Woodlawn Cemetery 2/1915 (Las Vegas Age 2/6/1915) 4/17/1911 Collins, Baby (1) Las Vegas Age, 4/22/1911 10/23/1911 Delameter, Ethel Las Vegas Age, 10/28/1911 "The remains were laid to rest in the Las Vegas Cemetary [sic]" 11/10/1911 Hepner, Clarence (1) Las Vegas Age, 11/11/1911 11/10/1911 Crabill, Clinton Neal (1) Las Vegas Age, 11/11/1911 11/6/1911 Batt, William (1) Las Vegas Age, 11/11/1911 12/16/1911 Campbell, Malcolmb (1) Las Vegas Age, 12/16/1911 3/16/1912 Hooper, Calvin (1) Las Vegas Age, 3/23/1912 3/27/1912 Bergman, Carrie "Interment was made at the Las Vegas Cemetery…" Buried next to Ethel Delameter (Las Vegas Age 3/20/1912 ) 5/16/1912 Brady, John (1) Las Vegas Age, 5/18/1912 5/17/1912 Dupuis, Charles (1) Las Vegas Age, 5/18/1912 3/28/1913 Helm, Olive "…laid beneath the sod of the Las Vegas Cemetery." Las Vegas Age, 4/5/1913 Reinterred 1915 (Las Vegas Age, 4/17/1915) 1/20/1914 Ball, Infant son "Infant son of Mr. & Mrs. H. W. Ball, one month, 13 days; interred in the Vegas cemetery." (Las Vegas Age, 1/24/1914) 1/26/1914 Thomas, Charles Caleb "The interment was in the Las Vegas Cemetery." Las Vegas Age 1/31/1914 Reinterred 1915 (Las Vegas Age, 4/17/1915) 2/7/1914 The City of Las Vegas accepted the gift of ten acres near the old cemetery from the Las Vegas Land & Water Co. for use as a city cemetery. (Las Vegas Age 2/7/1914) 3/4/1914 Ordinance #56 passed by the City of Las Vegas Council which creates a Board of Cemetery Trustees. Las Vegas Age 3/7/1914 8/5/1914 McMahon, Marie (1) Las Vegas Age 8/8/1914 Reinterred to Woodlawn Cemetery (Las Vegas Age 4/24/1915) 2/6/1915 Eagle's Aerie 1213 purchased 40 lots in Woodlawn and are in the process of "removing the bodies of their brothers buried in the old cemetery….those whose graves are being moved are James Magner, d 10/10/1911; John E. Penault, d 5/7/1910; Charles W. Crowley, d. 2/8/1911" Las Vegas Age, 2/6/1915 4/22/1915 Tuck, Jack, Jr. "The interment was made in the old cemetery." Las Vegas Age 4/24/1915 4/24/1915 Sexton of Woodlawn Cemetery exhumed from old cemetery and buried in the new cemetery the bodies of Mrs. Maria McMahon; Charles Caleb Thomas; Olive E. Helm and C. E. Gabriel. (Note-Gabriel was buried at the Ranch Cemetery) (Las Vegas Age, 4/24/1915) Note: The final resting places for Helm, Thomas and Gabriel have been found and photos of their tombstones can be found at the Tombstone Project, http://usgwtombstones.org/nevada/lasvegas.html (1) No record in Helen J. Stewart burial records and news article does not indicate the cemetery where the deceased was buried.