In the 19th century, Las Vegas was once an important stop along the Old Spanish Trail between Santa Fe, New Mexico and Southern California. The oasis allowed Spanish traders to shorten their route to Los Angeles by following streams and resting at springs; the grave alternative was to travel through Death Valley. Rumors of a lush valley began to widely circulate in 1829 and generated lots of interest from potential settlers and travelers. In 1844, an explorer named John C. Fremont camped in the Las Vegas Valley and wrote about his time there. A.D. Hopkins of the Las Vegas Review Journal wrote in 1999, “...it was John C. Fremont who literally put Las Vegas on the map.”

In 1885, missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormon Church) began settling in the Las Vegas Valley. Their position also served as a link to California and the Pacific Ocean. The coming of the railroad in 1905 industrialized the area and an era of growth ensued. In the early 20th century, Nevada passed laws that allowed divorce after only six months of residency in the state. By 1931, the requirement was reduced to six weeks and Las Vegas gained a reputation as an easy place to get a divorce.

Population growth accelerated in the 1930s becauseof two monumental events in 1931. First, the Bureau of Reclamation began constructing the Boulder Dam (known today as the Hoover Dam) on the Colorado River. The second event was the beginning of a new era; The State of Nevada legalized gambling. The dam’s construction and operations were responsible for a surge in job opportunities, lots of federal funding, and most importantly, the two driving forces that allowed Las Vegas to become a large city: Lake Mead and the gaming industry.

At the time, Lake Mead was the world’s largest man-made lake. Today, it is still a source of clean water and a colossal hydroelectric power plant. The gambling created even more opportunities for aspiring businessmen to open casinos and create opportunities for work.

A major milestone in 1945 that spurred the casino-construction fever came to fruition when an infamous gangster named Bugsy Siegel created the most bombastic resort and casino that the world had ever seen: The Flamingo. Going forth, construction boomed after World War II and Las Vegas became a land of hotels, casinos, world-class restaurants, and entertainment of all kinds, ranging from risqué acrobatic shows to family-oriented theme parks. Today, Las Vegas lays claim to six of the world’s 10 largest resort hotels and continues to grow.