History of Las Vegas facts for kids
Las Vegas, Nevada, was founded in 1905. This happened after a railroad line was built, connecting Los Angeles and Salt Lake City. This new stop attracted farmers, mostly from Utah, and fresh water was brought into the area. In 1911, the town officially became a city and part of the new Clark County.
The city grew a lot starting in 1931 when work began on the Hoover Dam (then called Boulder Dam). Many young workers came to the area, and places for entertainment like theaters and casinos were built for them. Electricity from the dam also helped build many new hotels along the famous Strip. When Howard Hughes arrived in 1966, he helped change Las Vegas from a place mainly known for gambling into a more family-friendly tourist spot, now called a "Megaresort."
The name "Las Vegas" was given to the area in 1829 by Rafael Rivera. He was part of a Spanish explorer group led by Antonio Armijo traveling to Los Angeles. They stopped for water on the Old Spanish Trail from New Mexico. Back then, parts of the valley had natural springs surrounded by green areas. "Las Vegas" means "the meadows" in Spanish. Water from these springs flowed into the Las Vegas Wash, which leads to the Colorado River.
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Ancient Times in Las Vegas Valley
Long, long ago, the Las Vegas Valley and much of Southern Nevada were covered by a marsh with lots of water and plants. Over time, the rivers that fed the marsh went underground, and the marsh dried up. The valley then became a dry desert, supporting only tough animals and plants.
Later in the valley's history, water came back to the surface and flowed into what is now the Colorado River. This created a lush plant life, forming a green oasis in the Mojave Desert.
We know about ancient life in Las Vegas Valley because in 1993, construction workers found the bones of a Columbian mammoth. Scientists who study ancient life, called paleontologists, believe the mammoth lived here between 8,000 and 15,000 years ago.
Native American people lived in the Las Vegas Valley for over 10,000 years. Archaeologists have found old baskets, rock carvings called petroglyphs, and rock paintings called pictographs in places like Gypsum Cave and Tule Springs. The Paiute people moved into the area around AD 700. They would travel between nearby mountains in the summer and spend winters in the valley, close to Big Springs.
Early Days: 1829–1905
In 1829, a group of 60 men led by Mexican merchant Antonio Armijo was tasked with finding a trade route to Los Angeles. They followed some existing paths and found the Las Vegas Valley. They described it as the best place to get supplies before continuing to California. They named the area "Las Vegas," meaning "The Meadows" in Spanish.
John C. Frémont visited the Las Vegas Valley on May 3, 1844. At this time, the area was still part of Mexico. He was sent by President John Tyler to lead a group of scientists and scouts for the United States Army Corps of Engineers. They were preparing for a possible war with Mexico. When they arrived, they camped at the Las Vegas Springs and set up a secret fort. A war with Mexico did happen, and as a result, this region became part of the United States. The fort was later used by travelers, hunters, and traders for shelter, but no one lived there permanently.
In 1855, William Bringhurst led 29 Mormon missionaries from Utah to the Las Vegas Valley. They built a 150 square foot (14 m²) adobe fort near a creek. They used a method called flood irrigation to water their crops, which is still used today. However, due to disagreements among the missionaries, the hot summer weather, and difficulty growing crops, they returned to Utah in 1857, leaving the fort behind.
For a few years, the area was mostly empty, except for travelers. In 1864, during the American Civil War, the U.S. Army pretended to reclaim the fort and called it Fort Baker. This was to trick Confederate spies. After the war ended in 1865, Octavius Gass was given permission by the government to move back into the fort. The Paiute people, whose numbers had decreased, made a new agreement with the United States. They gave up the land around the fort in exchange for a new home, food, and farming tools. Gass then started farming the old fields and renamed the area 'Las Vegas Rancho.' He made wine at his ranch, and Las Vegas became known as the best stop on the Old Spanish Trail. In 1881, Gass lost his ranch to Archibald Stewart because of money problems. In 1884, Archibald's wife, Helen J. Stewart, became the first Postmaster of Las Vegas.
The property, which grew to 1,800 acres (7.3 km²), stayed with the Stewart family until 1902. It was then bought by the San Pedro, Los Angeles, and Salt Lake Railroad, which was building a line through southern Nevada. This railroad project was led by Montana Senator William A. Clark. Clark worked with Utah Senator Thomas Kearns to make sure the railroad was completed through Utah to Las Vegas. The State Land Act of 1885 offered land for $1.25 per acre. Clark and Kearns encouraged American farmers to move to the area, and they quickly expanded the farms. By 1895, a large number of Mormons began to settle there, fulfilling an earlier dream of Brigham Young. Farming became the main industry for the next 20 years. In honor of Senator Clark, the farmers named the area Clark County.
Birth and Growth: 1905–1929
By the early 1900s, water from wells was piped into the town. This gave Las Vegas a steady supply of fresh water and helped it grow even more. With more water available, Las Vegas became an important stop for wagon trains and later railroads. It was a key point on the route between Los Angeles, California, and places to the east like Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The San Pedro, Los Angeles & Salt Lake Railroad was finished in 1905. It connected Salt Lake City to southern California. Senator William A. Clark was the main owner of this railroad. Other important people involved were Utah Senator Thomas Kearns and his business partner David Keith. They helped Clark make sure the new railroad was successful.
Interestingly, for a while, there were two towns named Las Vegas. The east side, which includes modern Main Street and Las Vegas Boulevard, was owned by Clark. The west side, north of modern-day Bonanza Road, was owned by J.T. McWilliams, who had bought land west of the original ranch. The city of Las Vegas really started to take shape from McWilliams's property.
Clark later built another railroad line from Las Vegas to the booming town of Bullfrog, called the Las Vegas and Tonopah Railroad. With money coming in from both railway lines that met there, Las Vegas grew quickly. On May 15, 1905, Las Vegas officially became a city when 110 acres (0.45 km²) in what is now downtown were sold to buyers. Las Vegas was a big reason for the creation of Clark County, Nevada, in 1909, and the city was officially formed in 1911 as part of the county. The first mayor of Las Vegas was Peter Buol, who served from 1911 to 1913.
Soon after the city was formed, the State of Nevada reluctantly became the last western state to make gambling illegal. This happened at midnight on October 1, 1910. The law was very strict, even banning the old western custom of flipping a coin to decide the price of a drink. However, Las Vegas had a varied economy and strong businesses, so it kept growing until 1917. In that year, economic problems and the government shifting resources to support World War I forced the Las Vegas and Tonopah Railroad to go out of business. Even though William Clark sold what was left of the company to the Union Pacific Railroad, a nationwide strike in 1922 left Las Vegas in a difficult situation.
Hoover Dam and Early Casinos: 1930–1941
On July 3, 1930, President Herbert Hoover signed the bill to fund the Hoover Dam (then called Boulder Dam). The dam's name was later changed to Hoover Dam during the Truman administration. Work on the dam started in 1931. Las Vegas's population quickly grew from about 5,000 people to 25,000, with most newcomers looking for work building the dam.
This large group of mostly male workers, who didn't have strong ties to the area, created a demand for entertainment. Local Las Vegas business owners and other groups helped build casinos and showgirl theaters to entertain the dam workers.
Despite the arrival of some people with questionable backgrounds, the local business community tried to make Las Vegas look respectable. This was especially true when the Secretary of the Interior Ray Lyman Wilbur visited in 1929 to see the dam site. However, one of his assistants was found to have alcohol on his breath (this was during Prohibition) after visiting a part of Las Vegas known for its nightlife. Because of this, the government decided to build a separate, federally controlled town called Boulder City for the dam workers.
Realizing that gambling could bring in a lot of money for local businesses, the Nevada state legislature made gambling legal at the local level in 1931. Las Vegas, which already had a small but established illegal gambling scene, was ready to become a major center for gaming.
The county issued the first gambling license in 1931 to the Northern Club. Soon, other casinos like the Las Vegas Club and the Apache Hotel were licensed on Fremont Street. Fremont Street became the first paved street in Las Vegas and got the city's first traffic light in 1931.
In response, the federal government tried to limit dam workers from going to Las Vegas. But workers found ways around these rules. In 1934, to stop these activities and the growth of criminal figures in the gambling business, the city's leaders tried to shut down gambling places and stop workers from the dam from visiting. This only made some dam workers more determined to visit Las Vegas. A celebration of this time is now known as Helldorado Days.
Even though these efforts caused a slowdown in gambling businesses, the city got a boost when the dam was finished in 1935. In 1937, Southern Nevada Power became the first company to supply electricity from the dam, and Las Vegas was its first customer. Electricity flowed into Las Vegas, and Fremont Street became known as "Glitter Gulch" because of its many bright lights powered by Hoover Dam. Even though the dam workers left, Hoover Dam and its lake, Lake Mead, became tourist attractions themselves. This created a need for more upscale hotels.
In 1940, U.S. Route 95 was extended south into Las Vegas, giving the city two major roads for access. Also in 1940, Las Vegas's first permanent radio station, KENO, began broadcasting.
War Years: 1941–1945
On January 25, 1941, the U.S. Army set up a flexible gunnery school for the United States Army Air Corps in Las Vegas. Mayor John L. Russell signed over land for this development. This gunnery school later became Nellis Air Force Base.
On April 3, 1941, hotel owner Thomas Hull opened the El Rancho Vegas. It was the first resort on what would become the famous Las Vegas Strip. The hotel became well-known for its delicious buffet.
On October 30, 1942, R. E. Griffith rebuilt a nightclub called Pair-O-Dice, which had opened in 1930, and renamed it Hotel Last Frontier. A few more resorts were built on and around Fremont Street. However, the next hotel on the Strip clearly showed the growing influence of organized crime in Las Vegas. While some people connected to organized crime had been involved in hotel operations before, they didn't own or control the hotels. This changed after the war when a person named Bugsy Siegel, with help from a friend, invested money through banks to build The Flamingo in 1946.
Postwar Boom: 1946–1955
The Flamingo initially lost money, and Bugsy Siegel died in 1947. However, many people involved in organized crime saw the great potential that gambling offered in Las Vegas. From 1952 to 1957, with money from the Teamsters Union and some bankers, they built many famous hotels like the Sahara, the Sands, the New Frontier, the Royal Nevada, the Showboat, The Riviera, The Fremont, Binion's Horseshoe (which used to be the Apache Hotel), and finally The Tropicana.
These hotels, often run by a mix of local business leaders and people connected to organized crime, became symbols of gambling entertainment. Even though it was known that some owners had questionable backgrounds, by 1954, over 8 million people were visiting Las Vegas each year, spending $200 million in casinos. Gambling wasn't the only attraction anymore. Big stars from movies and music, like Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Andy Williams, Liberace, Bing Crosby, and Carol Channing, performed in cozy settings. After seeing these stars, tourists would gamble and then eat at the gourmet buffets that became a key part of the casino industry.
However, the involvement of various groups in Las Vegas gambling led to a two-year investigation by Senator Estes Kefauver and his committee in 1950–51. The investigation found that money from organized crime was indeed linked to Las Vegas casinos and was becoming a major controlling force in the city. This led to a proposal by the Senate to have federal control over gambling. Only because of the power of Nevada's Senator Pat McCarran did this proposal not pass.
With their connections in Hollywood and New York City, these groups in Las Vegas were able to use publicity to attract many tourists. This helped Las Vegas grow rapidly and led to the decline of other illegal gaming centers around the country. Nevada's legal gambling, along with increased attention from law enforcement in other places, made their downfall unavoidable.
Atomic Testing and Growth
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While the Strip was booming, the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission started detonating nuclear bombs on January 27, 1951. These were the first of over a hundred atmospheric explosions at the Nevada Test Site. These tests continued until 1963, when the Partial Test Ban Treaty moved them underground. The last test explosion was in 1992.
Even though there were dangers from radiation, which were not fully understood at the time, Las Vegas advertised the explosions as another tourist attraction. They even offered "Atomic Cocktails" in "Sky Rooms" that had great views of the mushroom clouds.
The arrival of government employees for the Atomic Energy Commission and funding from the Bank of Las Vegas helped fuel the growing casino boom. But Las Vegas was doing more than just building casinos. In 1948, McCarran Field was established for commercial flights. In 1957, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas was first created, starting as a branch of the University of Nevada, Reno and becoming independent in 1969. In 1959, the Clark County Commission built the Las Vegas Convention Center, which became a very important part of the area's economy. A new utility company, Southwest Gas, expanded into Las Vegas in 1954.
Modern Las Vegas Begins: 1956–1969
Howard Hughes's Influence
In 1966, Howard Hughes, a famous American aviation pioneer and wealthy businessman, moved to Las Vegas. He first stayed at the Desert Inn hotel. When he didn't want to leave his room, he decided to buy the entire hotel! Hughes expanded his business empire to include Las Vegas real estate, hotels, and media companies. He spent an estimated $300 million and used his power to take over many well-known hotels, especially those that had been connected to organized crime. He quickly became one of the most powerful people in Las Vegas. He played a big part in changing Las Vegas's image from its "Wild West" beginnings into a more sophisticated city.
Local Government and the Strip
One challenge for the City of Las Vegas was that the famous Strip was not actually inside the city limits. Because of this, the city lost out on tax money. There was an effort to make the Strip part of Las Vegas. However, the Clark County Commissioners used a legal move to organize the Las Vegas Strip properties into a separate, unincorporated area called Paradise. Under Nevada law, an official city like Las Vegas cannot take over an unincorporated area. To this day, almost all of the Strip remains outside the City of Las Vegas.
Ending Segregation
Like many other places in the United States, entertainment venues in Las Vegas were separated by race. Most businesses were owned and operated by white people, and Black Americans were not allowed to enter them. These places focused on entertaining only white customers. Because of property rules, businesses owned by or mainly serving non-white people were limited to clubs on the "west side" of the tracks. This also affected jobs. Black Americans (except for low-paying jobs or entertainers) and Hispanic people had limited job opportunities at the white-owned clubs.
Some businesses connected to organized crime saw an opportunity in serving all customers, regardless of race. Despite property rules and city laws, they tried to desegregate their businesses. They hoped to attract more customers and compete with the non-white owned clubs. On May 24, 1955, a businessman named Will Max Schwartz, along with other investors, opened the Moulin Rouge. It was a very fancy and racially integrated casino that actually competed with the resorts on the Strip. By the end of the year, the casino closed due to disagreements among the partners, but it had started the idea of racial integration.
Many people say that Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack were a big reason for desegregation in the casinos. One famous story tells of Sinatra refusing to perform at the Sands Hotel unless the hotel gave Sammy Davis Jr. a room. This famous performing group made similar demands at other places, forcing owners to change their rules over time.
However, it took political action for racial desegregation to truly happen. In 1960, the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) threatened to protest the city's casinos because of their policies. A meeting between the NAACP, the mayor, and local businessmen led to city-wide casino desegregation, starting with the employees. Many white workers were replaced, and their jobs were given to black unions. Like the rest of the country, Las Vegas experienced the struggle for civil rights. Activists like James B. McMillan, Grant Sawyer, Bob Bailey, and Charles Keller pushed Las Vegas towards racial integration.
Beyond the business advantages, some of the organized crime groups themselves were made up of people from ethnic backgrounds (Jewish and Italian) who had faced discrimination from the dominant white culture. Because of this, they could understand the difficulties faced by black people. This was also a reason why performers like Sinatra and Martin supported integration.
Another strong supporter of equality was Mayor Oran Gragson. He was inspired to get into local politics after police repeatedly broke into his appliance store. He improved roads and services in minority neighborhoods in Las Vegas, supported the NAACP's actions, and promoted black workers for jobs. He also championed the cause of the Paiute tribe, who owned a small part of Las Vegas. Gragson stopped the U.S. government from forcing the tribe to leave and actually made improvements for them. His work helped reverse the decrease in minority populations in Las Vegas.
Local laws kept up with national laws, and integration was finally established. The only real violence came from school integration, with riots and fights happening at Clark High School when black and white students clashed. Integration led to "white flight" (white families moving away) from the school district from 1965 to 1971.
Rapid Growth: 1970-1988
Las Vegas and Clark County saw incredibly fast growth rates from the 1930s until the late 2000s recession. During that time, the city's population more than doubled in most decades. The growth rate slowed down in the 1970s but never dropped below 60% (from 1980–1990). It even sped up after 1990 due to immigration. By 2000, Las Vegas was the largest city founded in the 20th century. By 2006, it was the 28th largest city in the U.S., with a population of 552,000 in the city and nearly 1.8 million in Clark County. This explosive growth led to rapid development of homes and businesses throughout the Las Vegas Valley. The strong boom in the resort business led to many new apartment buildings along the Strip and downtown. Also, single-family homes continued to spread across the valley, building up areas like Henderson, North Las Vegas, Centennial Hills, and Summerlin. This rapid development and population growth suddenly stopped during the late 2000s recession.
During this time, American author and journalist Hunter S. Thompson wrote his famous novel, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, which described his trip to the city in 1971.
On November 21, 1980, the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino suffered a terrible fire. A total of 85 people died and 785 were injured in what remains the worst disaster in Nevada history. The property was eventually sold and reopened as Bally's Las Vegas, while MGM moved south to Tropicana Avenue.
The Megaresort Era: Since 1989
The "Mafia/Rat Pack" era of Las Vegas from the mid-20th century slowly ended in the 1980s. The generation that lived through World War II grew older, the influence of organized crime decreased, and new business leaders from the baby boomer generation emerged. They started a new chapter in the city's history, known as the megaresort era. Las Vegas began to become a more commercialized, family-friendly place, with large companies owning the hotels, casinos, and nightclubs instead of crime bosses.
The megaresort era began in 1989 with the building of The Mirage. Built by developer Steve Wynn, it was the first resort built with money from Wall Street, selling $630 million in bonds. Its 3,044 rooms, each with gold-tinted windows, set a new standard for luxury in Vegas. It attracted many tourists, leading to more funding and rapid growth on the Las Vegas Strip. Many famous hotels and other buildings were torn down to make way for even larger and more luxurious resorts, including:
- 1990: Rio and Excalibur
- 1993: MGM Grand, Treasure Island, and Luxor
- 1996: Stratosphere Tower and Monte Carlo
- 1997: New York-New York
- 1998: Bellagio
- 1999: Mandalay Bay, Venetian, and Paris
- 2000: Planet Hollywood (formerly Aladdin)
- 2001: Palms
- 2005: Wynn (opened in April by Wynn Resorts Limited at a cost of US$2.7 billion)
- 2007: Palazzo
- 2008: Encore
- 2009: CityCenter
- 2010: The Cosmopolitan
Helldorado Days was brought back in 2005 for the City of Las Vegas' centennial celebration.
Economic Challenges and Comeback
Despite its success, the housing market crisis and the late 2000s recession affected Las Vegas's economy. Soon after, new home construction stopped, and building projects were either canceled, delayed, or faced financial problems. Some of these projects included the MGM Mirage property of CityCenter, Fontainebleau, Echelon, and The Plaza. The global financial situation also negatively impacted gambling and tourism income, causing many companies to report losses.
However, starting in 2013, the economy began to improve. New resort projects were proposed, like Resorts World, which is replacing the Echelon site and is currently under construction. The Alon resort is planned for the site that used to be the Frontier. Fontainebleau is also in the process of being sold and restarted. Wynn Resorts is planning an additional tower with a central lake for 2020, and a new stadium opened near the New York-New York hotel in 2016.
Las Vegas has continued to host many conventions and major events, such as the annual Latin Grammy Awards and the Consumer Electronics Show.
Many experts agree that the Las Vegas economy is recovering, with better conditions in tourism and the housing market for 2013. Prices are rising, and there has been a large increase in the market for million-dollar homes, with many new custom homes being built. January 2013 marked the 19th month in a row where home sales were higher than the same month in the previous year. Also, Las Vegas was named America's Top Turn Around Market for 2012 by Trulia.
Images for kids
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Mushroom cloud near Las Vegas
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During the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, casinos were ordered to close, which was almost unheard of in Las Vegas.
