Bubbling artesian springs flowed here until they were exhausted in the middle of the 20th century, over-pumped to serve the city's growing population. The springs and the creek they created gave life to the center of the valley after erupting about 8000 years B.P. (before present). People came to the valley because of the reliable water and the plants and animals it supported. The springs allowed the Anasazi Indians and later the Paiute Indians to irrigate small gardens. Between 1829 and 1848, the natural grasslands watered by the creek made this an important stop for New Mexican mule caravans on their way to California, and these Spanish-speaking traders named the campsite Las Vegas, meaning the meadows. Anglos began using the water in 1855, when the Mormons opened a mission about three miles east of the Springs. Later, pioneers John Howell and James B. Wilson developed a ranch at the Springs site; Howell, the first black man to settle in Las Vegas Valley, arrived in 1870, married a Paiute woman, and ran cattle with Wilson from 1872-1874 until Wilson left the valley. In 1876, Howell sold his Spring Ranch. In 1902, the springs, creek, and land were sold to the San Pedro, Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad, which discontinued ranching there so the water could be used to serve Las Vegas.