Welcome to the Classic Las Vegas Blog
Welcome to the companion blog for the Classic Las Vegas website. If you are new to our site, we invite you to take a few minutes and explore.
Preserving 20th Century Las Vegas is vital. Every day more history of this amazing city is lost forever.
Everyone thinks they know the story of Las Vegas but the real history is much more than Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel, the Mob and the Rat Pack.
At Classic Las Vegas we are dedicated to helping preserve not only the buildings and the signage but the stories of the men and women who turned a dusty railroad town into the Entertainment Capital of the World and made the Las Vegas of today possible.
Some of them were born there, some came there as small children, most arrived as young adults looking for their American Dream. They are all part of the real history of this town and without them, the Las Vegas of today would be a very different place.
We will also be posting weekly about preservation issues, historical information, our upcoming events, historical photos from the archive and much more. In addition, in the weeks ahead we will be adding a section called "Places that aren't there anymore" which is a look at the many historical sites throughout the Las Vegas Valley that have faded into history. We will also add an in-depth guide to the historical buildings and signage that has survived all these years.
We have DVDs and tee shirts for sale that help keep the Archive going. In addition, there is plenty of information on our site about the Archive and the men and women we have interviewed to date.
I will be sharing not only my own memories but those of the men and women whose stories and memories we have preserved on videotape already.
I invite you to share your memories of Las Vegas with us as well. If you grew up there, visited there back in the day, saw a show, doesn't matter, we would love to hear your Las Vegas story.
When you are done exploring the blog pages, be sure to head over to the Classic Las Vegas website (see link on left side of page) to check out the site there for even more information on the wonderful city that was Las Vegas in the 20th Century.
LasVegasLynn
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Growing up in Las Vegas was wonderful and exciting. Our normal little lives were constantly overshadowed by the casinos and bright lights, but instead of shunning our wild side I like to believe we embraced it. The bright lights gave our hot and dusty desert town a classy neon glamour that most people could not even envision. It made us different. But it was not who we were. We were normal kids who rode our horses through the desert to go to Shakey's Pizza, dared our friends to walk barefoot across the hot bubbly asphalt when it was a 110 degrees, and constantly dreamed of having a friend with a swimming pool that would invite us to swim. But, most of all it was easy to believe in the wild west with cowboys and indians, they were our neighbors.
What about the indian aspect of Twin Lakes and the importance of water in Las Vegas history?
Great Job, Lynn!!
Your work is proof of living history, and vitality that captures the pioneer spirit as has never been done before!
Personal memories...hmmmm...Dad saved many lives during WWII, as a Navy Corpsman aboard a hospital ship. He eventually retired after employment at the Nevada Test Site for 20+ years. Mom spent many a countless hour volunteering for PTA functions, and eventually retired from the Clark Co. School District after working 29 years, ever so dedicated to the enrichment of each child's education.
They were just "poor dirt folk" upon arrival in 1960, bringing with them all the hopes and dreams of a bright future for their young daughter. Then along came another baby girl, and a $99.00/month mortgage. Our neighborhood was as far west as it got, when Torrey Pines was just another dirt road, and the Rose Warren Elementary was breaking ground.
My uncle Tommy had a front row seat as an anchor band member for "the Rat Pack" at the Sands Hotel back when live music was the only way to swing! His image can be seen on any archival footage of the Rat Pack on film. Having been much too young to attend a show, let alone enter a casino, are so many sun filled days skating, biking, skateboarding in the streets, and trying to stay out of trouble, or just not get caught in the neighbors pool at night! Plus, Shakey's pizza, of course. Dad's hobby was racing, and 'sis and I spent many an hour at Stardust Drag Strip, or at Lake Mead watching boat races. Heat? naaa...it was just right, especially arriving at A&W Root Beer up in Boulder City for a special treat, and a gallon of root beer to go! Life was good. Driving down the strip to get home was the highlight of each journey, as the neon lights and signs filled a child's soul with infinite possibilities, and wide eyed wonder!
Memories...Las Vegas can change, re-invent itself, and continue to grow, but those memories of the true Vegas, they can never touch!
Thank you so much for this site...Encore!
Thank you,
Margie Drew McCann
Margie,
The last Hellodrado parade that went down Fremont Street was in 1994. Work began in September of that year so the street was closed permanently to vehicular traffic so that construction of the Fremont Street Experience could begin.
please contact me.
this was my great grandpa. and would like to see my relatives that are left.
trying to get ahold my grandma Alta Greene..
I have pictures of my grandpa etc..just would like to get more family email me anytime