VEGAS DETAILS

Before Las Vegas became famous and billed as the Entertainment Capital of the World, it was but a piece of land rich with water and vegetation. The Paleo-Indians were the first to have set foot in Las Vegas but it was Rafael Rivera, a Spaniard, who gave the valley its name. " Las Vegas " stood for "The Meadows".

The discovery of the route through Las Vegas aided speedier travel for Spanish traders to California. Later, the Mormons built a fort to stock supplies for the journey between Salt Lake City and Los Angeles, to help them in their travel. The remains of this fort can still be seen today.

The first large industries that began in Vegas were mining, then agriculture. The abundance of water in the valley attracted railroad developers as the place had a potential for becoming a stop-facility and town. This prompted other businesses to sprout, so saloons, stores, and boarding houses opened to cater to tourists' needs.
     Below: The famous sign welcoming all to Vegas, and part of the Vegas Strip at night, doing what it does best.

Since Nevada legalized casino-style gambling, it has become very rampant in Las Vegas. Despite the outlawing of gaming for a time, that didn't stop gamblers from doing it 'underground'. In 1931 gambling in Las Vegas was finally made legal. However, it wasn't until after the war that several hotel-casinos were constructed in a particular area. Today, this high-density area of casinos is referred to as the Las Vegas Strip. This steady development continued until the 1950s.

As time progressed, Las Vegas expanded and became much more of a variety city, rather than simply providing accommodations for its gamblers and tourists. Hotel-casinos also provided entertainment of all sorts. These are the wild, over-the-top structures that made the valley famous throughout the world. People visit to be captivated by the hundreds of millions of dollars the hotel and casino owners spend in an effort to outdo each other by creating the most extravagant architecture, sculptures and attractions seen anywhere. For a lot of people, Las Vegas is almost always associated with fun and the high life, and that's exactly the way they want it.