In the early 1700's Spanish traders making their
way to Los Angeles
via the Spanish Trail, began searching for a quicker travel route. The
Spaniard
traders referred to the trail they used through the vegas valley as the
"jornada
de muerte" journey of death.
The party sent out a scout by the name of Rafael Rivera who was the
first European
to discover what we now call Las Vegas. Looking down at the valley
Rafael Rivera
saw wild grasses and a plentiful supply of water which could reduce the
trek by
days. This valley earned its Spanish name of "The Meadows" which
translates
to Las Vegas.
On May 15, 1905 Las Vegas is founded as a city. By 1911 the divorce laws
for the
state of Nevada were very free, residents could obtain a fast divorce in
only six
weeks; through being a resident of Nevada for a mere six week period.
Short term
residents stayed at "dude ranches". These were the large Las Vegas strip
hotels.
In 1931 Hover Dam began its construction, an influx of skilled
construction workers
became residents of Las Vegas. The population increase was a welcome
opportunity
for financial growth. Vegas like all American cities were in the grip of
Great Depression.
The period between 1904- 1946 was the time
when the city really established itself. During this period two such
things
happened that forever changed the city's future path. On the one
hand
construction of Hoover Dam began and on the other hand, casino
gambling was
legalized. Between this period Las Vegas also became an incorporated
city in
1911 when it adopted its first charter. For the next few years the city
struggled as a small town until an infamous New York mobster opened his
Flamingo
Hotel in 1946.
After the opening of legendary Bugsy Siegel's Flamingo Hotel in
1946, on
what became today’s Las Vegas Strip, began the era of resort building
in Las Vegas which continued to accelerate in 1950s. The
internationally
famous Moulin Rouge Hotel-Casino was opened in 1955.
In 1980, the fire in MGM Grand Hotel was the
worst disaster in Nevada
history. In 1990, the silver dome in the city was demolished to
build the convention center expansion under Las Vegas Convention and Visitors
Authority, which today attracts millions of convention delegates.
Since then there has been no looking back for Las Vegas as thousands of
hotels,
casinos, resorts and theme parks sprang up all over the city area
making it
the “Entertainment Capital of the World”. (see Things to Do for more information on sight seeing and activites.)