Transcript of interview with Darlene Kelly by David P. Wiser, March 16, 1975

UNLV University Libraries Darlene Kelly i An Interview with Darlene Kelly An Oral History Conducted by David P. Wiser Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas Special Collections and Archives Oral History Research Center University Libraries University of Nevada, Las Vegas UNLV University Libraries Darlene Kelly ii © Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 2019 UNLV University Libraries Darlene Kelly iii The Oral History Research Center (OHRC) was formally established by the Board of Regents of the University of Nevada System in September 2003 as an entity of the UNLV University Libraries’ Special Collections Division. The OHRC conducts oral interviews with individuals who are selected for their ability to provide first-hand observations on a variety of historical topics in Las Vegas and Southern Nevada. The OHRC is also home to legacy oral history interviews conducted prior to its establishment including many conducted by UNLV History Professor Ralph Roske and his students. This legacy interview transcript received minimal editing, such as the elimination of fragments, false starts, and repetitions in order to enhance the reader's understanding of the material. All measures have been taken to preserve the style and language of the narrator. The interviewee/narrator was not involved in the editing process. UNLV University Libraries Darlene Kelly iv Abstract On March 16, 1975, David P. Wiser interviewed former hair dresser and dealer, Darlene Kelly (born December 1st, 1942 in San Francisco, California) in the collector’s home in Las Vegas, Nevada. The two discuss how Kelly first arrived in Las Vegas, as well as her occupational history. Kelly goes on to describe the Stewart Ranch, as well as the social environment of the forties and fifties in Southern Nevada. UNLV University Libraries Darlene Kelly 1 This project is Nevada History: Oral Interview. The informant is Darlene Kelly. The date is March 16th, 1975 at one PM. The place is 1614 Atlantic Street, Las Vegas, Nevada, 89104. The collector is David P. Wiser, 1614 Atlantic Street, Las Vegas, Nevada. Alright. You were born in Southern Nevada, correct? I was born in San Francisco. I moved here when I was not even a year old. Oh, I see. And that would’ve been in what—you moved here in what—? I was born in December of ’42. I moved here in early ’43. I see. Why did your family come here? Do you remember? To get away. From? Los Angeles and San Francisco and that part of California. And you were educated in Southern Nevada? What schools did you attend here? Mountain Dew Grammar School. J.D. Smith Junior High, for one year. Jim Bridger Junior High for two years, and Rancho High School. And after you got out of school, what were your occupations? Well, for a while there I was just waitress and a secretary. Now do you remember what addresses you lived at in Southern Nevada? 3527 East Lake Mead Boulevard. All the time? All the time. And then it says, why did you move here, and we already covered that. Were you married in Las Vegas or Southern Nevada? I was married in Las Vegas in ’66. UNLV University Libraries Darlene Kelly 2 What—where were you married? In the little chapel around the corner (Laughs) Is or was church activity an important part of your life? Yes it was. I went to the Mormon Church. Oh you did? But I’m catholic. I just went to the Mormon Church to get their ways. Did you find—why did you want to get their way of life? It was interesting to me, to see what their thoughts of life was. Did you have a good background in Catholicism? Yes. I just wanted to see what the Mormon religion was like and what they believed in. Hmm. Were you active in any politics? No. Were you a member of any social interest or other interest group? Social club or interest group—that’s what it is. Just rodeos. Mm-hmm. Rodeo Association. Was gambling an important recreational activity for you or your family? No, not me. What, I guess, it was the rodeo, that’s the type of recreation that you sought, basically? Mm-hmm. UNLV University Libraries Darlene Kelly 3 Why don’t we expand on that section a little bit? Why don’t you start out by going through how you ended up getting interested in the rodeo type of stuff? How did it develop and everything? Well, I got my first horse when I was six years old. I was on my first horse at a year old. And it was really not much more I could do than rodeo, except compete with men. And Sandra Thurman, who was Sandra Thatcher back then, and her dad, brought barrel racing to Southern Nevada. And I could remember Sandra’s dad, when they ran the first barrel course on these calf roping horses, said that this is what girls are going to do at rodeos now, it’s called barrel racing. Barrel racing? Barrel racing. It’s set up in—there’s three barrels set up in a triangle and it’s a timed event to get around the three barrels the fastest. And he showed us the barrel course on his calf-roping horse. And he said that’s what girls are going to do now at rodeos, barrel race. And I was about eight years old at the time. And so that was my goal, was to be a champion barrel racer. And I calf-roped, and I rode bulls, and (unintelligible). And when I was that age, you weren’t growing up boy crazy or anything else. The only things that boys were, was maybe someone to compete with. To outride them and do anything you could do to do it better. Has the barrel racing stayed as an event for the girls? Mm-hmm, oh yes. It’s gotten tougher. Girls have gotten horses off the track now instead of just their dad’s calf-roping horse. Now they got Triple A horses off the track instead of (unintelligible) and it’s getting more money involved in it. Are you still involved in that? Mm-hmm. Yes. UNLV University Libraries Darlene Kelly 4 You gotta let me know when you’re going to be riding and stuff so I can come out an see you. Helldorado. What, when is that? It’s May 19th, 20th, 21st, and 22nd I think. Hmm. At the Convention Center. It used to be at Cashman Fields, but now it’s at the Convention Center. Do you remember anything about Cashman Field? Mm-hmm. Why don’t—? It was a very neat place. It was old and everybody just knew it was there and it was for Helldorado. And all the big rodeos would come around. Now, I understand that they tore that down or that they put a building around that or something? There’s a—what is there now? An Elk’s Lodge or something like that. Yes, and they just abandoned it, right? They tore the rest of it down, the whole arenas and the stables and everything else down. Okay. Let’s move on with this little bit. This question is about the above-ground atomic tests. Now, would you just want to go ahead and—? It was just quite a shock when they first said that they were going to do it. (Unintelligible)? UNLV University Libraries Darlene Kelly 5 Yes, and people thought that the nuclear activity in the air would just us, and all this stuff, and the pollution. But there was really nothing we could do to stop it. Mm-hmm. So then most of the people weren’t very happy? No, they weren’t happy at all. But like, Mercury, Nevada, back in those days, if you weren’t a casino employee, you worked at Mercury. What was out there? The Test Site. And—? The government Test Site. That’s where people were working if they weren’t casino employees because there’s no manufacturing around here or anything else that people can work at. Mm-hmm. It was either casino employee or Mercury Test Site. Hmm. What jobs did they have out there at the Mercury Test Site? Any kind. Digging ditches to engineering. So they employed quite a few people out there? Oh yes. You could take busses out there or cars, it was eighty miles out. And they called that old high way the “Widow Maker,” because a lot of people were killed on that two laner highway, going to work in that. And people commuted from Las Vegas here, eighty miles up to Mercury? Mm-hmm. How long did it take for people to realize that, or begin to live with the idea that the atomic tests were going to be there before they were added to or started getting a little bit better about it? UNLV University Libraries Darlene Kelly 6 Quite a number of years, ‘cause everybody just wanted to ignore it. When they said they’re going to have explosion underground, it’s nothing, I mean. Mm-hmm. I guess maybe, the initial people that were out here at that time— They were older people. Yes. And they had stuck in their mind that the atomic bomb was going to destroy everything. Yes. Just like it did at Hiroshima. And then with the influx of all the newer people, it was just— There. Yes. Alright, here’s a pretty big question. What changes have you noticed in Southern Nevada since you first arrived? Economic changes. Economic changes? Well, the casinos have always kept the economics—economy up. And even when they had the gas wars and everything else, and all the gas almost got rationed, people still came to Las Vegas. It’s—there’s still really not that much in the way of manufacturing in Las Vegas. It’s still a tourist town. Mm-hmm. Las Vegas survives on tourists. And how about as far as the environmental changes since you’ve been here? Well, it’s tripled; millions of people now more than they used to be. Horses are getting pushed out farther. How? Houses are springing up all over the place. UNLV University Libraries Darlene Kelly 7 Yes. What about the—have you noticed any change in the vegetation? No, not that much really. It’s getting greener where the houses are at. But like, wild animals don’t come down as far as they used to. They used to, coyotes would come right up the back door. Hmm. What I was, more what I was thinking about, this is probably after your time, but I was under—led to believe that the, back twenty-five or thirty-five years ago, the vegetation was just a little bit more, more than what it is now, because the water table was up high enough and not as many people were out here. Consequently, it didn’t go down, and there were more trees and— Well, like trees and mesquite bushes. Yes, I guess that’s what it is. (Laughs) There was a lot more wildlife than there is now, out here. Hmm. Vegetation, if you wanna go with mesquite bushes and cactus and stuff like that, yes, there was a lot more than there is now. Mm-hmm. And I guess, due to the water table going down so much that it’s just harder for those plants to get the water that they need. How about social changes since you’ve been out here? Has the increase in population changed the way of life of the people out here? People were—years ago, everybody knew everybody in this town. And it was just like one great big happy family. Everybody helped everybody in this town. If you wanted an arena built, everybody’d come over and help you build it, and one day, if they needed something then, you’d go over there and help them. And now people are getting colder because there’s more people. Mm-hmm. You said these arenas, is that like, to run the horses and that? UNLV University Libraries Darlene Kelly 8 Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. Or a barn being built, everybody’d come over and help you. And then you’d go over and help somebody with their branding, or just, anything you know, done. You just went over there and helped them. But nowadays, it’s, it’d be like California, it’s getting colder. So it seems to me that you’ve had an awful lot of connection with the ranch style of life. Mm-hmm. Which is really something new to me. From the way you’re talking, it seems like there was a, other than the casinos, the bulk of the people— Rodeo. Mm-hmm. Got together on weekends and had roping, and there was a place called Twin Lakes, where every weekend, you’d go out there and you’d had a Jackpot Rodeo, and everybody’d get together and just have fun barbecues and everything. We made—Twin Lakes not even there anymore, just houses. What, what happened to it? Dick Saint John was the owner of Twin Lakes and he inherited it from his grandfather. And it was acres and acres of green pastures and a municipal swimming pool and lodge, and stables where you could rent horses and rodeo grounds to where you can rodeo. And I drove out there the other day and it was just all houses. What happened to the lakes, are they still there? There’s ponds there, that’s it. The lakes, they call it Twin Lakes. It was man-made. Well, it was big enough to where you can rent them paddle boats, and go around paddling, you know, around ‘em. And they’re just not there anymore. UNLV University Libraries Darlene Kelly 9 Did they use that water for something? Or—? For ducks, and they put gold fish in there, you know, baby goldfish. Mm-hmm. It was just a real nice recreational place for kids and adults. Where—? And then the municipal swimming pool, they had a barbecue place and a dance place, and they had a cocktail lounge and dinner house. Just a really neat place to go. Where was it located? Just off of Bonanza and Washington. So, it was more—right in town now, right? Well yes, you can consider it right in town now, but it wasn’t then. Uh-huh. Okay, now I realize that somewhat, you might not, or were a little bit skeptical about some of this information on the old Stewart Ranch. But, the name that you remember the best about it, is the Stewart Ranch? Mm-hmm. Can you relay a specific incident that happened at the Stewart Ranch? That would’ve been— There was an old man up there. He was just—every time we took horses up there to turn ‘em out, that he used to come up and sit out and tell us old stories and everything about horses running loose out there and donkeys and wild burro hunts and stuff like that, at the old Stewart Ranch. Mm-hmm. Next question, can you describe an individual who worked, or was associated with the Old Ranch at any time? Oh, I called him was pops. UNLV University Libraries Darlene Kelly 10 Do you remember enough to maybe go into any of it just a little bit more? He was just an old western man that used to sit down for hours and talk to us kids about the tales that used to happen to him. About the coyotes coming down and the wild donkeys that used to go chasing off all the time. Wild donkeys, huh? And mustangs. Hmm. Mustangs that they used to chase. Until they put a law on it that you can’t chase them anymore. Was he employed out there? Yes. I guess so. What? He was just always there when I was a kid. What did you go over to do at the Stewart Ranch? Turn horses out to pasture. Luckily we had mares and foal and we wouldn’t keep them around here. We just turned ‘em out until it was time for them to foal and bring ‘em back. Did you have to pay any fee for that? I can’t remember. I don’t think so. I really can’t remember. But it was owned by an individual and he just let everybody go out—? No, my girlfriend’s dad know him real well. Oh I see. Okay. Can you describe any of the buildings out there? Not that I know of, I can’t remember. I guess you probably won’t be able to give any information on this—can you describe the location and condition of the adobe walls surrounding the original Mormon Settlement? UNLV University Libraries Darlene Kelly 11 No. Mm-hmm. Oh, do you remember what use of the property that was —let’s see. Oh, what do you remember about the use of the property as a gravel testing laboratory for Boulder Dam? That’s a little before my time. Yes, that’s what I was thinking. Alright. How do you, as far as the questions that I have listed here, there’s not—that’s it. But do you have let’s see—what is your overall view of the city now, as compared to what it was before? Do you still enjoy it as much, and do you think that in the future that you would get as much out of it as you—? I wish we could go back. It’s getting too many people from out of town coming in that are, they just don’t belong here. They’re coming in for what they can get. And it’s not the quiet easy way of life that it used to be. Tourists stayed on their own side of town. And residents stayed on their own side of town. Yes, I know that it’s all just residential sections all over the place. And people that come from out of town are living in those residential sections. Right. But don’t realize what the town used to be. And as that happens, it’s getting colder and colder. Mm-hmm. And, I do have another questions that I wanted to ask. What do you—do you recall any effects that were created by Hoover Dam upon you, as being just an individual person? Like, what has Hoover Dam done to you personally? Has it created any effects? To me personally? Well, it has made Lake Havasu. Not Lake Havasu—Lake Mead, which is a nice recreational place. We used to—years ago, my girlfriend and I used to take our horses over UNLV University Libraries Darlene Kelly 12 the top of Sunrise Mountain and go ride ‘em out in the Lake, and go swimming in the Lake, years ago, when there wasn’t a road going over that mountain. How far on the other side of Sunrise Mountain is Lake Mead? About fourteen miles. Mm-hmm. Farther by road. And you just rode your horses out through certain mountains and across the desert and afterwards? Mm-hmm. Hmm. It made a Lake, and that was a good resort for kids. Did—so, did you just, hung out there a little bit? Just to have something to do, yes. Okay, well I guess— It’s a good place to go swimming. Okay. (Audio ends)