Before Las Vegas was the magical land of huge hotels and gambling; its lands were inhabited by the Native Americans in Southern Nevada where they grew squashes and corn for hundreds of years.
In the late 1820s a Spanish man brought a number of men to the region and it was called Las Vegas which in Spanish means ‘The Meadows’. Years later an American man from the US Army travelled through the area and in 1855 the Mormons settled for a few years in the area but then moved on.
In 1865 the settlement became permanent when Octavius Gass formed the Las Vegas ranch. Years later in 1881 Archibald Stewart took over but however died three years later and his wife inherited the ranch.
Following this she sold it to a train line company that built a train line through the region. A modern town was formed when the train line was finished.
The city of Vegas was established in 1911. Back then it was a small town with around one thousand people living there, but soon grew a lot larger. So by 1920 it had a population of over two thousand.
In 1931 they started working on the Hoover Dam. Because of this the population blossomed. At the same time gambling was legalised in the state of Nevada and casinos were founded in the city of Vegas. El Rancho Vegas was the first to open a resort on the strip in 1941.
Mobsters from the East coast were hotel builders who opened the Flamingo hotel in 1946. However, one of them was murdered the following year and his fellow mobsters helped to carry out his plans for a number of other hotels which were funded by drug trafficking. Soon after the mobsters received investments from respectable groups such as the Wall Street banks and the Mormon Church.
Las Vegas was doing so well on gambling that after the Second World War and by the 60’s it had a population of more the 64,000 people. Tourists were coming to Vegas for the casino scene and to see famous artists perform such as Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra.
Following this the Dolphin and the Riviera opened and in 1966 and the millionaire Howard Hughes moved to Las Vegas. Also in this year Caesars Palace opened its doors. Vegas continued to grow rapidly in the late 20th century and its population bloomed.
In 1979 The Liberace Museum was established and the Fremont Street Experience opened years later in 1995.
Vegas celebrated its 100th year in 2005. In 2012 the National Museum of organised crime and law enforcement opened.
Today in Las Vegas
Las Vegas attracts millions of visitors to its beautiful and colourful city today. Its entertainment, hotels and casinos are the biggest source of income in Vegas.
There have been billions of dollars spent on renovations, such as remodelled golf-courses, new restaurants, amazing shopping outlets, and world-class shows and events; the city of Las Vegas is continuing to thrive.
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Spotless Ducts is a company that employs Las Vegas locals who have great pride in our beautiful city. We want you to love our city as much as we do, which is why we love to showcase its best bits with these kinds of articles.