Arden, Nevada


Arden, Nevada was an unincorporated community in Clark County, Nevada. The area is now part of the town of Enterprise. Located about southwest of Las Vegas, the area is experiencing rapid growth in housing development on land formerly owned by the Bureau of Land Management.

History

The San Pedro, Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad began operating through the area in 1905. The railroad's Arden station, located about south of Las Vegas, was named for Arden, the New York estate of E. H. Harriman, the railroad's co-owner. By 1906, Arden was serving as a shipping point for the Potosi mine.
The Arden post office was established in 1907. Around that time, William K. Moore, who has been credited as Arden's founder, discovered gypsum deposits in the nearby mountains. With financing from Southern California businessmen, Moore started the Arden Plaster Company, which opened a mill at the site in 1908. It was reported to be the second largest gypsum plant in the country. A narrow-gauge railroad was constructed to connect the plant to the gypsum mine, away.
The plaster plant burned down in 1912, but was quickly rebuilt. In 1919, it was purchased by the United States Gypsum Company. The plant was closed and dismantled in 1930 due to a decline in the construction industry.
A railroad spur line was built in 1925 to connect Arden to the Blue Diamond Mine, to the northwest.
A gravel pit was established at Arden in the mid-1950s, and operated until 1978, growing to in size.
Clark County built a fallout shelter at Arden in the 1950s or 1960s to house regional government leaders in case of an attack on Las Vegas. The shelter was maintained at least until the 1980s.
In 1958, United Airlines Flight 736, a Douglas DC-7 passenger aircraft, collided with a United States Air Force F-100 jet fighter near Arden, killing all 49 people aboard the two aircraft.
The Arden post office was closed in 1971. In 1981, Arden was reported to have around 40 residents.