Las Vegas--a Spanish word meaning "The Meadows" or "The Grasslands"--was established as a railroad town in 1905 and was officially incorporated in 1911. It is the largest city in the United States founded in the 20th century and goes by the two different nicknames of "The Entertainment Capital of the World" and "Sin City". Las Vegas continues to evolve: the city legalized gambling in 1936, Bugsy Siegel's Flamingo Hotel opened in 1946 starting the now infamous Las Vegas Strip, and Steve Wynn opened The Mirage in 1989 starting a new era with the megaresort casinos. This book follows life, government, events and people important to Las Vegas history and the building of this unique city. Spanning over two centuries and two hundred photographs, this is a must have for any long-time resident or history lover of Las Vegas!

Las Vegas—a Spanish word meaning "The Meadows" or "The Grasslands"—was established as a railroad town in 1905 and was officially incorporated in 1911. It is the largest city in the United States founded in the 20th century and goes by the two different nicknames of "The Entertainment Capital of the World" and "Sin City". Las Vegas continues to evolve: the city legalized gambling in 1936, Bugsy Siegel's Flamingo Hotel opened in 1946 starting the now infamous Las Vegas Strip, and Steve Wynn opened The Mirage in 1989 starting a new era with the megaresort casinos. This book follows life, government, events and people important to Las Vegas history and the building of this unique city. Spanning over two centuries and two hundred photographs, this is a must have for any long-time resident or history lover of Las Vegas!

The largest city in the United States to be developed entirely within the twentieth century, Las Vegas has always been a unique place. From its beginnings, when two town sites competed to become the new community rising from the desert, to its modern status as a tourism and entertainment center, Las Vegas has always been a town that took chances and seized opportunities. With a selection of fine historic images from his best-selling book Historic Photos of Las Vegas, Jeff Burbank provides a valuable and revealing historical retrospective on the growth and development of Las Vegas. Remembering Las Vegas captures this story through still photography selected from the finest collections, a visual record of the city's history presented in more than a hundred historic photographs. From a dusty tent city to the glittering lights of the most popular tourist destination in the country, these images tell of railroads and ranchers, the Hoover Dam and the Vegas Strip, mining and gambling, visionaries and star performers. Historic events and everyday life are preserved in vivid black-and-white images to tell the story of one of America's most exciting cities.

Las Vegas Then and Now pairs vintage shots from 100 years of the city's history with the same view today.

The largest city in the United States to be developed entirely within the twentieth century, Las Vegas has always been a unique place. From its beginnings, when two town sites competed to become the new community rising from the desert, to its modern status as a tourism and entertainment center, Las Vegas has always been a town that took chances and seized opportunities. With a selection of fine historic images from his best-selling book Historic Photos of Las Vegas, Jeff Burbank provides a valuable and revealing historical retrospective on the growth and development of Las Vegas. Remembering Las Vegas captures this story through still photography selected from the finest collections, a visual record of the city’s history presented in more than a hundred historic photographs. From a dusty tent city to the glittering lights of the most popular tourist destination in the country, these images tell of railroads and ranchers, the Hoover Dam and the Vegas Strip, mining and gambling, visionaries and star performers. Historic events and everyday life are preserved in vivid black-and-white images to tell the story of one of America’s most exciting cities.

Discover one of !--?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /--America's most fascinating cities through 30 dramatic true stories spanning Las Vegas's 150-year history. James Roman takes readers on a tour through the glamorous and sometimes sordid history of Las Vegas and explains how a railroad town transformed itself into "the Entertainment Capital of the World." Essays explore the major historic events from the founding of Sin City and the building of the Hoover Dam to the rise of the Rat Pack at the Sands and the establishment of the Mafia-controlled casinos. Also included are intriguing tales of Vegas celebrities from Frank Sinatra and Liberace to Siegfried and Roy, as well as numerous historical photos and full-color maps.

This book of vintage Vegas ephemera offers a guided tour of Sin City’s rise out of the Mojave Desert to become a major entertainment destination. Greetings from Las Vegas tells the story of Las Vegas during its golden age in the first half of the twentieth-century. The city’s miraculous evolution comes alive through a fun and diverse collection of vintage photos, picture postcards, matchbooks, ads, and other ephemera. This beautifully illustrated volume captures the glamor of Fremont Street and the Las Vegas Strip, landmarks such as the Sands and Riviera hotel casinos, and the cream of Hollywood glitterati, including Frank, Sammy, Dino, and the rest of the Rat Pack. Author Peter Moruzzi’s sharp and irreverent commentary provides essential context for the visual treats as well as a unique historical take on the evolution of this desert playground.

The meteoric rise of Las Vegas from a remote Mormon outpost to an international entertainment center was never a sure thing. In its first decades, the town languished, but when Nevada legalized casino gambling in 1931, Las Vegas met its destiny. This act—combined with the growing popularity of the automobile, cheap land and electricity, and changing national attitudes toward gambling—led to the fantastic casinos and opulent resorts that became the trademark industry of the city and created the ambiance that has made Las Vegas an icon of pleasure. This volume celebrates the city’s unparalleled growth, examining both the development of its gaming industry and the creation of an urban complex that over two million people proudly call home. Here are the colorful characters who shaped the city as well as the political, business, and civic decisions that influenced its growth. The story extends chronologically from the first Paiute people to the construction of the latest megaresorts, and geographically far beyond the original township to include the several municipalities that make up today’s vast metropolitan Las Vegas area.

Through a stunning collection of historical and modern photographs, "Under the Cottonwoods" celebrates Las Vegas' humble beginnings, including the people, places and events that have inspired and shaped the city's history. Las Vegas began on the banks of the Las Vegas Creek, a perennial stream fed by three artesian springs. The flow from these springs sustained Las Vegas' first inhabitants and gave birth to a world-renowned city. From early ranches and the railroad to the beginning of the resort industry, the Las Vegas Springs supported a thriving community. The springs flow stopped in 1962 due to the growing population and increased use. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1978, the 180-acre Springs Preserve is known as the birth place of Las Vegas and represents one of the richest and most unique cultural and biological resources in Southern Nevada. "Under the Cottonwoods" explores the dynamic role this area has played in Las Vegas history.

From the original gambling halls of yesteryear to the newest hotel on the block. this comprehensive history of Las Vegas features full-color photos of "Grifter Gultch" and the "The Strip." Tells you everything but how to leave the town a winner.