You may know Clay Heximer. He recently was profiled by writer Geoff Carter in Vegas Seven as "The Man Who Would Be Mid-Town"

But many of us have known Clay for quite some time. He and his wife Denise live in Paradise Palms, the wonderful Mid-Century Modern housing tract that surrounds the National Golf Course, just off Desert Inn behind the Boulevard Mall.

When I was growing up in Las Vegas in the 1960s, the National Golf Course was then known as the Stardust Golf Course. But it wasn't the golf course that caught my eye. It was the houses, most of which were visible from the car as you drove down East Desert Inn.

Those wonderful Palmer and Krisel were space age wonders and very different from the Sproul homes in my own neighborhood in Charleston Heights.

Clay and Denise live in Paradise Palms and their successful community outreach and history sharing has inspired many of their neighbors to learn more about their homes and the history of the neighborhood.

Clay started a website dedicated to the neighborhood, called appropriately enough, Paradise Palms and, like Joel Rosales, has been photographing the changing landscape of the city and the county.

Clay has been organizing and fighting to bring Historic Preservation ordinances to Clark County and he has been successful in convincing others to join his cause.

As we close Preservation Month and the Preservation Spotlight series winds down, it was important to me to include a grass-roots leader of history and preservation in the series.

Clay graciously agreed to answer some questions and spread the word about the importance of our neighborhoods, all of our historic neighborhoods.

CLV Blog:  How did you become interested in preserving Southern Nevada history?

 Heximer: Before moving to town I remember taking a family trip to Las Vegas. I recall sitting in the back of my uncle’s station wagon, driving down the strip. I was in awe of all the neon but I specifically thought the Stardust sign was the coolest thing ever. Since then, I just knew there was something special about this place and had gained an appreciation for classic Vegas.

 When I was 19, I worked with a construction company that was contracted the prep the Dunes for implosion. I remember being taken back by the celebration of the destruction of our history and was shocked by the disregard for

Read more at ClassicLasVegasBlog.com

We sat down and talked mid-century modern Las Vegas with one of our favorite people, author, historian and preservationist, Alan Hess for today's Preservation Spotlight.

Be sure to check it out at  ClassicLasVegasBlog.com

Hard to believe that the El Cortez is 70 years old but the venerable hotel/casino is still going strong and celebrating all year long.

 Opened by J.Kell Houssels in 1941, it was considered to be too far down Fremont Street.  But from the beginning it was successful.  Ben Siegel came to town to muscle in on the race wire at the hotel and with Meyer Lansky, Gus Greenbaum and Moe Sedway  bought the casino from Houssels in the mid-1940s for $600,000.  They didn't hang on to it for long as Siegel was already working on his dream project on the Las Vegas Strip, the Flamingo.  They sold it back to Houssels in 1946 for $766,000.  Houssels bought in famed Los Angeles architect, Wayne McAllister, to do a remodel on the hotel.

In 1963, young Jackie Gaughan, who had come to Las Vegas in 1943 when he was stationed at the old Air Base (that would become Nellis).  He moved his wife Roberta and two sons, Michael and Jackie, jr to Las Vegas in 1951.  He bought a small 3% of the Boulder Club and 3% of the Flamingo with partner Eddie Barrick.  Jackie had a knack for sports books and handicapping.  In 1961, he and partner Mel Exber bought the Las Vegas Club and in 1963, they bought the El Cortez.  Gaughan hired Wayne McAllister to oversee the design and construction of a new room tower.

Fremont Street back then was the center of town.  The telephone company and Sears were located across the street, JC Penny's was nearby as was Woolworth's and Skaggs.  People came downtown not only to gamble but to shop.  From the beginning the El Cortez was a hit with not only the tourists but locals as well.

Jackie invented the Fun Book, filled with coupons for free drinks, free slot pulls and two for one dinners.  Like Benny Binion, he had a knack for understanding and treating his customers like kings.

Jackie had his ties in downtown real estate from the beginning.  With Kell Houssels, Sam Boyd and others, they opened the Union Plaza.  Throughout the 1970s and 1980s while the neighborhood around the El Cortez changed and the local businesses that catered to local shopping moved out to the suburbs, the El Cortez never waivered. 

Jackie sold the El Cortez to family members a few years ago but he still lives in the hotel and can still be seen walking through the casino.  The last few years, the hotel has undergone renovation and upgrades from a new air ventilation/filteration system to the Cabana Suites with its great mid-century modern flair, across the street.

As part of the 70 year celebration, the Flame Restaurant is offering Oysters Rockefeller and Hearts of Palms every Tuesday through Thursday for the rest of the year.

So go downtown and help the El Cortez celebrate 70 years of history and enjoy a taste of classic Las Vegas.

We talk about these various architects and Dennis McBride at the Nevada State Museum thought we our readers might enjoy these: