History of Las Vegas
From Las Vegas
Travelers traversing the Old Spanish Trail on their way to California in the 1800s stopped to sample the desert spring waters of Las Vegas, which means "the Meadows" in Spanish.
In 1904, a construction camp for workers building a railroad from Los Angeles to Salt Lake City was established in the Las Vegas Valley. The city's official history began on May 15, 1905, when 110 acres of land adjacent to the Union Pacific Railroad tracks was sold at auction: that area would become the downtown area of Las Vegas. Las Vegas became incorporated as a city in 1911, with a population of 3000.
In 1931, Nevada both legalized casino gambling and liberalized the state divorce law by reducing residency requirements to six weeks.
In that same year, construction was started on the Boulder Canyon project, now known as Hoover Dam. Along with bringing construction workers and their families to the area, a growing tourism industry was created as visitors came to witness the building of this engineering marvel. This helped the area avoid the economic devastation of the great depression.
These changes greatly impacted downtown's Fremont Street (named after John C. Fremont, who led a westward overland expedition and camped at Las Vegas Springs in 1844). Fremont Street evolved from a dusty whistle stop into a haven for fun-seekers.
Its isolated location and natural assets made Las Vegas attractive to the defense industry during World War II. In 1941, a gunnery school for the Army Air Corps was established. It is now known as Nellis Air Force Base and is the home of the Air Force acrobatic team, the Thunderbirds. In 1951, the Nevada Proving Grounds, located 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas, began atomic testing in the middle of what was then the Las Vegas Bombing and Gunnery Range, an Air Force training and practice site.
It was during the middle of the 20th century that Las Vegas continued its triumphant march toward becoming the gambling capital of the world. During this time, the use of neon emerged, transforming Fremont Street into "Glitter Gulch."
In 1959, the famous "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" sign was created by resident Betty Willis.
Gaining fame in Las Vegas during the post-war era were notorious characters such as "Bugsy" Siegel, who, along with others, purchased a downtown Las Vegas hotel called the El Cortez. He later went on to open the Flamingo Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip. Both hotels are still in existence.
In the 1960s, Las Vegas temporarily became home to eccentric recluse multimillionaire and aircraft mogul Howard Hughes, who helped introduce the business world to the riches gained from investing in Las Vegas. It was corporate America's involvement in the gaming industry that eventually muscled out the mobsters.
In the late 1980s, entrepreneur Steve Wynn changed the face of the Las Vegas gambling industry by ushering in the era of the mega casino resort. These immense, one-stop hotel and casino complexes, designed to encourage patrons to stay onsite, changed the dynamics of the valley's industry and converted dining and retail operations into integral money-makers.
The face of downtown Las Vegas changed forever when the $80 million Fremont Street Experience opened in December 1995. Over 12.5 million LEDs and 550,000 watts of sound are part of this entertainment extravaganza situated amid a five-block, pedestrian-friendly mall of casinos, shops and entertainment venues.
