Residence Nevada, U.S. Name Elizabeth Till Occupation Historian | Other names Liz Warren Nationality American Role Historian | |
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Full Name Mary Elizabeth von Till Born April 16, 1934 (age 90) ( 1934-04-16 ) Brooklyn, New York Alma mater Washington State University Employer HRA, Inc., Conservation Archaeology Spouse Claude Nelson Warren (m. 1955) Education Washington State University | ||
Elizabeth von Till Warren (born April 16, 1934) is an American historian and preservationist. She has expertise in the history of water development in the Mojave Desert and the Las Vegas Valley in particular. She also has expertise in the historical route of the Old Spanish Trail in Southern Nevada.
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She is married to Claude Warren. They have four children: Claude Jr., Susan, Louis, and Jonathan.
Early life
Warren is one of eight children born in Brooklyn, New York to Louis Alois von Till and Mary Ellen von Till née McNulty.
She attended Barnard College where she earned her bachelors in anthropology in 1955. She then attended Northwestern University as a Carnegie Fellow in the African Studies Program. While at Northwestern Warren met and, in December, 1955, married Claude Warren who was also attending Northwestern as a Carnegie Fellow in the African Studies Program.
Professional career
In 1974 she earned her Masters in history from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Her thesis revisited Antonio Armijo's route through the Las Vegas valley.
Warren earned her Ph.D. from Washington State University with a dissertation on the history of the Las Vegas springs. Her work chronicled the boom and bust of water development in the Southern Nevada Mojave Desert, from 1844 to the late 20th century.
Warren taught history and anthropology for Clark County Community College, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and Clark County School District Professional Growth Services. She was a volunteer instructor in history of water use in the Las Vegas Valley for Nevada Project Wet, a water education program for teachers sponsored by the US Bureau of Reclamation and the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection.
She as an archivist for the Women’s Archives in the Special Collections Department of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Library.
She was an historian for HRA, Inc., Conservation Archaeology. where her work entails preparing historical component and evaluating cultural resources for projects in southern Nevada, including Table Mountain Wind Project in Spring Mountains (Yellow Pine Mining District), Corn Creek Field Station, and all remaining parcels in Las Vegas Valley which the BLM is preparing for public auction. She is currently researching and writing the history of the Las Vegas Wash for the US Department of Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, Boulder City, Nevada.
Preservation
Warren has been a resident of Southern Nevada since 1969 and is active in anthropological and historical research of the region, and related historic preservation projects, notably Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort, Las Vegas Springs, Old Spanish Trail, Spring Mountain Ranch State Park, Oliver Ranch, Yellow Pine Mining District, Eldorado Canyon Mining District.
She has developed, designed or significantly contributed to area exhibits at virtually all historical water resources in southern Nevada, including Valley of Fire State Park, Tule Springs, Goodsprings, Spring Mountain Ranch, Clark County Wetlands Park, the Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort, the Old Spanish Trail Park and Las Vegas Springs, where Las Vegas began.
She was the founder and president of Friends of Big Springs. the organization that preserved Big Springs and helped to create the Las Vegas Springs Preserve.
She was instrumental in the creation of the Neon Museum.
She is a former national Past President of Old Spanish Trail Association and currently President, Nevada Chapter. Warren is also a Past President of Southern Nevada Historical Society, Preservation Association of Clark County and a former Southern Nevada representative to National Trust for Historic Preservation.
She has won numerous awards for public service and for historic preservation, including the Daughters of the American Revolution’s National Preservation Award for 2004-2005.
A video interview of her was produced by the Nevada Women's Virtual Center as part of their "Nevada Women’s Legacy – 150 Years of Excellence" project.