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Photo courtesy of
UNLV Special Collections |
Las Vegas
At the
beginning of the 20th century, a new town began to rise from the dust of
the Mojave Desert: Las Vegas. The
bustling city now known as "the entertainment capital of the world"
was first planned only as a stop for the railroad
between Salt Lake City, Utah and Los Angeles, California.
On May 15, 1905, an auction was held to sell the land
surrounding the the train station.
Hundreds of people gathered around a rough, wooden platform near the railroad
tracks to bid on the land.
But the excitement was short-lived. Railroad crews had
scraped away all of the trees, bushes and grass, leaving no shade from
the summer sun. The sandy soil was left bare and dust swirled into the
dry desert air. Swarms of flies invaded the town.
A good supply of safe, clean water was desperately needed.
A few water pipes were built after the auction, but the water wasn't always
safe to drink. Without a dependable water system, there wasn't even enough
water to put out fires.
The Las Vegas Land and Water Company installed an underground
pipe to supply water to the town. The water was pumped from the
Las Vegas Springs since Lake Mead
didn't exist at the time.
A bank, several stores, barbershops, lumber companies,
hotels and grocery stores sprang up along Fremont Street, alongside the
new homes. The town of Las Vegas became an incorporated city on March,
16, 1911.
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