Are you keen to know how Las Vegas came to be? Of course, Sin City’s history is centuries shorter than almost any city (and most of the buildings!) in the United Kingdom, but it is still colourful and filled with periods of struggle, growth and innovation.
Before the big megaresorts, before the Rat Pack and the King of Rock ’n’ Roll, before the mob, before even the desert existed, the whole region surrounding Las Vegas was a marsh of water and vegetation. Native Americans were the first to inhabit it. As time passed and the water receded below the surface, the area became a meadowland. In 1829, Mexican traders following the Old Spanish Trail to Los Angeles passed through and named it Las Vegas, which is Spanish for “the meadows.” Shortly after, Mormons from Salt Lake City came and settled here. By 1890 railroad developers had determined
the water-rich desert oasis would be a great location for both a train stop and a town. So Las Vegas was officially founded in 1905 and incorporated as a city in 1911. Generally, it served as a watering hole and rest stop for travellers on their way to other parts of the country.
Although gaming was around, it wasn’t legalised in the state of Nevada until 1931. The El Rancho Vegas, which opened in 1941, was the first casino on what would become the world-famous Strip. Mobster Bugsy Siegel launched his famed Flamingo in 1946. A building boom soon followed and the Strip had undeniably emerged by the 1950s, as did legendary headliners like Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley.
Las Vegas began to hit its stride in the 1970s, when gaming revenues reached the $1 billion level. The dawn of the megaresort began in 1989 with The Mirage, which was built by visionary Steve Wynn. The early and mid 1990s saw several more big openings including the Excalibur, Luxor, MGM Grand, New York-New York, Rio, Stratosphere and Treasure Island. Late in that decade, new properties like the Bellagio, Mandalay Bay, Paris Las Vegas and The Venetian also materialised, putting visitors in the lap of luxury. If this strikes your interest why not see the famous Las Vegas strip from the sky with a Maverick Vegas Night Helicopter tour.
It turns out the Noughties were focused more on expansion, as many well-established resorts built lavish new towers. In 2005, Steve Wynn did open the Wynn Las Vegas resort and followed that up with Encore three years later. High-rise condos, celebrity chef-run restaurants, upscale shopping malls and chic nightclubs dubbed “ultra lounges” were all the rage. Unfortunately, the Noughties ended on a down note. As the world’s economy struggled with recession, gaming revenues fell in Las Vegas and many projects were scaled back, postponed or cancelled. However, making a show of strength and extravagance, the $8.4 billion urban metropolis known as CityCenter, which is located at the heart of the Strip, saw several of its resorts open for business in December of 2009.
Today, the annual visitors’ count is strong—topping 37 million. Construction, though not booming, is still continuing at a steady pace. So for 2010, you can expect to experience more in Las Vegas than ever before, and you’ll see many new developments taking shape for the future.
Written by The Travel Gal
Before the big megaresorts, before the Rat Pack and the King of Rock ’n’ Roll, before the mob, before even the desert existed, the whole region surrounding Las Vegas was a marsh of water and vegetation. Native Americans were the first to inhabit it. As time passed and the water receded below the surface, the area became a meadowland. In 1829, Mexican traders following the Old Spanish Trail to Los Angeles passed through and named it Las Vegas, which is Spanish for “the meadows.” Shortly after, Mormons from Salt Lake City came and settled here. By 1890 railroad developers had determined
the water-rich desert oasis would be a great location for both a train stop and a town. So Las Vegas was officially founded in 1905 and incorporated as a city in 1911. Generally, it served as a watering hole and rest stop for travellers on their way to other parts of the country. Although gaming was around, it wasn’t legalised in the state of Nevada until 1931. The El Rancho Vegas, which opened in 1941, was the first casino on what would become the world-famous Strip. Mobster Bugsy Siegel launched his famed Flamingo in 1946. A building boom soon followed and the Strip had undeniably emerged by the 1950s, as did legendary headliners like Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley.
Las Vegas began to hit its stride in the 1970s, when gaming revenues reached the $1 billion level. The dawn of the megaresort began in 1989 with The Mirage, which was built by visionary Steve Wynn. The early and mid 1990s saw several more big openings including the Excalibur, Luxor, MGM Grand, New York-New York, Rio, Stratosphere and Treasure Island. Late in that decade, new properties like the Bellagio, Mandalay Bay, Paris Las Vegas and The Venetian also materialised, putting visitors in the lap of luxury. If this strikes your interest why not see the famous Las Vegas strip from the sky with a Maverick Vegas Night Helicopter tour.
It turns out the Noughties were focused more on expansion, as many well-established resorts built lavish new towers. In 2005, Steve Wynn did open the Wynn Las Vegas resort and followed that up with Encore three years later. High-rise condos, celebrity chef-run restaurants, upscale shopping malls and chic nightclubs dubbed “ultra lounges” were all the rage. Unfortunately, the Noughties ended on a down note. As the world’s economy struggled with recession, gaming revenues fell in Las Vegas and many projects were scaled back, postponed or cancelled. However, making a show of strength and extravagance, the $8.4 billion urban metropolis known as CityCenter, which is located at the heart of the Strip, saw several of its resorts open for business in December of 2009.
Today, the annual visitors’ count is strong—topping 37 million. Construction, though not booming, is still continuing at a steady pace. So for 2010, you can expect to experience more in Las Vegas than ever before, and you’ll see many new developments taking shape for the future.
Written by The Travel Gal
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