FULL HISTORY...
The history of Las Vegas began rather mundane. In 1829, a caravan bound for Los Angeles went astray. Having set up a camp, they sent several volunteers, led by Mexican Rafael Riviera, in search of water.
They managed to find an artesian spring surrounded by a small grove, which became their salvation. Around the source, a small settlement quickly grew (historians talk about the emergence of the city as early as 1864), which received the name "Las Vegas", which means "floodplain meadows" in Spanish.
However, the official date of the emergence of Las Vegas is considered May 15, 1905.
The Industrial Revolution in the United States, which has spurred the development of many cities, has affected Las Vegas as well. The city became an important gas station for steam trains between Salt Lake City and Los Angeles.
Since the official date of its foundation, the city has been overflowing with saloons and gambling halls, where card games dominated. This was accompanied, just like in classic westerns, by grandiose drinking and constant showdowns, often ending in shootings. This forced the authorities in 1909 to ban all types of gambling, including the common coin.
Already in 1911, some card games were again allowed, and in 1915 slot machines were added to them (the so-called "one-armed bandits"), which initially gave out winnings in a clothing equivalent: the winner could get cigars, alcoholic drinks or even fruit chewing gum.
Finally, in 1931, the government of Nevada passed a law that allowed gambling and established the rules for how gambling houses should do business.
Las Vegas began to expand. The idea of building hotels that offered gambling entertainment to their guests began to occupy the minds of many entrepreneurs.
One of the first such establishments was The Meadows Supper Club, which opened in 1932. Although it was mainly aimed at wealthy visitors, the gambling establishment quickly gained success among players with a fairly average income. Unfortunately, the club lasted only a year, as it was destroyed by fire.
In 1941, the first casino was built on what is today the city's most famous gambling street, the Las Vegas Strip. The owner of this casino, El Rancho, in 1939 came up with the idea to build a casino hotel along the busy highway to Las Vegas so that travelers would not have to travel to the city center to play games. His idea worked and the casino flourished until the 1960s, but was destroyed by fire.
Often, the construction of a casino in Las Vegas was sponsored by the mafia. For example, for the Thunderbird casino, built in 1948, this even caused the loss of its license.
And in 1945, gangster Benjamin Siegel, better known as "Handsome Bugsy", managed to convince his companions to invest in his casino project fabulous money at that time - $ 1 million.
They managed to find an artesian spring surrounded by a small grove, which became their salvation. Around the source, a small settlement quickly grew (historians talk about the emergence of the city as early as 1864), which received the name "Las Vegas", which means "floodplain meadows" in Spanish.
However, the official date of the emergence of Las Vegas is considered May 15, 1905.
The Industrial Revolution in the United States, which has spurred the development of many cities, has affected Las Vegas as well. The city became an important gas station for steam trains between Salt Lake City and Los Angeles.
Since the official date of its foundation, the city has been overflowing with saloons and gambling halls, where card games dominated. This was accompanied, just like in classic westerns, by grandiose drinking and constant showdowns, often ending in shootings. This forced the authorities in 1909 to ban all types of gambling, including the common coin.
Already in 1911, some card games were again allowed, and in 1915 slot machines were added to them (the so-called "one-armed bandits"), which initially gave out winnings in a clothing equivalent: the winner could get cigars, alcoholic drinks or even fruit chewing gum.
Finally, in 1931, the government of Nevada passed a law that allowed gambling and established the rules for how gambling houses should do business.
Las Vegas began to expand. The idea of building hotels that offered gambling entertainment to their guests began to occupy the minds of many entrepreneurs.
One of the first such establishments was The Meadows Supper Club, which opened in 1932. Although it was mainly aimed at wealthy visitors, the gambling establishment quickly gained success among players with a fairly average income. Unfortunately, the club lasted only a year, as it was destroyed by fire.
In 1941, the first casino was built on what is today the city's most famous gambling street, the Las Vegas Strip. The owner of this casino, El Rancho, in 1939 came up with the idea to build a casino hotel along the busy highway to Las Vegas so that travelers would not have to travel to the city center to play games. His idea worked and the casino flourished until the 1960s, but was destroyed by fire.
Often, the construction of a casino in Las Vegas was sponsored by the mafia. For example, for the Thunderbird casino, built in 1948, this even caused the loss of its license.
And in 1945, gangster Benjamin Siegel, better known as "Handsome Bugsy", managed to convince his companions to invest in his casino project fabulous money at that time - $ 1 million.
and some photos
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