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CHistory
History · Mesquite

Mesquite dates to 1880, and 2 of its places are on the National Register

More historic than 29% of U.S. towns · #12 of 42 in Nevada. What drives it

Most of Mesquite was built recently: 0.5% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 2004. Its Register listings are the Desert Valley Museum and the Mesquite High School Gymnasium. Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1957 on, and the census since 1990.

1880founded
2on the National Register
0.5%homes built before 1940
1old photo or paper
2famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Mesquite’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Mesquite began

When was Mesquite founded?

1880

Mesquite dates its founding to 1880 (Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history agree). The census first counted it in 1990.

First census: 1,871 in 19902020 census: 20,471146 years

How historic is Mesquite?

C

More historic than 29% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1880.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Mesquite’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Mesquite is more historic than 29% of U.S. towns, #12 of 42 in Nevada. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.

C
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Mesquite’s overall grade.
Founding era1880, from Wikidata: founded 1850–1899, an older era than 37% of U.S. townsC+Homes built before 19400.5% of homes (±0.4) · typical NV town 0.3% · U.S. 8.4%DNational Register2 listings, 0.9 per 10,000 residents · typical NV town 0.0 · U.S. 2.4B
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 29%
NewerOlder
Nevada towns of 2,500+ (42)Ahead of 73%

Few Nevada towns list much on the Register (a typical Nevada town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Mesquite’s 0.9 sits near the middle of its state (65% of Nevada towns have fewer) while its 2 listings outnumber those of 60% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D to C+. The pre-1940 share (±0.4 points) is firm at this size. Two sources give 1880.

Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Mesquite’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenOnly 1 old photo is in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Mesquite’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Mesquite’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
1 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewFranklin S Leavitt residence: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
The story

How Mesquite came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Mesquite.

Read it all →

Mesquite was settled by Mormon pioneers in 1880, who called it Mesquite Flat. The community was finally established on the third attempt after having been flooded out from the waters of the Virgin River. The name was later shortened to Mesquite, and the city was incorporated 1984. The community was named for the mesquite timber near the original town site. Mesquite, like nearby Bunkerville, had its origins in farming. The Peppermill Mesquite casino, which opened in the 1970s, drove Mesquite's diversified economy. The city incorporated in 1984 and established a master development plan during the early 1990s. In the mid-1990s, more casinos opened. By 2006, Mesquite was one of the fastest-growing small towns in the United States, though the late-2000s recession led to the closure of the Oasis (formerly the Peppermill) casino.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Mesquite, 1880 to 1957

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1880
    FoundingMesquite is established
  3. 1880Post officeThe Mesquit post office opens
  4. 1887Post officeThe Mesquit post office closes
  5. 1897Post officeThe Mesquite post office opens
  6. 20th century
  7. 1900In the archiveFranklin S Leavitt residence
  8. 1937Born hereClark L. Reber is born here
  9. 1957Born hereCresent Hardy is born here
  10. 1957On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
By decade

Mesquite, decade by decade

One decade in the archive so far: the 1900s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1900s1 item
Franklin S Leavitt residencec. 1900Franklin S Leavitt residence
1910s–1990snothing yet
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Add from your album
Today17 recent
The "Ring of Fire" - Annular Solar Eclipse, Mesquite, Nevada (3)2012The "Ring of Fire" - Annular Solar Eclipse, Mesquite,…The "Ring of Fire" - Annular Solar Eclipse, Mesquite, Nevada (2)2012The "Ring of Fire" - Annular Solar Eclipse, Mesquite,…Dana Bowman drops into the 2010 Military Long Drive Championship presented by 7UP and the Army's Family and MWR Command2010Dana Bowman drops into the 2010 Military Long Drive C…EM Casablanca Resort2008EM Casablanca ResortVirgin River valley below Mesquite 12007Virgin River valley below Mesquite 1Mesquite from across river 22007Mesquite from across river 2Mesquite from across river 12007Mesquite from across river 1Mesquite from Virgin Peak 12007Mesquite from Virgin Peak 1Mesquite Nevada bridge 22007Mesquite Nevada bridge 2Mesquite Nevada bridge 12007Mesquite Nevada bridge 1Mesquite Nevada 42007Mesquite Nevada 4Mesquite Nevada 32007Mesquite Nevada 3Mesquite Nevada 22007Mesquite Nevada 2Mesquite Nevada 12007Mesquite Nevada 1Flickr - paul bica - fire in the sky2007Flickr - paul bica - fire in the skyMesquite, Nevada2006Mesquite, NevadaMesquite Nevada, vamos a probar suerte2006Mesquite Nevada, vamos a probar suerte
On the map

Mesquite on the map, 1957 to 1985

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Mesquite. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Mesquite on the 1957 USGS mapMesquite on the 1985 USGS map1957Mesquite sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Mesquite.

Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Franklin S Leavitt residence
Retake this viewFranklin S Leavitt residence, c. 1900

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Mesquite’s page.

Retake this view · +15
On the National Register

2 historic places in Mesquite

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

places listed
2
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
2
each building in a district counts
first listed
1991
Desert Valley Museum
Desert Valley MuseumMesquite High School Gymnasium
Buildings

Architectural styles listings

Pueblo1
Italian Renaissance Revival1
Desert Valley MuseumPueblo
Mesquite High School GymnasiumItalian Renaissance Revival

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

People over time

Mesquite, census by census

05,00010,00015,00020,0002000202020,471

Grew from 1,871 people in 1990 to 20,471 in 2020, more than tenfold.

4 censuses, 1990–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Mesquite’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

2 famous people were born in Mesquite

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
Cresent HardyAmerican politician · b. 1957
C
Clark L. ReberAmerican politician · b. 1937
Places that used to be

Lost post offices, old corners, places now gone and burying grounds

Mesquite’s post office has been open since 1897. Another post office, Mesquit, opened and closed inside today’s town.

Mesquit
1880–1887
Mesquite
1897–today
18801950today
Hamlets and corners on the map
Riverside
Gone or out of use
Bronze Boot AirportairportMesquite Rodeo Groundspark
1cemetery inside Mesquite
Mesquite City

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Bunkerville2 historic placesnot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town

Questions about Mesquite’s history

What year was Mesquite founded?

In 1880, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Mesquite’s post office opened in 1880, and the census of 1990 counted 1,871 people here.

How does Mesquite rank for history?

Mesquite is more historic than 29% of U.S. towns, #12 of 42 in Nevada. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

What is on the National Register in Mesquite?

Two places: the Desert Valley Museum (listed 1991) and the Mesquite High School Gymnasium (1992).

How old are the homes in Mesquite?

0.5% of Mesquite’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 0.3% for a Nevada town; the median home was built in 2004.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

From Wikimedia Commons (18), the National Register of Historic Places (2), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.