Micheal Miller interview, April 5, 1976: transcript

UNLV University Libraries Michael Miller 1 An Interview with Michael Miller An Oral History Conducted by Broderick T. Ackerman 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 Michael Miller 2 © Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 2020 UNLV University Libraries Michael Miller 3 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 Michael Miller 4 Abstract On April 5, 1976, collector Broderick T. Ackerman interviewed Michael Miller who has lived in Nevada since 1910. In this interview, Mister Miller speaks about his time working on ranches and as a trapper in Northern Nevada. He also speaks about his time running nightclubs in Las Vegas, Nevada, as well as seeing much growth throughout his time living in Las Vegas. UNLV University Libraries Michael Miller 5 Yes. This interview is taken by Broderick T. Ackerman. The informant name is Michael Miller. Address 4876 Miller Lane. Mister Miller is eighty two years of age and has lived in Las Vegas since 1946. (Unintelligible) 1910. You came down to Southern Nevada in 1910. No, no. Winnemucca. Winnemucca? Yes. I (unintelligible) cows and worked on the ranches for most all my life. Mm-hmm. Now did you go to school here in Nevada? No. I never went to school in my life. Oh yes? (Unintelligible) you know. Mm-hmm. There was always school teachers on the ranch, as being a kid, you know, they always liked teaching me a few words, whatever. Mm-hmm. If possible. Okay. Like when you first came here, your principal occupation, you was sort of like a ranch hand or a farmer? Yes. Yes. A ranch hand. Okay. What kind of ranches did you work on? I worked on the cattle ranches. Cattle and sheep. Yes. Exactly what part of Nevada was this? UNLV University Libraries Michael Miller 6 Down here, north of Winnemucca. North of Winnemucca. Yes. Up there around Jackson Mountain. Over on Jackson Mountain, I worked for the Lay's in 1912. The who? Lay Brothers. Lay Brothers? Lay. L-a-y. Lay Brothers. 1912. We had sheep and cattle both and I worked for them when I was a kid. Then after that, I went over there, I worked for (unintelligible) at the Queen River Crossing. Queen River Crossing? Yes. Explain that to me. I don't know. Well, that's still farther north towards Oregon line from Winnemucca. It’s about thirty miles from (unintelligible) Oregon. The (unintelligible) was right on the line. Mm-hmm. Nevada and Oregon, you see. Right. Is that going towards Mount Shasta? That's going down towards the (unintelligible), Oregon and a way up north. Right. Okay, when did you come down to Southern Nevada? Down here? Right. Oh I came here in '20. I came to Ely in 1920. UNLV University Libraries Michael Miller 7 And why did you come there? Ely, Nevada. Why did you come? Oh, I came. I was working for the government. Oh. What kind of job were you doing? I was a government trapper. Exactly what were you trapping? I was a government trapper. Predatory animal hunter. Yes. See, I was working for them and they transferred me down here, so then I came to Ely and I got married there. I raised my family there, see. Oh. What year were you married? Twenty. Nineteen twenty? Yes. And then my wife died with cancer and I married again, and she died with cancer. What year did you marry again? Oh. Four or five years later, I think it was. I don't remember exactly. Right. Okay, were you a very religious man? No. Not very much. I was raised a Catholic, that is, born a Catholic but I don't go to church very much. Never did. I never had time. Right. Working (Laughs) I was on the ranches. UNLV University Libraries Michael Miller 8 What do you remember, what can you tell me if any presidential candidates like Roosevelt, any important people came to Southern Nevada around 1920, in that area? No. I don't remember any of 'em. I remember Kennedy, he was down in Las Vegas. John Kennedy? John Kennedy. He was in Las Vegas here a few years back, just before he got killed. You know, he came down to Las Vegas. Right. Okay. What about the crash of Carol Lombard's plane? Do you remember? Yes. That was out here on this mountain. Yes. I wasn't here then, but that was out here. Who was, do you remember who Carol Lombard was? I'm not familiar. Well, I know she was a movie picture actress. Oh. Is that what she is? (Unintelligible) Liberty Bounder, or something like that, you know. Mm-hmm. During the war, you see. Plane crashed out here in the mountains. Were you actively involved in the politics around here? No, I never was. No. Not me. Right. Why not? Well, I don't know. I was always out on the ranch away from everybody, you know. Mm-hmm. When you were, say around 1925 or 1930, can you remember any type of social clubs in this area? Any type of organizations that had formed? Interest group or militant organizations, or any type of organization that started around that time? I wasn't here in 1925. You wasn't? UNLV University Libraries Michael Miller 9 No, not here. Not in Nevada. Not in Las Vegas, no. Oh. What part, you say around? I wasn't here. Ely? Right. Okay. Well, when did you come to Las Vegas? Forty-five. Nineteen forty-five. Nineteen forty-five. I came to Las Vegas and I got the, see when I was on a ranch in Ely after my wife died, why, I went to Mayo Clinic. And they told me, for examination, they told me over there that I have to get off, away from the ranch. Mm-hmm. 'Cause I was nervous. I had arthritis anyway. Right. And that everything I see that reminded me of my wife. Right. I gotta get out amongst people. Right. Right. So I came to Las Vegas. Stopped in Las Vegas, I was gonna buy some property here in Beatty, but I didn't. I was too late, somebody else bought it. Hm. So, I stopped in Las Vegas (unintelligible) called The Star Club. Mm-hmm. UNLV University Libraries Michael Miller 10 That's where I lost my pocket book. I sold my sheep and cattle over there, and a sheep in Ely. I had a few thousand dollars when I come down here and I lost everything I had there in the fire in the nightclub. The night The Star Club burned down, you know. Oh yes? I bought that and took a fellow in with me, and he gypped me out of everything I had. Right. Is The Star Club, is that the one right across from Lady Luck? No, no, no. Where is that? No, that's just before you get to Railroad Pass Casino, right on top of the hill, it was right there. It burned down. Right. You didn't have any insurance or nothing like that? I had insurance, yes, but I only collected about 9,000 dollars. Right. How much was your initial investment do you think? Oh hell, I was invested over $18,000. Over $18,000, huh? Yes. What year was this? I bought it in '46, '45. '43 to '46. '45 or '46. Right. Did you ever gamble? They had gambling in casinos, stuff like that. Did you gamble? No, I never did. No. I don't gamble. I didn't even play my own slot machines. (Laughs) Oh yes? UNLV University Libraries Michael Miller 11 I don't believe in that stuff. Okay. Like, were you into the business end of the casino? Where you help running it and manage it? Oh yes. I had that. I owned a part of it and I took a fellow in with me. Mm-hmm. He's the one that took me for quite a lot. Right. What was his name? His name was Brown. Larry Brown. He took me for plenty, believe me. Larry. Is he still in—? Yes. And I had to buy him out rather than to go to court. Lawyer told me if I go to court, he could beat for five hundred dollars, he says he can kick him out of (unintelligible). He set it up, I pay him three thousand dollars to get rid of him. Mm-hmm. I was afraid I'd get mad and kill the bastard. Right. Right. So instead of that I just paid and got rid of him. Right. Is he still in Las Vegas area? No. Hell, I don't know where he is. He was running the nightclub right across the Showboat. He bought himself a place right across from Showboat, then he beat everybody he could, and then he beat it. I don't know where he's at. Nobody knows where he's at. (Laughs) He came here from San Diego, I think. I was easy going you understand? Yes. UNLV University Libraries Michael Miller 12 I trusted everybody. Right. And believe me, a lot of 'em took me too. A lot of 'em took me for everything they could. Okay. Once you got out of the casino business, what did you go into? Did you—? No. I just moved. The place burned down, you see, and I had (unintelligible) and I moved it down here. Mm-hmm. A little ways. I bought an acre and a quarter ground down here. Traded a, traded old (unintelligible) for it. Out of an acre and a quarter, traded (unintelligible), don't you know. Mm-hmm. And then I moved the other house down there, so I sold that. I got fifteen thousand dollars for that. And I was gonna retire after I built it, you know. I sold it in 1958, I think, '59, somewhere around there. I was gonna retire and take it easy, but hell, I was too nervous. I couldn't get along without work. Mm-hmm. I had to do something, so I bought the two and a half acres here. Okay. When did you buy this property here? Oh, (unintelligible). I don't remember, I got it written down here, but I— In 50s was it in? No. It was the 60s. In the 60s? Yes. It was the 60s. So I bought this property and I built this whole place as is. I built everything in it. UNLV University Libraries Michael Miller 13 Okay. Do you remember any of the early underground atomic—? I remember first one. I was in a nightclub, yes. First one. I was at The Star Club. The year was about nineteen—what? Well, I don't remember the year exactly, but it's the first one they shot. Mm-hmm. People from Boulder City all came up on the hill (unintelligible) Mm-hmm. And they was watching the (unintelligible) to see it flash. The first (unintelligible) Alright. Did you feel the tremble and all that? Oh yes. You heard the tremble, yes. A lot of guys said it broke the plate glass and stuff. I don't know whether they did or not. I don't know. Okay. When they set a blast off now, do you feel the mini vibrations ever? I felt it here not long ago. Right. Right. I was in bed and I felt it, right here. Uh-huh. Right. Okay. Okay. When you first opened up your casino, was it a lot of money like seen before in Las Vegas? It was quite a lot of money in those—it wasn't much, Las Vegas wasn't like it is now. Right. See, Las Vegas built after that, you see. The only one that was there was the, I can't think of the name, that first one that was built in Las Vegas. Rancho Vegas? What year did the Rancho Vegas burn down? UNLV University Libraries Michael Miller 14 Oh, quite a few years back. I don't remember. It's been quite a few years. Eighteen years, I don't know. Quite a while since it burned down. I couldn't tell you (unintelligible). I don't remember. I don't remember the year. Right. When you first came to Las Vegas, it was in 1946, you say? Forty-five. Forty-five? Okay, the war was going on or was, it had just ended? Yes. The war was just ended. Yes. Right. Okay. Could you tell that the war affected Las Vegas in any way? Do you know if you could tell on the people or the money being spent, you know, did they have a lot of soldiers come in through town? No. There wasn't many soldiers through then. They were—they still had that Nellis Air Base. Right. Right. But there wasn't many of 'em there, I don't suppose, at that time. But no, there wasn't. There was soldiers scattered all over town, you know. Mm-hmm. I know we used to have a show at the night club. Right. And the soldiers would come up and see. Who were some of the entertainers that used to entertain at your club? Oh, hell, you'd go out there and get the girls, you know North Las Vegas and all over, dance and raise hell and show Stag parties and stuff like that. Oh yes? Nice. Nice. Man, that really drove the soldiers up to see. UNLV University Libraries Michael Miller 15 Yes. One night, we had over three hundred of 'em. They had around three hundred, I don't know, I didn't count it. (Unintelligible) I had a big place then. The place was over (unintelligible) feet long. (Unintelligible) place. That's when I lost my pocketbook at that damn place there. Right. Okay. People were playing "21", Blackjack? Yes. "21", Blackjack, Craps, and all that sort of thing. Okay. Like if you were running the casino with the Blackjack, was there any kind of way the Blackjack was fixed? Do they have to have a certain amount of cards to play Blackjack or is it—? No. It's just any kind of card they—? Well, all that was legal and honest. Mm-hmm. As far as I know anything about it, that was all honest. Right. Honest play, you know. There was no—nothing crooked about it. If there was, they still haven't found out about it. They'd close the place down for sure. Mm. They find out anything (unintelligible). See, Glen Jones was the sheriff when I was there, when I was running the place. Glen Jones? Yes. He was the sheriff back then. Was he a pretty good sheriff? UNLV University Libraries Michael Miller 16 Oh yes. He was a great man. They was all good guys. Right. Yes. They were all good guys. Is he still living? Oh yes. Hell yes. He's not gone. He isn't very old. Oh he's not? Oh. No. I don't think he's (unintelligible). He's got some property down around town here. Do you know when the Great Depression hit? Sure. Right. Where were you located at the time? Ely. I was in Ely. Ely. Okay. Could Ely feel the effects of the Depression? Oh, you bet your life they could. Oh yes. They felt it there. What changes, or what happened that really, that you can remember about the Depression? Well, everybody, I don't know, what do you mean what happened? Well, was people being, were they hungry or? No. I don't think anybody was hungry around Ely there. That's a mining town, you know. Right. 'Course I had my family. My kids was (unintelligible) at the time. '29, you know. It was awful snowy. I was trapping for myself then, you know. Mm-hmm. UNLV University Libraries Michael Miller 17 See, I quit the government and I was trapping for myself. And I'd always go out and get wild meat and deer or something, you know, to keep the family going. Mm-hmm. What kind of animals did you trap? Coyotes, bobcats, mountain lions. What did they do with the skins? Badgers. I don't know. I sent them in to the government. Sent 'em to Reno, the government. They took 'em. We got paid so much a month. It started off at ninety, then a hundred, a hundred ten. Now they getting five hundred dollars, I heard. A month? Yes. What was, what type of quota did you have to bring in? (Unintelligible) whatever you catch, you had to turn it in. Right. Whatever you find. Everything you catch, you had to turn it in, yes. And you were paid by the month? Yes. They paid by the month. Then (unintelligible) food you know, the ranch, horses if you need any, a place to live, furnish your food, stuff like that. Right. Most all (unintelligible), you know. Right. Okay. Gas for your car. UNLV University Libraries Michael Miller 18 Okay. When you stopped working for 'em, would they take your home back from you and if you decided to stop working for them, they would take the land you were staying on and all like that, right? Who, what? The sheep, you said the sheep man. The sheep men owned the sheep. I'd go out and trap 'em on the range, see? Oh, okay. Yes. I see, yes. The sheep. I'd trap 'em on the range, see, and he'd furnish me the food. Oh I see. Okay. I understand now. Okay. Was the weather about the same as it is now back? The weather changed right around in 1920. It used to be awful tough up north of Elko. Mm-hmm. It was awfully tough, you see. I trapped for the government back in Elko County too and the snow was awful deep. 'Course I don't know, but shortly after 1920, the weather got to be not as bad as it used to be. Mm-hmm. Not as much snow in the winter. (Unintelligible) trucks and cars year round all through that country. Okay. When you moved to Nevada, Las Vegas, in 1946, has the weather changed any? I don't think so. Not in Vegas, no. There about 1949, 1959, yes I think 1959, we had a snow all over this country. Over fourteen inches up in (unintelligible). I got the pictures of it. There was over fourteen inches of snow up at the club, my club. That's the only time I've ever seen it that big. UNLV University Libraries Michael Miller 19 In 1950 what? I think it was 1959. Nineteen fifty-nine. Yes. Wait a minute, '49 I meant to say, not '59. Forty-nine. Right. Yes. Okay. Do you remember the Mormon Fort? Do I remember it? Do you, when it was, the place that was located, do you remember it? Did you ever see it? I remember one of 'em. That was down in Delta, Utah, or Hinckley, Utah. Okay. I remember one there that's still standing up, that is, that is a wall standing up. Mm-hmm. But there's no buildings there or anything like that. Right. Do you know anything about the Stewart Ranch? No. I had pictures of them. They burned down in the club when it came down. Mm-hmm. Stewart Ranch, yes. That was quite a story about that. What was it? Quite a story about that. What was the story about it? Huh? What was the story behind the Stewart Ranch? UNLV University Libraries Michael Miller 20 Oh, I don't know. It was located right there where, oh, I don't know where in the hell, just as you go down (unintelligible) Las Vegas. Right. Right. It was located right there on the (unintelligible) side. Do you remember when, where you in the area when they first started building Boulder (Hoover) Dam? No. No. I was in Ely. So when you got here, Boulder (Hoover) Dam was already here? Yes. First time I came and looked at the dam was in '42. There was a couple of us came down here and we looked at it, then went down to Death Valley and took a trip all over the country you know, and Boulder (Hoover) Dam, see. When you owned your club in 1946 and you (unintelligible), what type of recreation activities did you do for yourself and your family? What did you all, you know, what type of activity were you engaged in socially for you and your family? Well, my family was all married off. They wasn't there. Oh yes? Yes. I was the only one that was there. I got a son and he was in service, he just got out of the service. He put in twenty-four years. How many kids do you have? I got three living, no, two living. I mean, my grown children. I had three, one of 'em died with cancer (unintelligible) about six years ago I guess. And she's got a bunch of cute boys and girls, one boy and four girls. They're all married. (Unintelligible). I got a daughter down in (unintelligible) California. She was here the other day. (Unintelligible) UNLV University Libraries Michael Miller 21 Do you know any events around 1950 or around 1952? Any what? Any kind of events that you still can remember, anything that happened in Las Vegas that you still think about right along, you know? No. I don't think so. Everything has been building ever since. Showboat and a lot of buildings have moved in from Searchlight and all over through there, you know. I don't remember anything of any interest around there. I mean there's nice (unintelligible) for sure. You got them pouring in, building. Every year through this year (unintelligible). All over Las Vegas, you know. Now they're gonna build another one. Okay. When you ran your nightclub business, you know, like they have this such thing as they talk about the mafia, you know. Do you think that it is certain type people, a mafia? Do they—? You know, I never heard about that until a couple, three years ago. Oh yes? No. I never heard about that. I heard about it a couple, three years ago they was talking about the mafia running the country and all that stuff. I never heard about it when I was there. When you were running your casino, it's just you running them then? Yes. Of course, I'm a rancher, you know. I'm not very familiar with a lot of stuff. I was born and raised on a ranch, you know. I don't know nothing else. Cattle and sheep and stuff like that (unintelligible). Of the nightclubs, why that's on the Strip, down on the Strip. There was just little places, you know, opening up. And pretty soon the great big buildings got their own up. I met Old Man Wells, he was an attorney. He died here a few years back. I bought some property from UNLV University Libraries Michael Miller 22 him down in, down in Pittman and I sold it. I bought it and sold it. And he told me that he bought that property Sands Hotel stays on for Texas. He bought it for Texas? He bought it for Texas, 1929. He told me that himself. Purchased (unintelligible) in Texas? Huh? He bought it for the state of Texas? No. He bought it for Texas. He thought it was Texas. No. He bought it for taxes. The taxes he was doing it. Oh. Taxes. Yes. Oh. Yes. He bought it for the tax that they were doing, see. He got it for his own price, a lot of properties. He's an attorney. His name was Wells. He bought up a lot of property around town yet. He had a wife and a daughter that I know of. I met his wife but I never did meet his daughter. But I think his wife's still, maybe she may still be alive. I don't know, she may be (unintelligible). I haven't seen her for twenty years so I don't know. That's quite a while. She was (unintelligible) you see. Yes. What about Howard Hughes, did you have any—? No. I never had nothing to do with him. He was, he just died today I guess. That's why we're talking about him. Yes. That's— UNLV University Libraries Michael Miller 23 You mentioned that you've met, you got a chance to meet Martha Ray. Did you get a chance to speak to her or you just—? No. That's all, just that joke. I was talking to this security guard and it was just, just a joke. That's all. Right. No. I never talked to her, no. Yes. She was quite a girl, well liked too. Used to go down across Desert Inn (unintelligible). Used to call those parks Desert Inn, (unintelligible) they call it the Desert Inn. They don't mention Clark anymore. I met Clark. I knew Clark, (unintelligible) a guy. What was Clark's first name? Clark. He was the fella that owned the Desert Inn. The one who Clark County's named after? Is that the same? No. Clark, I mean the Clark Desert Inn nightclubs was named after him, you see. He was operating it too. Used to call it the Clark's Desert Inn Nightclub, you know. He was a pretty good guy. All of those guys are good guys. Okay. That's about all the questions that I wanted to ask you. I'd like to know if you'd be alright like if at a later date, we could have another interview and—? Yes. For sure. Anytime. Anytime. (Unintelligible). Some Sunday, you know. Mm-hmm. If you've got lots of time. What did you? (Tape one ends)