Stop laughing. 

It's true.   In fact, May is Historic Preservation Month in Nevada.  This week is Historic Preservation Week in Las Vegas.

We have two Classic Las Vegas Roadshow events this week and on Saturday we are part of Cultural History Day.  We will post the activities for Saturday later this week and they may make your head explode, there is just so much going on.

So, if you are interested in history and Las Vegas come to our Roadshow Events this week:

The Las Vegas News Bureau, the Friends of Classic Las Vegas and Clark County Parks and Recreation present:

The History of Helldorado 

If you are new to town and wonder why there is a Helldorado Celebration (which is coming on May 17th) or if you remember fondly sitting on the curb on Fremont Street watching those beautiful floats go by, come on around and here the stories of how and why Helldorado got started and what it was like. 

At one point in the 1950s, it rivaled the Rose Parade in terms of attendance and beautiful floats.

A great evening of history and fun that you won't want to miss!

The History of Helldorado

Tuesday, May 13th

Clark County Museum

1830 S. Boulder Highway 

7:00 PM   (Please note new START TIME)

Panelists include:

Emmett Sullivan, the son of co-founder Mark Sullivan

Tim Cashman, the grandson of co-founder, Big Jim Cashman

Don Payne, former Manager of the Las Vegas News Bureau

CCC workers take a lunch

(Image courtesy of the Boulder City Museum and Historical Association) 

As part of Historic Preservation Month, the Friends of Classic Las Vegas and the Classic Las Vegas Roadshow are proud to announce our upcoming panel on Southern Nevada and the New Deal.

Hosted by the Nevada State Museum and Friends of Classic Las Vegas, this informative Roadshow event will delve into the history of how in the depths of the Great Depression, the New Deal's effect not only on the country but on Southern Nevada specifically.

Please join us to hear Historians Dennis McBride and Peter Gough and long-time residents Mike Pinjuv, Johnny Pinjuv and Bonnie Rams as they discuss the Las Vegas that they knew and what the New Deal meant for the Valley.

It will be a wonderful evening of history, stories and memories and you don't want to miss it!

Wednesday, May 14th

Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas

700 Twin Lakes Dr

Lorenzi Park

5:00 - 6:00 pm  Reception

6:15 - 8:15 pm  Roundtable Discussion

Refreshments will be served.

And stay tuned for the upcoming events on Saturday that include tours of the Huntridge Theater, the Neon Boneyard, the Morelli House and more.

It's going to be a great week to celebrate Las Vegas History.  So come on out and join the fun! 

The Fremont East Entertainment District had a big party last August to kick-off the opening of the area that is located on Fremont Street  between Las Vegas Blvd. and Eighth Street.

The new neon  signs shining brightly at night and one of our favorite hang-outs is the Downtown Cocktail Room.  The Griffin and the Beauty Bar are also open.

Now word comes that the former National Dollar Store/7-11/Metro Sub-Station building on the corner of Las Vegas Blvd. and Fremont (catty corner from Neonopolis) will transformed into The Hive, a two-story nightclub and alternative music venue.  Next door will be the Dowtown Burger Bar, a family style restaurant that will have sidewalk cafe seating.

The owners of the El Cortez also own the old Fremont Medical Building on the north side of Fremont Street at 6th.  This, of course, is the old JC Penney's store.  They are looking for someone to lease the building and upgrade the property.  The former Eaton's Dress Shop has had numerous signs in the window hearalding new openings that have yet to take place.

Our pals at CheapoVegas are very excited about the renovations going on at the Gold Spike (their favorite hang).  The Spike is undergoing a $3.5 million floor to ceiling renovation of the hotel and the casino.  The Siegel Group which owns the Gold Spike recently bought the Travel Inn (next door to the Spike) and will incorporate that property into the Spike. 

Word is even being floated that Neonopolis (now known as Fremont Square) may be showing some signs of life.  According to owner Rohit Joshi, a deli called "The Taste of California", an Italian Restaurant and a Sushi Bar are all set to open in the next few weeks.

Mike Nolan, general manager of the venerable El Cortez which continues to be a beacon of light and success in that area, was quoted as saying:

“Whether the economy gets better or worse, we can’t stop,” Nolan said. “You gotta keep moving or you’ll fall behind. There’s no such thing as sitting still. That’s what we’re working on.”

Here's hoping by the one-year anniversary this August that more businesses will have opened in the Fremont East Entertainment District.  This area has great potential, especially over the next five years as Fremont Street undergoes a historic renovation with the opening of Union Park and the other cultural sites that are set to open in a few years.

Jackie Gaughan, the last of the old-school casino owners, has officially retired.  He sold his shares in his beloved El Cortez this week.  As many of our readers know, thanks to our History of Fremont Street, Gaughan has been a fixture on the downtown gaming scene for over 50 years.  He has owned the El Cortez since 1963.  He helped build the Union Plaza and at one time he owned the Las Vegas Club, the Plaza, the Gold Spike, the Showboat and the El Cortez.

But age was catching up with Jackie and a few years ago he sold his gaming properties except for the El Cortez.  While the new owner of the Plaza and the Las Vegas Club struggle to keep the properties viable and the new owner of the Gold Spike, the Siegel Group, move forward with plans to renovate and upgrade the Gold Spike, the El Cortez quietly changed hands this week.

But for the crowd at CheapoVegas and the Big Empire and all lovers of Downtown Las Vegas, not to fear.  Jackie kept the El Cortez in the family so to speak.  Kenny Epstein, one of Jackie's partners since the 1950s, his son and Jackie's nephew Mike Nolan are now the official owners of the venerable downtown casino and hotel.  The Epsteins are the majority share holders.

Jackie will continue to live in his suite at the El Cortez and will continue to greet patrons and make his appearances at the gaming tables.  So while the hotel quietly changed hands, the ambassador and creator of  the famous Fun Books, will continue to be the local face of the El Cortez.

The El Cortez continues to be the best performing gaming place on Fremont Street.  That comes as no surprise as they are following in the tradition of Gaughan and Benny Binion, of giving the customers good values on meals and drinks and making them feel like winners.  

The new owners want to maintain that tradition while making the hotel viable for the new tourism that is coming to Fremont Street in the next five years with the opening of Union Park, the Ruvo Brain Institute, the Smith Performing Arts Complex and the Mob Museum. 

Other news is that the Ogden House, also owned by the El Cortez, is undergoing a renovation.  It will be renamed the El Cortez Cabana  Suites and will lose its 1940s weeping mortar front.  That facade will be replaced by a 1950s mid-century modern look.  Mike Nolan is quoted in the Las Vegas Review Journal saying that the renovation will cost $6.4 million or $100,000 a room.

"We like the history value of it," Nolan said. "But we are continuing to modernize it."

Jackie Gaughan

 Special thanks to RoadsidePictures for letting us use his image of the El Cortez and Special Thanks to the Review Journal for letting us use the image of Jackie Gaughan.

Our friends at Turner Classic Movies are having a Salute to Frank Sinatra every Sunday and Wednesday this month.

This Sunday is another great Sinatra Concert Show from 1966:

"Sinatra:  A Man and His Music,  Part II"

with special guest star, daughter Nancy

In the meantime, check out the Sinatra Mood Machine:

http://classiclasvegas.squarespace.com/frank-sinatra-music-mood-machi/ 

Courtesy of our friends at TCM! 

"We've had an explosion and everything's on fire" Company Comptroller Roy Westerfield  told a dispatcher.  A few seconds later he said "Get 'em all out of here". 

These were quite possibly his last words.

On May 4th, 1988, a loud explosion rocked the entire Southern Nevada Valley.  The ground rumbled, windows shook and, in many places, shattered completely.  Residents at first thought it was an earthquake.  Others who saw a mushroom cloud rising over Henderson thought a nuclear nightmare might be unfolding in the industrial city.

In reality, it was an industrial disaster that occurred  at the Pacific Engineering Production Company of Nevada which was commonly referred to as PEPCON.  The plant, located in Henderson, was one of two American producers of ammonium perchlorate which is an oxidizer in solid rocket fuel boosters for the Space Shuttle and the military's Titan Missile program.

The other American manufacturer, Kerr-McGee, was located less than five miles away from the PEPCON plant and well with-in the area that suffered blast damage.

A little background information:  After the Challenger Space Shuttle disaster in January, 1986, the United States government continued their contract with PEPCON for ammonium perchlorate.  Despite the freeze on the Space Program, the company continued to manufacture the product at the same rate as before the Shuttle disaster.  Since there was no delivery of the product going on due to the freeze and no guidance from the government as to where to ship it to, the company stored the compound on site in plastic drums. These drums were housed on the parking lots around the plant.  The Las Vegas Review Journal reported in the aftermath that "nearly 9 million (yeah, you read that right) pounds of the chemical was consumed by the flames or explosions."

According to Wikipedia, a fire started by "a cigarette that had been discarded into a barrel of scrap ammonium perchlorate."  Nearby, workers were repairing a steel frame with fiberglass walls that had suffered damage in a recent windstorm.  They were using a welding torch.  The fire spread quickly once it reached the fiberglass material.  This led, according to the Las Vegas Mercury account by Gregory Crosby, to the first small explosion:

This small explosion raised the alarm "that enabled most workers to escape before a second larger explosion occurred on the heels of the first." 

Company comptroller Roy Westerfield "was on the phone reporting the emergency, explaining the urgency of the situation, "We've had an explosion and everything's on fire" he told a dispatcher.  (Las Vegas Review Journal)

The Henderson Fire Department responded to the fire.  When the Fire Chief arrived he saw a massive white and orange fireball and dozens of people running across the desert towards him.  The second explosion happened at 11:54 and the shock wave shattered the windows in the Chief's car.  A heavily damaged vehicle approached and its driver advised the chief that the danger was growing.  The Chief turned around and headed towards safety.

Inside the plant, Roy Westerfield was still trying to herd people to safety.  He was talking by phone to a dispatcher when  few seconds later he said "Get 'em all out of here".  These were quite possibly his last words. 

It was the third massive explosion that sent Henderson and Las Vegas residents running for their windows, radios and television news.   Local Channel 3 anchor Gwen Castaldi went on the air and began letting Valley residents know what was happening.  "It was a real moment of urgency and tragedy in the community." (Personal interview with Castaldi, 2005).

It was the third blast, according to Gregory Crosby, "that sealed the plant's fate when that 9 million pounds of chemical literally went up in smoke."  

The blast was so forceful that it knocked an arriving fire engine over two lanes.  Another arriving fire truck had its windows shattered.  Cars were overturned.  The explosion created a visible shock wave.  This explosion almost destroyed the Fire Chief's car but he was able to drive to a nearby hospital to seek treatment for his passenger and himself.

Inside the plant, Roy Westerfield and Bruce Halker, two employees who were shepherding people out of danger were killed.   More than 300 people were injured.

The marshmallow factory next door, Kidd and Co., suffered the brunt of the explosion.  Due to faulty equipment there were fewer employees working that day.  Those employees who were there evacuated at the first sign of trouble.  The marshmallow factory was destroyed. 

"The final explosion went off and PEPCON basically disappeared.  Boulder Highway looked like a war zone.  There was glass everywhere.." Eyewitness  and PEPCON employee Joe Hedrick.

The last explosion registered 3.5 on the Richter scale by the National Earthquake Information Center 600 miles away in Colorado.  A crater estimated at 15 feet deep and 200 feet wide was left in the storage area. 

A 747 on approach to McCarran Airport was reportedly buffeted by the shock wave.  The Airport, 11 miles away from the blast, suffered cracked windows.  An analysis later estimated the blast damage the equivalent of 250 tons of TNT. 

Nearby Basic High School suffered serious damage and damage was reported at McDoniel Elementary, Burkholder Middle School and Southern Nevada Vocational-Technical Center.  The last blast blew out the windows at Basic High School.

"We thought someone was out there with a shotgun" remembered teacher Michael Neighbors, "Like fools, we went right for the windows.  We literally pushed the kids out of the building.  It was like an air pocket.  The back of my hair parted." (Las Vegas Review Journal). 

The large plume of smoke could be seen around the valley and residents throughout the valley worried about chemical fall-out.   Luckily, the wind that day was only 20 to 25 mph and kept much of the chemical from settling in the valley.  Local health officials predicted that lives were saved because of the winds.

Damage was estimated at $74 million dollars.  The nearby Fire Station was heavily damaged and there was structural damage to a nearby warehouse.

PEPCON, renamed Western Electrochemical Company, relocated to Iron County, Utah.  Now some 14 miles northwest of St. George, they began the relocation a mere three months after the devastating explosion at the Henderson plant.  Kerr-McGee moved their plant 17 miles northeast of Las Vegas to Apex.   For awhile Kerr-McGee continued to manufacture the more stable liquid form of the chemical on site.  But in 1998, ten years after the disaster, the parent company of PEPCON/Western Electrochemical Company bought out the remaining ammonium perchlorate contracts and moved all production to Utah.

Senior Company official, Fred Gibson, Jr tried to shift blame from PEPCON to Southwest Gas by saying that a ruptured gas line caused the fire.  However, this conflicted with eyewitness testimony by employees.  PEPCON attorney told the Las Vegas Review Journal, three days after the disaster, "Nothing ignites ammonium perchlorate.  It does not burn.  It is not flammable."  Chemists from around the world immediately disputed the attorney and called the product "unstable and highly flammable." 

After the explosion it came out that the facility had been cited numerous times since 1974 for safety violations.  There had been a small explosion in 1980 that had injured a worker. 

More than 50 law firms represented dozens of insurance companies and corporations in lawsuits.  The case ran up tens of millions of dollars in attorneys fees and produced 1 million pages of depositions.

The case wound its way through the judicial system from 1989 to 1992 when a $171 million settlement was reached before going to a jury trial.  Insurance companies that had reimbursed some 17,000 claimants received almost 100 cents on the dollar.

Clark County agreed to pay $3.8 million to insurance companies as a result of shoddy inspections that had taken place at the plant over the years. 

Southwest Gas also agreed to settle because according to their attorney "it was a practical decision made because of the uncertainty of what a jury might do at trial." (Las Vegas Review Journal).

Southwest Gas later found out what a jury would do.  In a trial that lasted a little over a month, PEPCON's insurance company argued that gas, which is lighter than air, had leaked from a pipe then moved horizontally underground toward the plant 670 feet away.  The gas was then to make a 90-degree turn upward and ignited with an unknown source. (Emphasis added)

Following final arguments, the attorneys hadn't even gotten back to their offices before the call came from the court house that a jury had reached a verdict.  It took less than a half hour for the jury to laugh that idea out of court.

The disaster was a turning point for the development of Henderson.  The city began to shift from being the "City of Industry" (its slogan) to a bedroom community of Las Vegas.  A few years after the disaster, Green Valley subdivision, a master planned community, took off with home buyers and changed the dynamics of Henderson forever.

Though many industries remain in Henderson, the city is now a growing hub of suburban dwellers looking to escape Las Vegas.

Video of the explosion can be seen here:  http://www.reviewjournal.com/news/pepcon/pepcon1.mov 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMofeKl4hpY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMofeKl4hpY 

The Pepcon Site with the Kidd Marshmallow Factory on the right

(Courtesy of the Las Vegas Review Journal)

Map of Pepcon location

The explosion as seen from Lake Mead Blvd.

(courtesy of the Las Vegas Review Journal) 

The Aftermath

(courtesy of RoadsidePictures) 

The Aftermath

(courtesy of RoadsidePictures)