Las Vegas blooms from desert oasis to worldwide attraction

Bill Ooten / Culpeper Star Exponent
Published: April 25, 2007

Surrounded by the Mojave Desert, the Las Vegas Valley oasis remained hidden for centuries. Only the Native Americans knew of the abundant artesian spring water that nourished this area of unexplored desert. Then in 1892 an experienced young Mexican scout, Rafael Riviera, discovered the Las Vegas Springs while accompanying a 60-man party along the Spanish Trail to Los Angeles. The discovery played a vital role in the rush west for California gold. Sometime between 1830 and 1848 the region was given the name of Las Vegas, which means "The Meadows" in Spanish.

Though a great deal of American history is directly associated with this region, it is perhaps the small building boom that took place in the 1940s that started to really put Las Vegas on the map. A two-lane highway leading into Las Vegas from Los Angeles was constructed and several hotel-casinos were built about 10 years after the Nevada legislature approved the legalized gambling bill. Some of the earlier hotels included the Last Frontier, The Thunderbird and the Club Bingo.

This relatively modest stretch of highway and the handful of hotels would eventually evolve into the world famous Las Vegas Strip.

On New Year's Eve 1946, the doors opened on what would easily become the most celebrated hotel-casino of this early resort phase, the Flamingo hotel. Built by mobster Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel, The resort would in many ways set the stage for the look and feel of what we see on the strip today. Ranch-style themed hotels were popular during the early development of Vegas, but Siegel's vision strayed far from any Western influence. Instead he drew his ideas from the architecture that he had seen in Miami. There, in the middle of a desert oasis, stood a hotel with a giant pink neon sign and pink flamingo replicas. A trend for architectural and interior design imagination was born and became the trend for the Las Vegas Strip.

For many years Vegas was correctly perceived to be a haven that catered primarily to adults. The gambling combined with the more adult themed shows and entertainers earned Vegas the nickname "Sin City." It wasn't until the mid 1980s that old and new investors alike decided that it was time for Vegas to have a greater mass appeal. Their goal was for "Sin City" to eventually appeal to a larger family market. In order for that to happen, more family type resorts and entertainers were needed. Soon, more family oriented hotels like the Treasure Island Resort, Circus Circus and the Aladdin Resort and Casino began to develop. The transformation paid off in a big way for Las Vegas.

Today, visitors of all ages and from all walks of life visit this city. Many come just to see the sheer visual magic that the strip has to offer. They come to view the fountains at the Bellagio Hotel, the nightly sinking of the pirate ship at Treasure Island, or the roller coaster set atop of the Stratosphere hotel. They come to enjoy the seemingly endless choices in entertainment and accommodations. And they come to see how this simple desert oasis bloomed to become one of the most recognized and talked about cities in the world.

So, whether you're itching to try your luck at the tables or maybe just simply experience some good entertainment, you can't go wrong in Las Vegas.
 
Bill Ooten is a travel consultant for Battlefield Travel in downtown Culpeper. He can be reached at 825-1393 or .