Century-old grapevine grows into new home at state park

The small plant stub at the Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort State Historic Park isn't much to look at.

But it represents a link to the past between Southern Utah's Mormon settlers and the birthplace of Las Vegas.GIt's a grapevine and its roots were once part of vines that produced wine the Mormon settlers enjoyed before the presentation of the scriptural Word of Wisdom, the doctrine that led the faith to shun alcoholic drinks.

A 500-acre crop in Toquerville, Utah, north of St. George, that produced more than 1,700 tons of wine in the 1860s and 1870s, was left unattended when the doctrine was introduced and some of the original plants were brought to Las Vegas.

"It really is amazing when you think about all the history associated with this," said Beth Hewitt, park supervisor for the Mormon Fort. "We're thrilled to provide a new home for this fascinating well-traveled piece of living history."

The odyssey began for the plant when it was moved from Utah to First Street in old downtown Las Vegas, landing at Johnny Ray's Hardware Store. When the store closed in the mid-1950s, Ray gave some of the plants to the Meyers family, which lived on Desert Lane.

Jess Meyers, now 70, remembered some of the grapes produced by the vine when he was growing up.

"It was a wine grape, not really good eating, but it had a very distinct flavor," he said.

When Meyers returned from military service in 1972, he had Davis Nursery relocate the plants to his family business, Meyers Electrical Maintenance, at 1410 Western Ave., where the plant thrived.

Fast-forward to present-day Las Vegas.

Meyers Electrical is now in the path of Project Neon, the Nevada Department of Transportation's 3.7-mile-long widening of Interstate 15 between Sahara Avenue and the Spaghetti Bowl interchange with U.S. Highway 95 in downtown Las Vegas.

Meyers had to deliver the painful news to his employees that the business was going to have to close. It was the first time he ever had to lay anyone off.

While he couldn't save the business from the wrecking ball, he figured he could try to save the historic grapevine.

Meyers called Ryan Wheeler, the Transportation Department's manager for Project Neon. Wheeler got on the phone with Hewitt, who studied biology and botany and once operated the College of Southern Nevada's greenhouse nursery in Henderson. There were already other grapevines and fruit trees on the Mormon Fort site at Las Vegas Boulevard and Washington Avenue so she accepted the transplant challenge.

"I looked at it as an opportunity to bring the vine to the birthplace of Las Vegas," she said.

Hewitt only had a few days to make the arrangements to get the equipment necessary to salvage the vine.

Thanks to a collaboration between Meyers, the park and the Department of Transportation, there was no public cost for the plant relocation. Vine shoots also were taken and replanted by the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension in Las Vegas and the Sanders Family Winery in Pahrump, who sent workers to Las Vegas to help within a half hour of learning about the vine.

The three best root balls were planted on the fort grounds in a prepared rich soil mix that she keeps moist, but not wet.

Other cuttings were planted in buckets and one has been placed in a nutrient gel.

Even with all the tender loving care, Hewitt only gives the plants a 50-50 chance for survival. The main reason is that grapevine transplants are best done in the dormant winter months. The Transportation Department simply couldn't wait until December to demolish Meyers Electrical.

Hewitt also is battling skeletonizers, flying insects that produce caterpillars that can strip vines bare.

But Meyers is optimistic.

"Over the years, it's been a hearty stock plant," he said. "I think it will be just fine and I really appreciate that a way was found to keep in alive."

Hewitt said if the vine takes hold, the park should have a celebration in the spring when it greens up.

"We've already heard from people who want to see them."

Contact Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Find him on Twitter: @RickVelotta