Griffith family helped lay valley’s foundation

Southern Nevada legacy is layered for E.W. Griffith , his son, Robert B. Griffith and his granddaughter, Mary Jane Griffith Reiter .

The Griffith family came to Las Vegas around the city's advent and made marks in construction , postal and military service , aviation , water propriety and commerce history. The family name also is a landmark, as Griffith United Methodist Church , Griffith Peak and Mary Jane Falls and its fellow Mount Charleston trailheads , are namesakes.

E.W., a widower and contractor, brought his family to Southern Nevada during the land purchase around 1910 and relocated it permanently shortly thereafter, according to Robert Stoldal in "The First 100 Persons Who Shaped Southern Nevada ."

He was hired by the railroad to build a roundhouse to maintain and repair steam engines. He built a grammar school and paved ways for cross-country travel .

"E.W. Griffith played an important role in the building of the first highway through Las Vegas," said Michael Green , professor of history at the College of Southern Nevada . "Robert Griffith had plenty to live up to, and he did."

Robert, who answered to the nickname Bob , was often E.W.'s construction companion.

The father-son duo worked to build the city after Robert received a civil engineering degree from University of Nevada, Reno . They weathered economic perils caused by the 1921- 22 railroad strike and subsequent labor disputes, according to "The First 100 Persons Who Shaped Southern Nevada ."

Robert was appointed postmaster in 1925 . The job brought major cash flow and prestige to the young man. He is noted as being the first to launch mail delivery to homes and businesses .

Robert also was tasked with helping establish an airmail stop for Western Air Express . The complicated process helped Robert become a renowned aviation expert .

His political ties and aviation savvy had hands in establishing Nellis Air Force Base and McCarran Field , the original military and commercial airfields.

After his postmaster stint, Robert headed the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce and the Colorado River Commission . He was influential in building a water pipeline from Lake Mead to the valley , according to "The First 100 Persons Who Shaped Southern Nevada."

Robert had personal highs and lows in the time, too.

Mary Jane, an only child , was born Aug. 21, 1925 , to Robert and his wife, Ruth . E.W. died in 1932 . Griffith United Methodist Church, 1701 E. Oakey Blvd. , was named for E.W. in 1955 .

Robert died in 1978 .

Longtime newspaperman John Cahlan said of him, "If ever there was a man who deserved to be called 'Mr. Las Vegas,' it was Bob Griffith. He was active in every major project. Bob Griffith was a dreamer, but fortunately for the present citizens of Las Vegas, he made his dreams come true," as quoted in "The First 100 Persons Who Shaped Southern Nevada."

Robert owned property on Mount Charleston and his family was considered "royalty" in the area, according to a 1997 oral interview with resident William Smith .

"They were more affluent," he said. "We were the poor cousins."

His interview suggested that the Griffiths had a role in the establishment of paved roads entering Kyle and Lee canyons .

Kelly Turner , district archaeologist for the U.S. Forest Service , confirmed that Griffth Peak and Mary Jane Falls were named for Robert and Mary Jane .

Smith called Mary Jane "a contemporary of mine" in his interview.

Mary Jane's status as lifelong Las Vegan was interrupted once when she attended and graduated from the University of Southern California , according to her obituary.

A homemaker, she enjoyed traveling, entertaining, gardening and gourmet cooking, her family said in the obituary.

Mary Jane died in 1994 . She was survived by two daughters and several grandchildren . Her descendants could not be reached .

Contact Centennial and North Las Vegas View reporter Maggie Lillis at mlillis@viewnews.com or 477-3839.