The Paleo-Indians was the first group of people visited the Las Vegas valley hundreds of years ago. They travel across the land and camped in different locations known as nomads. Then after hundreds of years later, another tribe moved into the southern Nevada and they are called Anasazi Indians. They live along the Muddy and Virgin rivers.The known proof of their existence was due to the ruins that was discovered in Overton, Nevada called the "Lost City." Around this timeline, the Pauite people also explored the Las Vegas area.
Raphael Rivera, a young scout, is known to be the first European to visit and discover the valley
of Las Vegas during 1829. The discovery of the valley with abundant wild grasses growing and a plentiful water supply was named Las Vegas, Spanish for "The Meadows." Then around 1844, John C. Fremont arrived in Las Vegas and kept a journal describing two springs he found. This journal lured in many individuals to the area.
By 1864, Nevada was admitted into the union as the 36th state. On that day, it was recognized annually as a state holiday. Then at the late 1800's, the discovery of minerals such as metals, lead to the beginning of the mining industry. Then to lure in farmers, the State Land Act of 1885 offered sections of land at the price of $1.25 per acre. The agriculture became the dominant industry for the next 20 years.
During the early 1900s, the completion of the main railway that links Southern California with Salt Lake City established Las Vegas as a railroad town. The rich source of water made Las Vegas an ideal refueling point and rest stop. On May 15, 1905 Las Vegas was founded as a city. Then on July 1, 1909, the Nevada Legislature created the city under Clark County. It was named after William Clark who brought the railroad to southern Nevada.
Nevada was the first state to legalize casino-style gambling, but before that, it was the last western state to outlaw gaming in the first decade of the 20th Century. On October 1, 1910, a strict anti-gambling law became effective in Nevada. This law lasted less than three weeks. Gambling was quickly set up underground where patrons who knew the password can go in. Not until March 1931 when the Nevada Legislature approved a legalized gambling bill that was caused by Phil Tobin, a Northern Nevada rancher, that stated legalized gambling was designed to raise taxes for public schools. Today, more than 43% of the state general fund is fed by gambling tax revenue and more than 34% of the state's general fund goes into public education. During the Great Depression, legalized gambling returned to Nevada.
At the same time as the Great Depression, the construction of Hoover Dam brings an influx of construction workers that blooms the population and started the Valley's economy which was a necessity during that era. By 1935, four years later, the Hoover Dam was completed. At 726 feet high and more than 1200 feet long, it was the tallest dam in the world. President Franklin D. Roosevelt spoke at the dam's dedication.
During the 1940's, the outbreak of World War II brought the defense industry to the valley. With its isolated location along with the large source of water and inexpensive energy, made Las Vegas an ideal site for military and defense related industries. The Nellis Air Force Base is located in the northeast, and the Basic Management Complex, that provides raw materials, is located in the southeastern suburb of Henderson. This employed a significant amount of valley resident. Following WWII, the lavish resort hotels and gambling casinos were created. Tourism and entertainment took over. Around 1951, the first atomic bomb was detonated at the Nevada Test Site which is north of Las Vegas. A Test ban Treaty of 1963 required the nuclear testing be moved underground.
As the population grows in Las Vegas, the foundation of what Las Vegas is now was due to the transition phase when gambling became "gaming" as a legitimate business during the 1960s, Corporations invest in the hotel/casino industry. The population growth and the increase of job opportunities exponentially increased as the number of hotels increased over the period of two centuries later.
On May 15, 2005 the city of Las Vegas celebrated the 100th birthday which was marked as which 110 acres of downtown Las Vegas was laid on May 15, 1905. The celebration began on December 31, 2004 and lasted through 2005.
Source:
http://www.lvol.com/lvoleg/hist/lvhist.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Las_Vegas
http://www.lasvegasnevada.gov/FactsStatistics/history.htm
