Long before the dazzling mega-resorts and Celine Dion residency we know Vegas for, this was simply a dusty railway stop in the Mojave Desert. But the first 50 years of the 20th century brought big changes to these streets (one of which was the building of actual streets…). The legalisation of gambling and good ol’ frontier spirit established Las Vegas as a pretty unique corner of the country from early on. Construction of the Hoover Dam fuelled even more major change from 1931 onwards. These 45 images capture that incredible evolution, from rugged pioneer life to the birth of the fabulous city we know today. Viva, Las Vegas!
#1 Guy Mcafee Breaks Ground On The 91 Club In Las Vegas, Nevada, 1939
Image source: Los Angeles Daily News
#2 Celebrities Pier Angeli, Red Skelton, Vic Damone, Herb Shriner, Milton Berle, Spike Jones, And Gale Storm Are Photographed On Fremont Street In Las Vegas, Nevada, 1953
Image source: Las Vegas News Bureau Collection, LVCVA Archive
#3 Miners And Burros, Las Vegas, Nevada, 1910s
Image source: University of Nevada, Las Vegas
#4 Las Vegas Club, Las Vegas, Nevada, Circa 1930s
Image source: University of Nevada, Las Vegas
#5 Photograph Of People Outside Of The First State Bank Of Las Vegas, Nevada, 1905
Image source: University of Nevada, Las Vegas
#6 Construction Sheds And Mountains Are Landscape Features At The Present Time At Basic Magnesium’s Thousand-Unit Housing Development Near Las Vegas, Nevada, 1943
Image source: Fritz Henle
#7 Slot Machine Players, Las Vegas, Nevada, Circa 1940
Image source: Arthur Rothstein
#8 Hospital, Las Vegas, Nevada, Circa 1905
Image source: University of Nevada, Las Vegas
#9 Las Vegas Trading Company Store, Las Vegas, Nevada, Circa 1905
Image source: University of Nevada, Las Vegas
#10 Las Vegas Club, Las Vegas, Nevada, 1945-1955
Image source: University of Nevada, Las Vegas
#11 Movie Set, Las Vegas, Nevada, 1915
Image source: University of Nevada, Las Vegas
#12 James Down Sales And Service, Las Vegas, Nevada, Circa 1915-1930
Image source: University of Nevada, Las Vegas
#13 Dog Sitting On A Donkey, Las Vegas, Nevada, Circa 1920-1930s
Image source: University of Nevada, Las Vegas
#14 Railroad Pass Near Las Vegas, Nevada, 1930
Image source: University of Nevada, Las Vegas
#15 Photograph Of Las Vegas High School, Nevada, 1910s
Image source: University of Nevada, Las Vegas
#16 Las Vegas, Nevada, 1943
Image source: War Department Army Air Forces
#17 Hoover Dam On The Colorado River Near Las Vegas, Nevada, Circa 1950
Image source: Apollomelos
#18 First State Bank Of Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada, Circa 1905-1920
Image source: University of Nevada, Las Vegas
#19 Teacher And Students In Las Vegas, Nevada, Circa 1905-1906
Image source: University of Nevada, Las Vegas
#20 Front Exterior Of The Arizona Club, Las Vegas, Nevada, Circa 1905
Image source: University of Nevada, Las Vegas
#21 Majestic Theatre, Las Vegas, Nevada, Circa 1920
Image source: University of Nevada, Las Vegas
#22 Woodard’s Garage, Las Vegas, Nevada, 1920
Image source: University of Nevada, Las Vegas
#23 Las Vegas Army Airfield, 1942
Image source: United States Army Air Forces
#24 The New (At The Time) Post Office On Fremont Street, Las Vegas, Nevada, 1905
Image source: Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas
#25 Boulder Dam Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada, 1951
Image source: Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas
#26 The Pioneer Club In Its Opening Year, Las Vegas, Nevada, 1942
Image source: Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas
#27 Las Vegas Ranch, Las Vegas, Nevada, Circa 1905
Image source: University of Nevada, Las Vegas
#28 Las Vegas Depot, Las Vegas, Nevada,1905
Image source: University of Nevada, Las Vegas
#29 Deconstruction Of The Las Vegas Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada, 1905
Image source: University of Nevada, Las Vegas
#30 First Post Office, Las Vegas, Nevada, 1905
Image source: University of Nevada, Las Vegas
#31 Colorado Club, Las Vegas, Nevada, 1905
Image source: University of Nevada, Las Vegas
#32 Riviera Hotel And Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, Circa 1955
Image source: University of Nevada, Las Vegas
#33 Hotel National, Las Vegas, Nevada, 1910-1941
Image source: University of Nevada, Las Vegas
#34 Train, Las Vegas, Nevada, Late 1920s
Image source: University of Nevada, Las Vegas
#35 Las Vegas Grammar School And High School, Las Vegas, Nevada, Circa 1920s
Image source: University of Nevada, Las Vegas
#36 Log Cabin West Of Las Vegas, Nevada, Circa 1920s To 1930s
Image source: University of Nevada, Las Vegas
#37 Schoolchildren, Las Vegas, Nevada, January 10, 1930
Image source: University of Nevada, Las Vegas
#38 Hotel National, Las Vegas, Nevada, Circa 1930s
Image source: University of Nevada, Las Vegas
#39 Early Las Vegas Homes, Las Vegas, Nevada, Circa 1930s
Image source: University of Nevada, Las Vegas
#40 Businesses On Fremont Street, Las Vegas, Nevada, Circa 1910s-1920s
Image source: University of Nevada, Las Vegas
#41 Fremont Street, Las Vegas, Nevada, 1920s
Image source: University of Nevada, Las Vegas
#42 University Of Nevada, Las Vegas, 1930
Image source: University of Nevada, Las Vegas
#43 Main Street At Bonneville, Las Vegas, Nevada, 1912
Image source: University of Nevada, Las Vegas
#44 Las Vegas Hospital, Las Vegas, Nevada, 1905-1910
Image source: University of Nevada, Las Vegas
#45 Railroad Cottages In Downtown Las Vegas, Nevada, 1910
Image source: University of Nevada, Las Vegas
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