Oral history interview with Harrie Fox Hess conducted by Scot Siegel on February 26, 1979 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Hess discusses how he felt as a young adult moving to Las Vegas, Nevada, his contributions to Nevada through his work as a psychologist, and the first law to be drafted on psychology certification in Nevada. Hess then describes the Wildcat Lair as an important site of social recreation for early Las Vegas youth. He also discusses how workers from the Great Depression paved the way for industrial success in gambling due to their employment on the Boulder (Hoover) Dam.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Helen Jensen, Esther Faircloth, and Helen Rosati conducted by Claytee D. White on October 25, 2005 for the UNLV University Libraries Oral History Collection. In this interview, Jensen discusses her early life and arriving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1923. She remembers the city at the time, Fremont Street, and the increase in population through the 1930s. Jensen talks about the construction of the Hoover Dam (Boulder Dam) and the legalization of gambling in 1931. Then, Faircloth and Rosati describe growing up in North Las Vegas and recreational activities they participated in. Lastly, Jensen, Faircloth, and Rosati recall the Helldorado parade, rodeos, and changes in Las Vegas.
Archival Collection
The J. T. McWilliams Photograph Collection contains photographs and postcards from Nevada and Southern California from approximately 1900 to 1970. The materials include postcards depicting Las Vegas, Nevada casinos such as El Rancho Vegas and the Golden Nugget Gambling Hall. The materials also include postcards depicting towns and scenes in Nevada such as Carson City, Rhyolite, Red Rock Canyon, and covered wagons traveling to Las Vegas. Lastly, the materials contain several photographs of the McWilliams family, possibly while they were living in what is now Las Vegas, Nevada.
Archival Collection
On April 4, 1976, Terri Lynn Truesdell interviewed real estate worker Charlotte M. Kelly (born July 18th, 1935 in Salt Lake City, Utah) in her home in Las Vegas, Nevada, about her memories of early Southern Nevada. The two discuss local history that Kelly had experienced as well as Kelly’s reasons for moving to Nevada. Kelly concludes the interview with a conversation on population growth and Nellis Air Force Base.
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Archival Component
Oral history interview with Mike Velardo conducted by his son, William Velardo, on March 15, 1976 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Velardo discusses his career in the gaming industry in Las Vegas, Nevada. Velardo describes the history of casinos and gambling in Las Vegas, including how those industries have changed since he first moved to the city in 1957. He goes on to discuss the cost of entertainment, cheating in casino games, and the benefits of the design of the Caesars Palace pit, where Velardo is a casino manager.
Archival Collection
The collection consists of one spiral bound copy of galley notes for John Archer's book, "The Archer Method of Winning at Blackjack," published in 1973.
Archival Collection
People playing blackjack in the Boulder Club on Fremont Street.
Site Name: Boulder Club
Address: 118 East Fremont Street
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