Las Vegas, As It Began, As It Grew

Las Vegas usually is considered as synonymous with lavish gambling and unabashed night life. These have been emphasized in magazine articles and books, while the town's varied and colorful past have been overlooked. Here is the first general history of early Las Vegas ever to be published. During the last century Las Vegas has passed through a metamorphosis from a mere Spanish Trail waterhole in a vast and lonely desert to a religious mission and finally a thriving ranch. After contemporary Las Vegas was founded in May 1905, it developed into a typical Western frontier town and changed into a sophisticated city during distinct boom periods. They were accelerated by dam construction, industrial plants, military aerial training, atomic testing, and resort hotel developments. The reader is led every step along this path of amazing transition in both the text and in a careful selection of unpublished photographs.