A Brief History of Downtown (cont.)

March 29, 2007

Fourth and Fremont

When I was a kid, there was no better place on Fremont Street than Coronets Five, Dime and 25 cent Store. Trader Bill's was a very close second because of that wonderful smell of leather, but Coronets had toys and games for kids. It may have even had a soda fountain but don't quote me on that until I do some more research.

Coronets stood on the corner of Fourth and Fremont and had a roof top neon sign that was a thing of beauty. Roof top signs were popular on Fremont. The El Portal Theater's only signage for awhile was its roof top sign. The El Cortez had a roof top sign, the Pioneer Club had one (still there but endangered) and the one across the street on the old Las Vegas Pharmacy pointing towards the Pioneer Club.

Next to Coronets was Jerry's Snack Bar which became a Jewelry Store. Next door to that was Orange Julius. Orange Julius drinks were heaven on earth on a hot summer day.

Next to Orange Julius was the Carl Ray Professional Building. This building was built around 1920 with a turquoise front and gold fleck lettering on a sign above the door. Each office upstairs had gold fleck lettering on the windows so that the doctors, dentists and attorneys could advertise their offices.

Next to the Carl Ray Building was Chic Hecht's Store for Women. We didn't have big department stores and certainly no malls until Irwin Molasky built the Boulevard Mall in the mid-1960s, so women who wanted fashionable clothes shopped downtown. My mother bought her second wedding dress at Chic Hecht's.

Next door to Chic Hecht's was Mr. B's. We are still researching Mr. B's. Next door to Mr. B's was Berta's Specialities. This was one of those stores in the 1960s that sold busts of Beethoven and what passed for cultured items to display in your home.

On the corner of Fifth (Las Vegas Blvd) and Fremont was a Chevron Service Station. We had a lot of gas stations in the downtown area and as you will see in the upcoming pages, many of them were on Fremont Street or one of the near by feeder streets.

Before the days of the highway interstate and freeways, Las Vegas Blvd was the main road to travel to Los Angeles or to Salt Lake City, and as luck would have it, it intersected with Fremont Street. Having that main thoroughfare helped turn Fremont Street into Glitter Gulch with all its neon and flicker bulb signage.

Today, where Coronets once stood is today a Walgreens and the Neonopolis Parking Garage.

Where Mr. B's was first a bar called Race Rock and is now the tiki bar, Mickey Finzz.

Where Berta's Specialities and the Chevron Station once stood is now Hennessy's Tavern.

A Brief History of Downtown (cont.)

March 28, 2007

Fitzgeralds - at Third and Fremont

This property was originally a mercantile store shortly after the land auction of 1905. It was owned by a couple who spent most of their lives traveling around the Southwest.

In its heart of the community era, Sewell's Market was on this corner and was one of the most successful markets in the downtown area. When Sewell's moved to another location, this became the site of CH Baker Shoes. Next door was Pott's Store for Men.

CH Baker Shoes was a wonderful store, very popular with showgirls and women who were interested in the fashions of the day. Kids, boys especially, would have there faces pressed against the glass looking at the glamourous women trying on shoes.

In 1971, CH Baker and Potts Mens Store were closed and the property became an office building. Next door were Schwartz Brothers Mens Wear (I guess guys still needed more mens stores back then), Zale's Jewelers, the Silver Dollar Trading Post, a McDonald's and a Thrifty Drugs.

Before it was a McDonalds, that property was the Hickory Wood Pit BBQue which had roasting chickens in the window. Old timers still fondly remember that smell.

In 1937, JC Penney's had a store and catalogue department at 319 Fremont Street. It was an old brick building (still is) with a second floor. Old timers remember the second floor was where the change was made. Pneumatic tubes ran from the second floor to the check out counters and sales clerks would take your money, put it in the tube with your bill, press the button and the tube would carry your money upstairs where change was made and the tube sent back down to the counter. Penney's later moved further east on Fremont where the Fremont Medical Building is today.

When Penney's moved, the property likely became Thrifty Drugs. The second floor was where large items such as furniture were sold, a rather novel idea fordrug stores in todays' way of thinking. Today, it is Tiffany's Souvenir Shop.

Next to Tiffany's on the western corner of Fourth and Fremont today sits the Western Village with a gold rush miner on the roof. This originally was Indian Joe's Souvenirs and Western Indian Wear. Next door was Franklin's Women's Wear in a small building but it made up in length what it lacked in width.

In 1979, the Sundance Casino opened on the corner. In 1987, it became Fitzgerald's and the mascot was a leprechaun known as Mr. Lucky. When the hotel rebranded itself a few years ago, Mr. Lucky was sent to the Neon boneyard. While in the boneyard, he met with an unfortunate fire of suspicious nature and was badly damaged.

Special thanks to Allen Sandquist!

A Brief History of Downtown (cont.)

March 28, 2007

The Four Queens (western corner)

This was originally the location for White Cross Drugs. It became White Cross Rexall in the early 1960s. There was a soda fountain in the Drugstore as well. Wayne Newton, when still a teenager and performing with his brother Jerry at the Fremont Hotel, would leave the Fremont and have a soda at White Cross until his next set. Next to White Cross was Bentley's Trading Post and Mode O'Day Womens Fashions.There was a hotel on the second floor above Mode O'Day. Skaggs Drug Store with its neon signage, MJ Christensen Jewelers, Bain's Ladies Fashion. Smith and Chandler Western Wear moved from Second and Fremont, to next to Bain's.

In 1964, the 4 Queens bought the property and construction began on the new hotel and casino. White Cross moved south down Las Vegas Blvd to its current location at Oakey. Ben Goffstein was the majority owner and named the Four Queens after his four daughtersWhen it opened it only had 120 rooms and 20,000 square feet of casino.

The owners of the 4 Queens bought out Bentley's and Mode O'Day and built the 4 Kings Arcade where school kids could be found after school and on the weekends playing pinball and such.

The Eastern corner of what is now the 4 Queens was City Drug which was owned by Frank Bolig. I'm not sure why there were three drug stores on this block but Drug Stores were very popular on Fremont with the Las Vegas Pharmacy at First and Fremont for over fifty years. Further east on Fremont, near Seventh Street was Fremont Drugs as well.

The Las Vegas Pharmacy was torn down and is today Mermaids. Where Fremont Drugs stood is now a Cuban Restaurant.

In 1972, the 4 Queens built a tower that sits back off Fremont Street and used the same motif as the original building.

In 1975, they annexed all the businesses and expanded down to the eastern corner.

They also held an exhibit in 1975 of reproductions of the famed Crown Jewels of England which included a knighting sword, the Orb of England and the Imperial State Crown.

Today, the Four Queens takes up the entire block on Fremont Street and goes back all the way to Carson Street.

A Brief History of Downtown (cont.)

March 27, 2007

The Golden Nugget (western corner):

The Golden Nugget now takes up the entire block between First and Second but it hasn't always. On the corner of First and Fremont once stood the California Club which had an animated bear that moved its head up and down. In the mid-1960s, the bear would be replaced by an animated chaser bulb arrow. In 1969, the Golden Nugget expanded and put a small bullnose on the corner. In 1978, the Friendly Club opened on the corner but within two years, it closed and reverted back to being part of the Golden Nugget.

In about the mid-section of today's Nugget, once stood the Oasis Cafe. This was a popular restaurant with both the locals and people passing through. The Oasis gave way to the Las Vegas Sweet Shoppe. The Sweet Shoppe was a popular after school hang out for students from the Grammar and High Schools. The Sweet Shoppe ultimately closed and the White Spot Cafe opened in its place.

In 1954, the White Spot gave way to The Nevada Club. The Nevada Club, like most of the gaming halls on Fremont Street had air vents on the floor in the doorways. You could come in out of the heat, stand there and be blasted by cool air. The floor vents are still in the doorways but that rush of cool air no longer hits you like it used to. The Nevada Club gave way to Diamond Jim's. Finally, around 1970s, it too became part of the Golden Nugget expansion.

Between the Nevada Club and the original part of the Golden Nugget stood a small clubs: the Fortune Club which became the Frontier Club. The Frontier Club became the Lucky Strike with its massive neon and flicker bulb pylon sign shooting into the sky. The Lucky Strike shortened its name to the Lucky Club before being annexed by the Nugget in 1968.

The Golden Nugget (eastern corner of Second and Fremont):

This originally was a two story Post Office. Robert Griffiths was the postmaster in 1926. Next to the Post Office was the Majestic Theater which may have been owned by Ernie Cragin before he built the El Portal. Cragin and Pike Insurance had an office upstairs above the Theater. The Post Office and Majestic Theater gave way to the Mission Bar. It was only in business a short while before it became the Kiva Bar. The Kiva gave way to the Golden Nugget.

It's original bullnose and signage was designed by Young Electric sign designers Kermit Wayne and Hermon Boernge. The 1905 on the sign led many to believe that the Golden Nugget had been part of the original development of Fremont Street but that was a myth. Because of its bullnose and signage, the Golden Nugget became one of the most photographed buildings on Fremont Street. "Everyone knew the Golden Nugget sign" said the late president of the LVCVA, Manny Cortez.

Steve Wynn bought the Golden Nugget and gave the building a total make-over. Some of the smaller signage is in the Neon Museum boneyard but the original large rooftop sign was destroyed. There is reported to be a small model of the original bullnose and signage in the Smithsonian.

Outside on Second Street for many years was Sammy's Newstand that carried papers from around the world.