Mesquite Club helped sink LV’s first roots

Kimberley McGee

Friday, March 23, 2001 | 4:33 a.m.

It was a simple plan.

Once completed, it sprouted a network of determined women who over the past 90 years have quietly worked to improve the quality of life for Las Vegas citizens.

In 1911 a group of area women rallied to plant 2,000 mesquite trees near downtown Las Vegas, to offer shade and beauty to the city's newly oiled streets.

The Mesquite Club grew from that event, and marks its 90th anniversary this year.

The founding members' enterprising spirit made the club a strong force in the community. It continued through two world wars and the growing pains of a city and a nation.

Club members aided in the passage of legislation for equal property rights for Nevada women, developed the Secret Witness program in 1978, donated $10,000 for the construction of the Judy Bayley Theatre at UNLV, and raised $47,500 for the Women's Development Center on East Sahara Avenue.

The club's goal is to provide services for the community wherever -- and whenever -- they are needed. They are heroes to those in need, and those about to be in need.

Sumner Dodge, food drive coordinator for the Salvation Army, said the Mesquite Club came to his rescue when the group had more hungry families than food supplies a few years ago.

"They found us," Dodge said. "They came and said they wanted to help."

And they did.

The more than 250 Mesquite Club members regularly gather canned food from co-workers, friends and neighbors for the Salvation Army to collect at the club's weekly project meetings.

"We are giving twice as much food to families than before," thanks to the Mesquite Club, Dodge said.

Thalia Dondero, a Las Vegas resident for 57 years and chairwoman of the state Board of Regents, said the Mesquite Club is respected for its beautification efforts.

In the 1960s the club raised awareness of the advertising clutter along the highways from casinos and other local businesses and asked for ordinances to keep the ads in check.

"They improved the quality of life" for residents, Dondero said. "Their work has been important to the community."

History lessons

The women of the Mesquite Club are even surprised by their accomplishments when asked to tally their community contributions.

"It is quite a lot, isn't it?" said Kay O'Gorman, a member since 1975. She has made a roster of the club's achievements from its first 50 years and plans to publish a book featuring the highlights.

A writer by trade, O'Gorman was intrigued by the charitable character of the women of Las Vegas in the early 1900s.

"These were very strong women," she said. "When they saw a need for something, they formed a committee and took care of it."

In their best dresses, hats and gloves, the women met twice a week to discuss their first project -- the trees.

They appealed to city councilmen and storekeepers to contribute money, time and resources.

The trees arrived along with the warm spring weather -- a hint of the hot months to come. The women hauled water by wagon to the trees twice a day, and under their watchful eyes the groves flourished.

They asked the city to pass an ordinance to prevent cows from roaming the streets and snacking on the young tree bark. Farmers were forced to pen their cattle or face the consequences.

In 1912 the club joined the General Federation of Women and set about gathering books for Las Vegas' first library, in a nook at the Clark County Courthouse on Third Street.

The nook was thinly stocked with donated books from residents. Members weren't satisfied.

That same year club President Estelle Givens was the first Las Vegas resident to write to a Nevada senator when she requested books from Sen. Frank Williams. The library's shelves groaned under the weight of the books that the senator sent in response.

The library was quite an accomplishment for a sleepy town, said Frank Wright, curator of the Nevada History Museum.

"It was front-page news whenever they got new books for the library," Wright said. "(The Mesquite Club has) been a prominent group since before the birth of the city."

An interesting yarn

The club gained a reputation for not backing down from its goals.

During World War I the Red Cross would not allow club members to take military-supplied yarn home to knit socks for soldiers.

"They sent a committee to the Red Cross," explained O'Gorman, "(saying) that we want to help and we will help. The only time they could (knit) was@home at night."

The Red Cross relented but insisted a $25 bond be posted to ensure the supplies were returned one way or the other.

They were -- in bulk. At meetings the members knitted wool socks, made bed sheets, towels and washcloths while they discussed their next big project.

"They accomplished so much with so little (of the modern) conveniences," O'Gorman said.

In 1933 the club approached the state Legislature to demand equal property rights for women. In 1934 that was passed into law, which made it easier for women to own and operate businesses.

As the town grew, the club concentrated on building a strong community of professionals such as doctors, dentists and teachers.

Billie Kenney, president of the club for the past year, has been a Las Vegas resident for 45 years.

As a teacher and later an administrator for 30 years at the Clark County School District, Kenney was on the receiving end of the club's efforts.

Years ago new teachers were entertained by the club to help give them a sense that they belonged and were much needed in the growing community. The club remains involved with the school district.

"They really took care of the community," Kenney said. "Everybody knew the Mesquite Club and how much they were part of the community."

The club today may not be as prominent as it once was, but O'Gorman insists its goals are the same as they were 90 years ago -- to serve the community.

"What we do now is have fund-raisers for our building upkeep and projects we are always working on," she said. "And there is always a project to work on. We still work with Secret Witness and Neighborhood Watch, and women who are homeless with children."

Junior Mesquite Club

Alice Boyer, a Mesquite Club member for 57 years, created the Junior Mesquite Club in the late 1960s. She wanted to provide a place for young women in the changing social climate.

Boyer joined the club in 1944 as a young married woman with two toddlers. The club offered an outlet for her socially and emotionally.

As the club grew, so did its membership. Boyer realized younger women needed a support group that they could relate to in the same sense that she had.

The Junior Mesquite Club has grown to include young mothers, professional women and single women starting out on their own for the first time.

"I was impressed by the women in the group and all that they did," Boyer said. "You will not find a more diverse group of women who know so much of what's going on in the city."

"It is what it always was," Boyer said. "If there is anything in need by the city, we will be there."

The club's stellar reputation for good deeds drew 31-year-old Mary Ochoa to join the Junior Mesquite Club this past year.

She had joined in charitable events through her church, but didn't consider herself to be the type to join a service club. The idea was old-fashioned, she said. Her mother, a Mesquite Club member, convinced her to give it a chance.

A sales director with Mary Kay Inc., Ochoa spends 10 to 20 hours a month with the club, raising funds for education programs and visiting nursing homes and women's shelters.

"I feel I'm really making a difference, and that's important to me personally," Ochoa said. "But you can also see how in the nursing homes we make a difference in their lives."

It may sound corny, Ochoa said, but she's following in the footsteps of women who will be remembered for their actions and their vision.

At age 87, Boyer enjoys the weekly teas that the club hosts at its clubhouse at 702 E. St. Louis Ave., and the occasional fund-raiser. But she has passed on much of the civic responsibilities to the younger generation.

"It is what it always was," Ochoa said. "If there is anything in need by the city, we will be there."

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