When we think of Las Vegas today, we imagine the glittery lights of the Strip and the ghosts of murkier Mafia associations on every corner. However, the modern perception of the city does not tell the whole story; in fact, Vegas has one of the richest histories in terms of development and significant characters in American history.
The area we now know as Las Vegas was discovered in the 19th century, during the generalised American populace migration to the West. The land was originally considered unfit for human habitation, given the marsh-like properties of Las Vegas valley and desert-like surrounding southern Nevada. The Mexicans named the area Las Vegas, meaning “meadows” due to this unusual fauna.
However, reconsideration was taken as early settlers realised the possibility of sustained growth due to the emergence of the Colorado River; which provided an oasis in the otherwise uninhabitable Mojave desert landscape. With this continued promise of water, settlers began to make their homes in the Valley.
Following a brief war with Mexico – who originally owned the territory – the city and its surrounding areas became United States territory in 1844.
With the initial promise of sustained water from the Colorado River, to further the habitation of the area it became essential to channel the natural supply into a sustainable human resource.
Plans were put in place in 1930 for a dam, which would generate both electricity and water. When originally conceived, the dam was named the Boulder Dam, and was eventually renamed the Hoover Dam after the organising President Herbert Hoover. Work began on the Hoover Dam in 1931.
Perhaps more than any other factor, it is the construction of the Hoover Dam that contributed to the Las Vegas we know today. In the first few years of the dam’s construction, the population of Las Vegas swelled from 5,000 to 25,000. Most of these new inhabitants were young, single men who had travelled West to work on the dam and explore new opportunities.
As a result of this influx of young, carefree men, thoughts among the administrators of the new development soon turned to a way to entertain the workers when they were away from the dam. A combination of leading citizens – including Mormon financiers and Mafia crime lords – pooled their initiatives, and began opening attractions they felt would appeal to young male dam workers.
The first licence for a casino was issued in 1931 to the Northern Club and legislation swiftly followed for matching casinos on Fremont Street. The latter introduced world-recognisable names such as the Las Vegas Club and the Apache Hotel to the Las Vegas night life. Along with the explosion of new ventures, Fremont Street lead the way for modern development in terms of town planning, receiving the first street-lights in the area also in 1931.
Although construction of the Hoover Dam completed before the Second World War, the city had by this point gained a reputation for being a fun, risque city offering a wild night-life to anyone who wished to seek it. It is a reputation that lives to this day.
