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Film transparency of of the Navajo Bridge, Grand Canyon, Arizona, circa 1930s
Date
1930 to 1939
Description
A view of the Navajo Bridge from inside an adjacent stone building, possibly the Old Cliff Dwellers Lodge (Blanche Russell Rock House), that was built circa 1920. Navajo Bridge crosses the Colorado River's Marble Canyon near Lee's Ferry in Arizona. It carries U.S. Route 89A. Spanning Marble Canyon, the bridge carries U.S. Route 89A northbound travelers to southern Utah and to the Arizona Strip, the otherwise inaccessible portion of Arizona north of the Colorado River, which includes the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. Prior to the construction of the first Navajo Bridge, the only river crossing from Arizona to Utah was at nearby Lee's Ferry, where the canyon walls are low and getting vehicles onto the water is relatively convenient. The ferry offered only unreliable service, however, as adverse weather and flooding regularly prevented its operation. Construction of the original Navajo Bridge began in 1927, and the bridge opened to traffic in 1929. The steel spandrel bridge design was constructed by the Kansas City Structural Steel Company. The bridge is 834 feet (254 m) in length, with a maximum height of 467 feet (142 m) from the canyon floor. Its roadway offers an 18-foot (5.5 m) surface width with a load capacity of 22.5 tons (although the posted legal weight limit was 40 tons). In 1990, however, it was decided that the traffic flow was too great for the original bridge, and that a new solution was needed. Deciding on a solution was difficult, due to the many local interests. Issues included preservation of sacred Navajo land, endangered plant species in Marble Canyon, and the possibility of construction pollution entering the river. A new steel arch bridge was commissioned by the Arizona Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration, and was completed in September 1995, at a cost of approximately $15 million. The original Navajo Bridge is still open to pedestrian and equestrian use, and an interpretive center has been constructed nearby to showcase the historical nature of the bridge and early crossing of the Colorado River. Bungee jumpers are frequently seen using the span. The original bridge has been designated as a Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. The bridge was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 13, 1981.
Image
The Sahara Hotel and Casino, don the Beachcomber Restaurant, and the marquee: photographic film
Date
1960 (year approximate) to 1986 (year approximate)
Description
An external view of the Sahara Hotel and Casino, don the Beachcomber Restaurant, and the marquee. The marquee advertises "Congo Room" "Stan Irvin Presents Jane Powell Dave Barry Maury Wills and singers" "B. [Buddy] Hackett & B [Buddy] Grecko" "Ceasar Theatre Music made famous by Glenn Miller" "Tex Beneke" "Ray Eberle" "The Modernaires with Paula Kelly" "Freddie Bell" and "Roberta Lynn". Taxi cabs are lined up waiting for fares. The Sahara Hotel and Casino (currently the SLS Hotel & Casino Las Vegas) was in operation for 59 years from 1952 to 2011. The hotel had 1,720 guestrooms and suites with a casino covering more than 85,000 square feet (7,900 m2). The first casino built on the site was Club Bingo, which opened in 1947. Owner Milton Prell replaced the casino with a new casino hotel in 1952 called the Sahara Hotel. Located just outside the City of Las Vegas, it was the sixth resort to open on the Strip. In 1961, the hotel was purchased by Del Webb. In 1962, a Don the Beachcomber restaurant opened in the hotel. The 24-story Alexandria Tower was added in 1963, which made the hotel the tallest building in Las Vegas. By 1978, the 27-story Tangiers Tower was added to the property. In 1999, further renovations added a roller coaster and a restaurant. The roller coaster, named "Speed - The Ride", shot riders from the hotel outside along the Las Vegas Strip, where it looped through the grandiose Sahara sign in front of the hotel, went straight up a tower, stopped and then took a return trip backwards. The Sahara shut down on May 16, 2011. The "Speed - The Ride", which was located in front of the casino, was sold and removed. It will be relocated across the Mandalay Bay in the new Akita Plaza. On February 14, 2013, Nazarian announced the groundbreaking for the $415 million conversion of the hotel into the SLS Las Vegas. The hotel opened on August 23, 2014. It contains 1,600 rooms, a casino, four nightclubs, the clothing store Fred Segal and various restaurants. The name "SLS" was chosen by Nazarian to denote style, luxury and service. The property is located at 2535 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Las Vegas, Nevada 89109.
Image
Spencer and Georgia Butterfield Papers
Identifier
MS-00189
Abstract
The Spencer and Georgia Butterfield Papers (1890s-1978) consist primarily of photographs and scrapbooks pertaining to Spencer and Georgia Butterfield, a prominent Las Vegas, Nevada couple involved in local business and civic activities. The collection also includes newspaper clippings of their social activities, correspondence, and assorted personal memorabilia.
Archival Collection
Minsky's Burlesque Records
Identifier
MS-00290
Abstract
Minsky's Burlesque Records (1922-1978) contain scripts, publicity, photographs, financial records, payroll records, sheet music, newspaper clippings, contracts, and correspondence. Also included are the personal papers of noted burlesque producer Harold Minsky, who was known for creating the "family burlesque" style of entertainment and for introducing the topless showgirl to Las Vegas, Nevada at the Dunes Hotel in 1957.
Archival Collection
Juanita Greer White Papers
Identifier
MS-00254
Abstract
The collection is comprised of the personal, professional and business papers of Dr. Juanita Greer White from 1927 to 1980. Included are correspondence, booklets, dissertations, minutes, newsletters, newspaper clippings, and various other materials linked to women's organizations and Nevada organizations relating to education, health, and aging. Other material includes documents from her work in the Nevada State Legislature, books, catalogs, chemistry papers, plaques, and campaign materials.
Archival Collection
Dick Maurice Papers and Audiovisual Recordings
Identifier
MS-00441
Abstract
The Dick Maurice Papers and Audiovisual Recordings (1958 to 1990 and undated) document his career as a talk show host and as a columnist in Las Vegas, Nevada. It also documents his experience as a hostage during the Trans World Airlines (TWA) Flight 355 hijacking on September 10, 1976. Included are photographs, correspondence, press releases, news clippings, programs, and the transcript of the episode of The Merv Griffin Show on which Maurice appeared. The bulk of the collection consists of audiovisual recordings of his interviews with entertainers, and his radio and television programs.
Archival Collection
James Cashman Sr. Papers
Identifier
MS-00144
Abstract
The James Cashman Sr. Papers date from approximately 1890 to 1969 and contain correspondence, photographs, insurance records, and bank records related to Cashman and his businesses in Southern Nevada. Also included are three scrapbooks of newspaper clippings documenting the 14th and 15th Helldorado Parades in Las Vegas. The collection documents the lives of the Cashman family and their businesses in southern Nevada.
Archival Collection
Frontier Girl Scouts Records
Identifier
MS-00421
Abstract
The collection consists of records of the Frontier Girl Scouts Council (FGSC) dating from 1944 until 1999. The majority of the collection dates from 1990 to 1999. It contains annual reports and publications of the FGSC, committee minutes and agenda, troop financial records, membership data, and leader training records. It also includes correspondence and publications of the Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA).
Archival Collection
C. D. Baker Photograph Collection
Identifier
PH-00099
Abstract
The C. D. Baker Photograph Collection depicts former Las Vegas, Nevada mayor Charles Duncan "C. D." Baker from 1916 to 1966. The photographs primarily depict Baker at political events, including campaign stops, fundraising events, meetings with officials and politicians, and at important locations in Las Vegas and Nevada. Baker was photographed with politicians such as U.S. Senator Chic Hecht, President Harry S. Truman, Governor Vail Pittman, and Lt. Governor Cliff Jones.
Archival Collection
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