LAS VEGAS HISTORY


For many centuries Nevada was inhabited only by the Paiute, Shoshone, and Washoe tribes. It wasn't until 1826 that white men came to the future state of Nevada. Las Vegas got its name, in1829 from a Mexican scout, Rafael Rivera. In Spanish it means "The Meadows". From 1831 to 1848 the springs around Las Vegas served as a stopping place for wagon trains on the Old Spanish Trail on the trip to Los Angeles.
In 1844 explorer John C. Fremont camped near the big springs of Las Vegas. A few years later Congress established a monthly mail route and in1855 thirty Mormon colonists came to Las Vegas to build a mission/fort. (The renovated remains of this fort still stand a little north of downtown and constitute the oldest building in Nevada.) After many hardships, the fort was abandoned just three years later. In the early 1860s prospectors and miners came to the area to try their luck. One of these men, Octavius Decatur Gass built the 640-acre Las Vegas Ranch near the remains of the Mormon fort.

In 1905 the Union Pacific Railroad decided to route its trains through the Las Vegas area. The railroad depot was located at the head of Fremont Street (located behind the Plaza Hotel) and still serves as an Amtrak station. Several of the old railroad cottages, (2nd to 4th streets between Garces and Clark) used to house workers, can still be seen in the downtown area. With the coming of the railroad, the growth of the town of Las Vegas continued. The railroad auctioned off lots in Senator William J. Clark's Las Vegas townsite and the rebirth of the city began. In 1911 the city of Las Vegas was incorporated. In addition to the neighborhoods, early gaming establishments opened and a red-light district sprang up in the area of Second Street between Ogden and Stewart Avenues. The Mission style was the most popular architectural influence for early Las Vegas business buildings. The Victory Hotel at 307 S. Main Street is the oldest remaining downtown hotel and is a good example. In 1906 the Hotel Nevada opened at 1 Fremont Street. In 1931 it was expanded and renamed the Sal Sagev. By 1955 the Golden Gate Casino was in operation on the first floor.

Southern Nevada experienced another growth boom in the early 1930's when Boulder Dam (now named Hoover Dam) was being built. This brought many workers to the Las Vegas area and also created the town of Boulder City. Easy divorce laws and gambling (legalized in 1931) also contributed to the early population boom. In the 1930's and 40's the development of the Strip, a few miles south of downtown was under way. Early hotels built here were Bugsy Siegel's Flamingo Hotel, The Last Frontier, Thunderbird, El Rancho Vegas and the El Cortez downtown.

By the 1950's Las Vegas had become a true vacation destination. This post-war era was a glamorous time and, unlike many people today, visitors to the casinos and shows dressed formally. Las Vegas was known for its star-studded entertainment including headliners and showgirls. In the 1960's the "Rat Pack" presided over Las Vegas entertainment. The hotel/casinos started to compete over which had the most exotic decorations or the most neon. In 1955, Las Vegas' first racially integrated hotel, the Moulin Rouge opened.

The 1960's and 70's saw the opening of many new large hotels including the MGM Grand (now Ballys) and Caesars Palace. The 1980's and 90's have been the decades of both Steve Wynn and the building of "family resorts". The construction of "themed casinos" continues with the Excalibur, Mirage, (new) MGM, New York New York and Treasure Island. In 1995 the population of Clark County reached the one million mark and at this time is the nation's fastest growing city.

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