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| Las Vegas Apartment Locator Services : Las Vegas Apartments |  | Contents | |
| History |
| Las Vegas was given its name by Spaniards in the
Antonio Armijo party, who watered there while heading north
and west along the Old Spanish Trail from Texas. At that time,
some low areas of the Las Vegas Valley contained artesian springs
that created extensive green areas in contrast to the surrounding
desert, hence the name "Las Vegas", Spanish for "The
Meadows" (some translation tools report "The Fertile
Valleys") |
| John C. Frémont traveled into the Las Vegas
Valley in 1844, while it was still part of Mexico. In 1855,
following annexation by the United States, Brigham Young assigned
30 Mormon missionaries to the area and convert the Paiute Indian
population. The Mormons built a fort in 1855 but abandoned the
site in 1857 due to the natives raiding the supplies and rejecting
the teachings. The U.S. Army built Fort Baker there in 1864. |
Las Vegas circa 1895 |
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| The State Land Act of 1885 offered land at $1.25
per acre ($309/km²) and farming became the primary industry
for the next 20 years. Farmers used the local springs to irrigate
their crops. The Mormons returned in 1895. [4] (http://www.lasvegasnevada.gov/history/default.htm) |
| During the 1900s, the springs were piped into
the town providing a reliable source of fresh water. This allowed
Las Vegas to become a water stop, first for wagon trains and
later railroads, on the trail between Los Angeles, California,
and points east such as Albuquerque, New Mexico. Las Vegas was
founded on May 15, 1905 when 110 ac (445,000 m²), in what
would later become downtown, were auctioned to ready buyers.
[5] (http://www.lasvegasnevada.gov/history/default.htm) |
| Incorporated in 1911 [6] (http://www.lasvegasnevada.gov/history/default.htm),
and with gambling legalized in 1931, Las Vegas started its rise
to world fame in 1941, when developers began building large
hotels incorporating gambling casinos. Several such early enterprises
are widely reputed to have been backed by money from crime syndicates
based in the eastern United States. Gangsters Benjamin "Bugsy"
Siegel and Meyer Lansky are widely credited as the organizers
and prime movers behind early development of Las Vegas. Ever
since then, Las Vegas has been a major international center
for gambling. |
| Las Vegas is sometimes called Sin City due to
the popularity of legalized gambling, availability of alcoholic
beverages any time of the day and night (like all of Nevada),
various forms and degrees of adult entertainment, and legalized
prostitution in nearby counties (Nevada law prohibits prostitution
in counties which have large populations). The nickname favored
by local government and promoters of tourism is The Entertainment
Capital of the World. The city's glamorous image has made it
a popular setting for films and television programs. |
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