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Las Vegas, which in Spanish means "The Meadows," was named by Spaniards within the Antonio Armijo party, who used water in the area while heading north and west across the Old Spanish Trail from Texas. In 1844, John C. Fremont traveled in to the Vegas Valley, although it was still part of Mexico.
He was a leader of a group of scientists, scouts, along with other observers for that Usa Army Corps of Engineers. In 1855, Brigham Young assigned 30 missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints towards the area in tries to convert the Paiute Indian population to Mormonism. A small fort was built close to the current downtown area, becoming a stopover for weary travelers along the "Mormon Corridor."
Vegas ended up being established like a railroad town in 1905, when 110 acres was auctioned off in what is now downtown Las Vegas. Las Vegas was part of Lincoln County until 1909, if this became part of newly established Clark County.
In March of 1911, Vegas became an incorporated city. 20 years later in 1931, gambling was legalized within the city, and the opening of Bugsy Siegel's Flamingo Hotel signified the jumpstart of America's most widely used city.
Though many of the tried and true citizens of the usa won't admit it, america owes the mafia for Vegas' current popularity. Since gambling was legalized in Vegas, all of the original large casinos were managed, or at least funded by American mob figures Bugsy Siegel and Meyer Lansky.
At a time when gambling was happening in saloons as well as other not-so-friendly establishments, no doubt a carryover in the wild-west, Vegas offered a comparatively safe environment for that "everyman" kind of gambler. Even though Bugsy and Lansky were revered mobsters, Vegas experienced little violence. As businessmen, they knew to separate their mob mentality using their business savvy sense.
On December 26th, 1946, the long road which held Siegel's Flamingo and also the Pair-o Dice Club, was named "the Strip." The Strip of today strictly refers to Vegas Boulevard, roughly between Sahara Avenue and Russell Road - a distance of four.1 miles.
Though, sometimes this term can be used to describe Vegas properties in general, for example "Bellagio around the Strip," etc. The Strip was but still may be the only road tourist and regulars need take. Everything to be seen in Vegas are available on the Strip. Understanding that Vegas would be a great tourist attraction, mega-investors from the era started purchasing old properties and building lavish property within the 1960s.
Many famous Fashion followers, as well as other famous brands and faces of the time, began to flock to Vegas. Probably the most popular frequent visitors Vegas has ever known would be the Rat Pack (Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop).
Though their presence helped keep the "mafia image" alive in Vegas, the general public at that time seemed enthralled with this, and began to visit Vegas by the millions. Vegas has become America's most widely used city by far, and billion-dollar casinos tower over the city, forever changing the landscape.
