Las Vegas: From Railroad Stop to Sin City

Most people think of Las Vegas as neon lights, casinos, and endless entertainment. But how did one of America's most famous cities end up in the middle of the Mojave Desert? The answer isn't what you'd expect. Join Shane Waters as he welcomes Mark Hall-Patton—former museum administrator for the Clark County Museum system and familiar face from History Channel's Pawn Stars—to uncover the hometown history behind Sin City.

Before there were slot machines and showgirls, Las Vegas was a railroad town surviving on one precious resource: water. In this first part of a two-part series, Mark explains how natural springs created the first settlement, how the railroad surveyed the original town site in 1905, and how locals—not organized crime—built the entertainment destination we know today. From the Hoover Dam's construction bringing federal dollars during the Depression, to the World War II aviation boom, to the brilliant marketing campaign that made "Vegas" a household name, this is the origin story of America's largest 20th-century city.

Discover how a remote desert railroad stop became the entertainment capital of the world—and why the real founding story is far more fascinating than the myths.

Featured Expert: Mark Hall-Patton, retired museum administrator (Clark County Museum, Howard C. Cannon Aviation Museum, Searchlight History Museum) and regular historical expert on History Channel's Pawn Stars

Episode Highlights:

• Why Las Vegas exists where it does (hint: it's all about water)
• The 1829 Spanish trading expedition that discovered the Vegas Valley
• How the Mormon settlement attempt failed after just three years
• Why the railroad chose this specific location in 1905
• The role of the Hoover Dam and Lake Mead in Vegas's survival
• How commercial aviation shaped the city's growth
• The brilliant post-WWII marketing campaign (including those fake fish photos)
• Why Nevada only gets 300,000 acre-feet from the Colorado River
• The senators who transformed American commercial aviation

Key Figures:

• Antonio Armijo - Led the 1829 Spanish trading expedition
• William Clark - Railroad magnate who surveyed Las Vegas townsite
• Herbert Hoover - Secretary of Commerce who brokered the Colorado River Compact
• Pat McCarran - US Senator who championed aviation (McCarran Airport named for him)
• Howard W. Cannon - US Senator who deregulated airlines in 1978

Timeline:

• 1829 - Spanish traders discover springs in Vegas Valley
• 1855-1858 - Brief Mormon settlement period
• 1905 - Railroad survey creates Las Vegas townsite; town officially founded
• 1920s - Commercial aviation begins (Western Air Express, 1926)
• 1931 - Nevada legalizes gambling; simplified divorce laws
• 1935 - Hoover Dam completed
• 1941 - First Strip casino opens; Las Vegas Army Air Base established
• 1945 - Local business leaders launch aggressive tourism marketing campaign
• 1958 - Las Vegas becomes #1 destination airport in the United States

New episodes every Tuesday. Follow us for forgotten American history from unexpected places.

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