Spanish traders en route to
Los Angeles along the Spanish Trail seek a route that
passes through the then unexplored Las Vegas Valley. The
Spaniards refer to the route through the valley as "jornada
de muerte," journey of death. A young scout named Rafael
Rivera is the first person of European ancestry to look
upon the valley. His discovery of a valley with abundant
wild grasses growing and a plentiful water supply
reduces the journey by several days. The valley is named
Las Vegas, Spanish for "The Meadows."
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Early 1700's |
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1844 |
Famed explorer Captain John
Fremont writes about Las Vegas - bringing the valley to
the attention of others besides the Spanish explorers
and missionaries and the indigenous Indian population.
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Brigham Young assigns 30
Mormon missionaries to build a fort in the Las Vegas
valley. The fort constitutes the first non-Indian
settlement in the region and is still located on the
corner of Washington Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard.
Their primary purpose is to teach the Paiute Indians
farming techniques. The Paiutes reject the teachings and
occasionally raid the fort.
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1855 |
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1857 |
Brigham Young's fort is
abandoned |
The discovery of minerals,
including precious metals, leads to the beginning of the
mining industry.
The completion of the main railway, linking Southern
California with Salt Lake City, establishes Las Vegas as
a railroad town. The availability of water makes Las
Vegas an ideal refueling point and rest stop. The
railroad is the principal industry in Las Vegas for the
next 25 years.
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Late 1800's |
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1885 |
The State Land Act of 1885
offers sections of land at $1.25 per acre. Farmers move
in and agriculture becomes the dominant industry for the
next 20 years.
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Las Vegas is founded as a
city on May 15, 1905, when 110 acres of land situated
between Stewart Avenue on the north, Garces Avenue to
the south, Main Street to the west, and 5th Street (Las
Vegas Boulevard) to the east, are auctioned off.
Freight Wagon on Freemont Street |
1905 |
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1909 |
Las Vegas becomes the county
seat for the newly established Clark County. Until now,
the city is governed as part of Lincoln County.
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Las Vegas becomes an
incorporated city and adopts its first charter on March
16th. At the time of incorporation, the city encompasses
19.18 square miles, and has approximately 800
inhabitants, less than 1 percent of the states total
population. Clark County has a population 3,321.
On March 19th, gambling is legalized in the State of
Nevada. One month later, the city issues six gambling
licenses.
Divorce laws are liberalized in the State of Nevada,
making residency easier to attain. A "quickie" divorce
can be attained after six weeks of residency. These
short-term residents stay at "dude ranches" which are
the forerunners of the sprawling Strip hotels.
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1911 |
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1930 |
Las Vegas grows to a
population of 5,165. |
Beginning in 1931, the
construction of Hoover Dam brings an influx of
construction workers which starts a population boom and
gives the Valley's economy, which was in the grips of
the Great Depression, a needed boost.
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1931 |
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1935 |
Hoover Dam is complete.
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Las Vegas' population has
grown to 8,422. The outbreak of World War II brings the
defense industry to the valley. The isolated location,
along with plentiful water and inexpensive energy, makes
Las Vegas an ideal site for military and defense related
industries. The site for Nellis Air Force Base is
located in the northeast, and the Basic Management
Complex, providers of raw materials, is located in the
southeastern suburb of Henderson. The defense industry
continues to employ a significant number of valley
residents.
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1940 |
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1945 |
Following World War II,
lavishly decorated resort hotels and gambling casinos
offering top-name entertainment come into existence.
Tourism and entertainment took over as the largest
employer in the valley. |
Gaming Board is created.
Moulin Rouge, Las Vegas' first racially integrated
hotel, opens its doors
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1955 |
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1956 |
The city of Las Vegas
annexes one square mile of land, its first such addition
since incorporation 45 years earlier. |
Topless Showgirls debut on
the Strip with "Minsky's Follies."
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1957 |
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1959 |
"Welcome to Fabulous Las
Vegas" sign is created by Betty Willis. |
Las Vegas encompasses 25
square miles and has a population of 64,405. Las Vegas
has more than 22 percent of Nevada's total population on
less than .02 percent of the State's land. At the same
time, Clark County has a population of 127,016.
Las Vegas hosts its first boxing match.
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1960 |
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1960's |
During the 1960s, a
phenomenon lead by Howard Hughes, occurs in Las Vegas.
Corporations are building and/or buying hotel/casino
properties. They have the capital necessary and the
profitability makes entrance into the casino industry
extremely attractive. Gambling becomes "gaming" and
starts the transition into legitimate business.
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Elvis Presley opens at the
International Hotel, now known as the Las Vegas Hilton.
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1969 |
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1970-1980 |
Corporations continue to
invest in the hotel/casino industry. Gaming becomes a
legitimate business and some properties have stock
traded on the market. |
Las Vegas economy remains
strong and the population increases to 164,674. Clark
County, meanwhile, grows to a population of 463,087.
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1980 |
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1980's |
Starting in the mid 1980s, a
period of unprecedented growth begins. Annual population
increases averaging nearly 7 percent causes the city's
population to almost double between 1985 and 1995,
increasing from 186,380 to 368,360, a 97.6 percent
increase. That is equivalent to building a city larger
than Reno in 10 years! At the same time, Clark County's
population increases from 562,280 to 1,036,180, an
increase of 84.3 percent.
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1993 |
The Dunes Hotel implosion. |
Contributing to the
population growth is a 4 percent annual increase in
hotel rooms and a 9.18 percent annual increase in jobs
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1990's |
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The US Census reports the
population of Las Vegas is 478,434 over a land area of
113 square miles. There are over 500 churches and
synagogues, 799 acres of parks, 7 television stations,
and 12 radio stations (4 AM and 8FM). Las Vegas is the
largest metropolitan city in the U.S. that was founded
in 20th century.
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2000 |
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2005 |
The city of Las Vegas
celebrated its 100th birthday on May 15, 2005. The
events celebrates the May 15, 1905 auction in which100
acres of downtown Las Vegas laid the foundation for the
city we know today. The celebration began on December
31, 2004, and lasts throughout 2005.
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