Las Vegas has grown from a desert into a casino paradise. Jordan Douglas Brown share some history highlights on this famous town.

1. Las Vegas is
Deserted No More
JORDAN DOUGLAS BROWN

2. Introduction
It may seem rather odd that the city of Las Vegas has a
name that is Spanish for “Fertile Lands” or “The
Meadows” since it is thought of by most Americans as
an area marked by desert lands. But, it was once a
fertile valley containing Artesian wells and lush
meadows.

3. Las Vegas became a settlement with the
building of the San Pedro, Los Angeles & Salt
Lake Railroad that linked Salt Lake City, Utah,
and Los Angeles, California. Some farmers
from Utah were attracted to the area, and
fresh water was piped into this growing
location that was founded as a city in 1905.
With the beginning of World War I, however,
the railroad was forced to declare bankruptcy
because its government funding was
redirected to other areas.

4. The Emergence
of Las Vegas
In 1931 the construction of the Boulder Dam, now
known as the Hoover Dam, began, and hundreds
of male workers came into the Las Vegas area. It
was at this time that casinos and theaters were
constructed. Gambling, practiced as early as the
1800s by prospectors passing through the area,
was legalized. Mafia boss Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel
built the first casino in the Flamingo Hotel.

5. With electricity supplied by the dam,
construction of new hotels began along what
was known as the Strip, with the
Mafia financing most of these. Also, with the
completion of the Hoover Dam and the
formation of the reservoir, Lake Mead,
tourists came to the area. The influx of people
sparked the construction of better quality
hotels. During the late 1950s, several more
such as the famous Tropicana, a hotel-casino,
were built. The driving force of this
construction was “Dandy” Phil Kastel, who
had ties to mobster Frank Costello.

6. Changes to
Las Vegas
In 1966, Howard Hughes invested in the
area and transformed much of Las Vegas
into a family tourist and resort area. The
landmark resorts of Hughes’s period, such
as the Dunes, the Frontier and Stardust,
have been replaced with new hotels,
beginning with the Mirage, a luxury casino
and hotel developed by Steve Wynn.

7. Other sites such as The Fremont Street Experience,
a $70-million canopy that provides visitors with a
spectacular light and sound show, has replaced old
hotels and casinos. Nevertheless, some buildings
remain, though transformed. One landmark building
is the Las Vegas Post Office and Courthouse that is
now the Mob Museum where tourists can see the
historic courtroom, visit a speakeasy and even book
a private event there.

8. THANK YOU
FOR YOUR TIME
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