Untold Stories - Celebrating Three Years of History!

Next Thursday evening our discussion on "Mining in Southern Nevada" will also be our third anniversary of "Untold Stories" at the Springs Preserve.

Each month, we focus on a different topic about Las Vegas in the 20th Century and I put together a panel of long-time residents and historians to can bring insight and memories about the subject.

When I first began this venture with the Springs Preserve, I was doing similar programming regularly at the Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas and the Clark County Museum in Henderson.

Now due to budget cuts and dwindling budgets it is harder to do that type of programming at the museums.  But to its credit, the Springs Preserve has not waivered in its support of "Untold Stories".

Marcel Parent and the educational staff at the Springs understand how important this series is.  No where else in Southern Nevada can you go each month to hear old-timers talk about the history they witnessed and the history they made.

Over the last three years we have covered a wide range of popular topics like the history of Fremont Street and the Early Strip as well as "The MGM Grand Fire", "Above Ground Atomic Testing", "The Mob and Las Vegas", "World War II and Las Vegas" "Growing up in Early Las Vegas".

We have a dedicated group of participants that come out each month to hear the speakers and participate in the discussion.  Some are residents that have lived here for many, many years and some are relative newcomers interested in learning more about the new place they call home.

Regardless of how long you have lived in Las Vegas, we invite you to join us the first Thursday of each month (dark in January) to explore both the well-known history of our town as well as the lesser-known.  Our speakers love to share their stories and their memories.

Major thanks to the Springs Preserve and Nevada Humanities for providing the funding that keeps this living history series going.

I am thrilled to be celebrating our third anniversary together and look forward to more wonderful years of bringing history alive with "Untold Stories".

This Thursday we are focusing on "Mining in Southern Nevada".  Long before the casinos, miners came to the Las Vegas Valley seeking their fame and fortune.  From El Dorado Canyon to Goodsprings to Mt. Potosi, some struck it rich and others eeked out a meager existence.

Join us along with:

Tony Werly, current owner and historian of the famed Techatticup Mine in El Dorado Canyon.  Tony offers daily tours of the mine and has a small museum that includes pictures of steamships on the Colorado River.

Don Blake, local historian with a focus on the mining in Goodsprings.

Dr. Elizabeth Warren, local historian with a focus on mining in the Valley.

In the months ahead we will be focusing on:

October 1st :  The History of the Moulin Rouge

November 5th:  Howard Hughes and Las Vegas

Decemeber 3rd:  The Las Vegas You Don't Know

So, make a habit of joining us the first Thursday of every month and support this wonderful series.

Thursday, Sept. 3rd

Las Vegas Springs Preserve

Desert Learning Center

6:30 pm

Admission $12

Techatticup Mine

UNLV's First Building-Frazier Hall- designed by Walter Zick!

For more information on our tribute to Walter Zick on October 3rd, click here.

University of Nevada Professor James R. Dickinson arrived from Reno in September 1951 to start extension classes at Las Vegas High School.

Meeting for the first time in Las Vegas in 1954, University Regents expressed support for a Southern Nevada campus while warning that most of the funding was needed in the north.

Clark County School Superintendent R. Guild Gray took up the challenge. Assisted by Assemblywoman Maude Frazier, who was a former school superintendent, the Porchlight Campaign began.

High school and college students going door to door raised more than $135,000, enough to construct the first building. Eighty acres of desert was donated on remote Maryland Parkway in unincorporated Clark County.

The Legislature, impressed with the local fundraising and the donated land, provided $200,000. When the first building was completed in 1957, it was named Maude Frazier Hall.

In 1969, Nevada Southern University became the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, putting it on equal footing with the northern campus. Ten years later, UNLV's enrollment surpassed Reno's.

UNLV now has more than 100 buildings and 1,000 faculty members teaching 28,000 students, as well as more than 220 accredited undergraduate, masters and doctoral degree programs. This historical photo is one in a continuing series commemorating the 100th anniversary of Clark County.

Photo Courtesy of Nevada State Museum

Las Vegas Summer of Love Labor Day Concerts

As the summer is winding down in other parts of the country (but not in Las Vegas where a heat advisory is in effect and temps are supposed to reach 110), Labor Day weekend looms on the horizon.  The Fremont Street Experience is hosting it's End of Summer- What a Bummer bash.

If you are going to be in town for the holiday weekend, here's the schedule:

"Labor Day Weekend: End of Summer, What a Bummer Bash" will close the summer concert series the weekend of Friday, September 4 through Monday, September 7. Highlighting the weekend will be concerts by Canned Heat on Saturday, Sept. 5, and Three Dog Night on Sunday, Sept. 6.

All 10 Fremont Street Experience properties (Binion´s Gambling Hall and Hotel, The California, Fitz Casino and Hotel, Four Queens Hotel & Casino, Fremont Hotel & Casino, Golden Gate Hotel & Casino, Golden Nugget, Main Street Station Casino, Brewery & Hotel, Plaza Hotel & Casino and Vegas Club Hotel & Casino) will take part in the "Summer of ´69: Vegas or Bust" with specially themed promotions and outdoor food and drink specials. Retail shops and kiosks will also feature custom "Summer of ‘69" merchandise.

All events are free and open to the public.

Cultural Corridor adds historic Signs

The first of three vintage neon signs will be set into place on Las Vegas Boulevard, in the Cultural Corridor, on Monday night, Aug. 24, during the overnight hours. The completely refurbished Bow & Arrow Motel sign will be installed in a median island north of Bonanza Road, as part of the $1.1 million Neon Sign Improvement Project.

Years ago, the Bow & Arrow Motel was located on Las Vegas Boulevard at Wyoming Avenue near Dino’s. The sign is believed to have been installed at the motel during the late 1950s or early 60s.

A total of three completely restored neon signs are planned for placement on Las Vegas Boulevard, from Bonanza to just north of Washington Avenue, as part of this project. New landscaped median islands are also being installed.

The other two signs that will be installed in the coming weeks are the Silver Slipper sign that sat atop the Silver Slipper Gambling Hall, and the Binion’s Horseshoe sign that used to be at Binion’s Horseshoe Casino on Fremont Street.

Once the signs are in place, crews will work to provide power and conduct a series of tests prior to the signs being officially put into service.

The signs being installed on Las Vegas Boulevard are in the heart of Las Vegas’ Cultural Corridor. The corridor is made up of the highest concentration of cultural institutions in Las Vegas and includes Cashman Center, the Las Vegas Library, the Las Vegas Natural History Museum, Lied Discovery Children’s Museum, The Neon Museum, the Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort State Historic Park, and the Reed Whipple Cultural Center.

These three signs are also the first in a series of historic neon signs that will be completely restored and eventually placed on Las Vegas Boulevard, from Washington to Sahara Avenue, as part of the Las Vegas Boulevard Scenic Byway Program.

Funding for this project is provided by the Centennial license plate fund and the city of Las Vegas. The signs that are being used in the project are on loan from the Neon Museum. The Bow & Arrow Motel sign was originally restored through donations to the Neon Museum in the name of Las Vegas historian Frank Wright.

Rafael Construction is the contractor. The city of Las Vegas is managing the project. The improvement project started in May and is slated for completion in late September or early October.

Photos courtesy of Brian "Paco" Alvarez.