Gaming / Helldorado

Gaming, also, Helldorado. . This is a two sided marker , Side A: , Gaming , Like most western frontier towns, gambling was prevalent in the backrooms of early Las Vegas saloons and other establishments. From its inception as a railroad town in 1905, the citizens of Las Vegas tolerated gambling as a part of daily life. , While some games of chance were already legal, Nevada legalized "wide open" gambling in 1931, creating legitimacy for the industry. That year, the first local gaming license was issued to Mayme Stocker of the Northern Club, located near First and Fremont. Since 1931, Las Vegas has benefited from the capital investments and the gambling experience of operators from other states, who were attracted here by the unique legal status of gambling. For several decades, Fremont Street was the center of gambling in Las Vegas. Aided by spectacular neon signs, images of "Glitter Gulch" established Las Vegas as the worldwide leader of gambling. , Side B: , Helldorado , Anticipating the end of Hoover Dam construction and the workers that it brought to town, Las Vegas sought other means for economic prosperity. In 1935, led by the Las Vegas Elks Club, the first Helldorado celebration took place. This event became a four-day celebration, taking place every May. Helldorado featured parades down Fremont Street, rodeos, carnivals, frontier-style clothing, beard-growing contest, and a "Kangaroo Kourt". Helldorado created a "Wild West" atmosphere for Las Vegas and was one of the very first special events aimed at attracting tourist. Helldorado was made popular in the movies, when the 1946 Roy Rogers film Heldorado premiered. Movie censors insisted Heldorado be spelled with on "l". For Las Vegas residents, Helldorado was a source of civic pride and an annual rite of spring. Generations of school children joined the parades and floats, as they enjoyed time off from school. Ending in the mid-1990s, Helldorado was the longest running civic celebration in Las Vegas history.