Category: Las Vegas History

Patty Hearst in Las Vegas

CNN’s ongoing promotion of its upcoming long form video special “The Radical Story of Patty Hearst” set off a flashback to November 5, 1975.

It was on that day the UNLV newspaper “The Yell,” carried a front page story “Patty Hearst in Las Vegas.”   That was more than four decades ago, Captain History was working with Dave Kelly, the newspaper’s Editor. (see p.s.) The Confederate Soldier and the word “Rebel” were removed the masthead.

If you would like to read the story as well as a visit by Dick Gregory at UNLV, here are a couple of links.

Gregory’s appearance and comment’s on Hearst  was also front page news.   Gregory, like his contemporaries Lenny Bruce, and Mort Sahl, was labled a comedian.  All three were satirist, all three were funny,  but their legacy was shining a spotlight on the opportunities for improvement in society.  ( After writing that, an image of all three of them popped up  throwing a tomato at me.)

Here are the links to The YELL,

http://d.library.unlv.edu/cdm/compoundobject/collection/reb/id/1794/rec/5

http://d.library.unlv.edu/cdm/compoundobject/collection/reb/id/1868/rec/8

Here is one of many obit clips on Gregory.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQpM5WxI37Q

CNN’s broadcast “The Radical Story of Patty Hearst” premieres on February 11 at 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. ET/PT .  Nine days before Hearst’s 65th birthday.  https://www.cnn.com/shows/radical-story-patty-hearst

P.S.   When Dave Kelly moved from the profession of journalism to the world of computer’s, it was Journalism loss.  His outstanding coverage of the Baneberry accident and his work with UPI stands out.

The Development of Las Vegas through the eyes of a post card photographer, 1913 to 1930

 

 

 Even with smart phones and their ability to snap a photo and send it back home,  post cards are still found in gift stores along Fremont Street and the Las Vegas Strip.

The messages haven’t changed; “Look where I am” and “wish you were here.”

For decades post cards were king.  In the golden age of post cards, Billions, yes Billions were sold each year in the United States.

The earliest form of Twitter, as you could only write so many words on the back of the post card.

In the beginning, the U.S. Post Office forbid writing on the back of the post car; except the address.

So you squeezed your message, a few words around the edges of the front of the card.

Then in 1902 Great Britain allowed its citizens to write a message on the left side of the back of the post card.

Five years later the U.S. Post Office made the change.

For Las Vegas, post cards continues record to development and changes  of the community, from a railroad stop and farms to the growing and constantly changing hospitality industry.

In many cases, the early days, pre Hoover Dam era, post cards are often the only visual history of the development of southern Nevada that has survived.

In this the first of several stories on post cards and the history of southern Nevada, we focus on one giant post card company, Curt Teich of Chicago.

Not the first to provide a visual glimpse of Las Vegas to the outside world, but for several decades Teich dominated the market place.

Continue reading “The Development of Las Vegas through the eyes of a post card photographer, 1913 to 1930”

A Nevada Bar Owner & A Person who was once paid by a mobster to be honored U.S Govt.

In the next three weeks the U.S. Post Office is going to honor a former employee of Bugsy Siegel  with a forever stamp, and the U.S. Mint is going to honor a former Henderson bar owner with a dollar coin.

Continue reading “A Nevada Bar Owner & A Person who was once paid by a mobster to be honored U.S Govt.”

New Chair, Funds for historic Las Vegas High School and Motor Courts Studies approved

The City of Las Vegas Historic Preservation Commission (H.P.C.) met today, January 24, and elected a new chair and vice chair.

By unanimous vote the commission elected Claytee White, Director of the Oral History Research Center for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Nevada, as the new chair.

More details on White’s background can be found here – https://www.unlv.edu/news/expert/claytee-d-white .

 

The commission also approved a budget that included funds, up to $25, 000, to update the more than 50 year old Las Vegas High School Federal and Las Vegas Register of Historic Places.

1930 Photograph of high school shortly after it opened.

Rare 1940’s Las Vegas High School decal.

In addition the board also approved up to $35,000 to study historic motor courts (motels) of Las Vegas in downtown Las Vegas as well as along Las Vegas Boulevard within the city limits.

The two studies will be completed this year.  More details on the timing of the two studies will be presented at the next meeting of the H.P.C.

1955 Artist Rendering of the Moulin Rouge Hotel-Casino 

sold as post card in the resorts gift shop.

The commission also drafted a letter that will be sent to any new owners of the site where the historic Moulin Rouge Hotel-Casino stood.  The final version of the letter will be reviewed and acted on at the February meeting of the H.P.C.

The letter will address the “incredible History associated with the site,” and the commission’s willingness to assist in making sure there is  significant, and visible recognition of the Moulin Rouge on the site, located on 840 West Bonanza Road.

Original 1955 advertisement featuring Joe Louis, who was given a percentage of the resort to act as the host.

The H.P.C. meets on the last Wednesday of each month at noon in the City Clerk’s conference room on the second floor of the Las Vegas City Hall.

At today’s meeting the commission also elected Robert Stoldal, aka Captain History, as Vice Chair.

I bumped into Charlotte Perkins Gilman in Las Vegas.

Charlotte Perkins Gilman!    Finding her in Las Vegas was a fortunte accident.  Finding Charlotte Perkins Gilman and her The Yellow Wallpaper…. well, you need to read it for yourself.  The article below covers my search for the details of C.P.G’s visit to the small desert community of Las Vegas.

Continue reading “I bumped into Charlotte Perkins Gilman in Las Vegas.”

“When you feel that the people around you are taking too much care of your private business, move to Nevada. It’s freedom’s last stand in America.”

Yep,  that was Will Rogers who call Nevada “freedom’s last stand in America.”

Not sure Will was talking about gambling, or marijuana,  but he did know there was something special about Nevada.

Despite the fact the airplane he was flying in flipped on its back when landing in Las Vegas, he liked the “dandy little city.”

And he did one of his last films at Lake Tahoe and Reno and he almost bought a Nevada ranch.  Will Rogers was unique and helped people though the Great Depression.   In this article we explore his connection to Nevada.

Continue reading ““When you feel that the people around you are taking too much care of your private business, move to Nevada. It’s freedom’s last stand in America.””

Midas was not involved when Gold was turned into Silver in Las Vegas.

Oh, them golden slippers

Oh, them golden slippers

Golden slippers I’m goin’ to wear

To walk the golden street

It stands proudly in the middle of Las Vegas Boulevard near the Neon Museum, but the Silver of the Slipper was a second precious metal choice by its owners.   From Golden to Silver, the details follow.      Continue reading “Midas was not involved when Gold was turned into Silver in Las Vegas.”

Nevada Life 1945-46 to Hank Greenspun’s Las Vegas Life 1946-1947

With the end of World War II, and the development of the soon to be named “Las Vegas Strip” two magazines, popped up off and on for several months between 1945 and 1947.   One was Nevada Life, when it folded a second, looking, at least on the cover like the first, was called Las Vegas Life.  Its publisher Hank Greenspun.   More research, more interviews, more details need to be uncovered, and here are is a set of the current notes.

Continue reading “Nevada Life 1945-46 to Hank Greenspun’s Las Vegas Life 1946-1947”

1914 Las Vegas Post Card – Clark County Court House – DeLongchamps

Frank Doherty, newspaperman, elected official of new county of Clark County and Las Vegas silent motion picture operator, in 1914 published one Las Vegas Post

Continue reading “1914 Las Vegas Post Card – Clark County Court House – DeLongchamps”

The original “Father of Clark County”

With all due respect to the man known as Copper King, and the person who Clark County, Nevada is named after, William Andrews Clark, the true, the first, the original “father of Clark County” was Marius Samuel Beal.

This eleven-page article will detail the early development of Las Vegas through the actions of a world traveler, who very late in life, would move to a railroad camp on the edge of the Mojave desert, and what he did to create the county of Clark.

Continue reading “The original “Father of Clark County””