GAME ON: Las Vegas Heritage
Las Vegas is known as an "oasis" in the desert–both literally and figuratively. Other than a large contingent of Native American ancestors, the early genealogy of the area (beginning mid-1800s) was comprised of Mormon missionaries, railroaders, miners and developers. Wooly Mammoths roamed this land between 8-15,000 years ago. And, the Las Vegas Valley oasis was unknown to outsiders until, by chance, Antonil Armijo–a Mexican trader–veered his caravan from the Spanish Trail on his way to Los Angles. In search of water, his scouting party ventured in to the Valley and, within a couple of weeks, discovered the artesian spring responsible for the oasis. This would alter the course of the area's history forever.
Word spread and within 14 years John C Fremont—memorialized in a casino and a downtown street named after him—would camp at the spring (May, 1844) and later publish a journal describing the area. This sparked general public interest and, by 1855, Mormon settlers began establishing a 150 sq ft fort (made of adobe bricks) in the area (intended to protect their mail route from Salt Lake City to Los Angeles). Some of the Mormon Fort still stands today and is a popular tourist destination in downtown Vegas.
Nevada was dubbed the Battle Born State, because it was admitted to the Union during the Civil War in 1864– not all that long after the publishing of Fremont’s journal! The discovery of gold and silver in California and Nevada, plus the building of the intercontinental railroad, shaped Vegas’ growth from there. A precursor-to-Vegas tent city sprang up as a result and gave way to all manner of commerce in the area, including saloons, boarding houses, stores and brothels. The San Pedro, Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad made its inaugural run from California to points east on Jan. 20, 1905; that same year Vegas was incorporated as a town. Soon after, in 1906, the Hotel Nevada opens and a new populace descends on the area.
With mining came drinking and gambling–these would define the early 20th century economies and politics of the state. Nevada was the first state to legalize casino-style gaming and, ironically, the last to outlaw it in 1910. In response, the gaming industry quickly set up underground where it would grow and flourish for years. In 1931 Nevada reversed the law and local gaming was again legalized–all in anticipation of the new money that would flow due to the building of Boulder Dam, or Hoover Dam as we know it today. On July 3, 1930, President Herbert Hoover signed the appropriation bill for the Boulder Dam. Before 1931 the population in the area was 5,000; with miners and the dam's influx of laborers it quickly rose to 25,000. These were mostly men who "work hard and play hard." Boulder Citywas created to keep dam workers from the illegal alcohol, gaming and showgirl theaters that were readily available in Vegas. But it didn't work—no such luck, as we say.
New casinos were financed by local business owners, Mormon financiers, and the Mafia, all wanting a "piece of the action." It would be an understatement to say that Vegas proliferated as the "gaming and entertainment capital of the world" as a result.
During the depression Vegas was spared the financial hardship the rest of the country endured because of the dam, continued [Back to Press Releases Main]
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