Las Vegas can be found in the western United States and is
located in the state of Nevada. Las Vegas, Spanish for 'The
Meadows', was originally discovered in 1829 by a party of
explorers led by Antonio Armijo, a Mexican trader searching for
a route to Los Angeles. Before the discovery of the valley the
route, Las Vegas was referred to as the 'journey of death'.
However, exploration for water revealed an abundance of springs
in the valley that reduced the journey by several days.
Las Vegas remained virtually unknown until 1844, when explorer
John C. Fremont, made an entry in his travel log detailing how
his expedition camped at the springs. Nevertheless, it was
another ten years before Las Vegas became a permanent settlement
for Mormon missionaries from Salt Lake City. They built a fort
to create a mail stop between Los Angeles and Salt Lake City,
becoming the first non-Indian settlement to do so. It was also
the Mormons' intention to teach farming to the Paiute Indians.
However, in 1857 this was abandoned when the Paiutes raided the
fort and rejected their teachings.
In 1902, U.S. Senator William Clark from Montana bought the
rights to the Mormon settlement, along with water rights and
2,000 acres of land. It was his intention to develop a town and
he managed to construct a railroad for steam locomotives.
The town was officially founded in 1905 and incorporated in 1911
with a population of only 800. Initially strict anti-gambling
laws governed the state of Nevada but this all changed in 1931
when gambling was legalized throughout the state of Nevada. That
same year divorce laws were liberalized in Nevada, making Las
Vegas the place to obtain a divorce after only six weeks of
residency.
It was after World War II that Las Vegas began to develop its
reputation of 'Sin City'. Hotels and casinos were developed and
entertainment and tourism became the valley's largest employer.
Accordingly, by the 1960s wealthy businessmen were being
attracted to the city. Billionaire Kirk Kerkorian was a major
player in developing the modern city; he bought the Flamingo and
in 1968 opened the biggest hotel in the world, the International
Hotel.
Now, a hundred years after its conception, Las Vegas is one of
the largest cities of the 20th Century with a population
exceeding two million. Wonderful resorts are still being
created, all bigger and more luxurious than ever. Finally, Las
Vegas remains the strongest contender for the world's major
international tourist attraction.
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