Transcript of interview with Marianne Carpenter by James D. Campbell, March 02, 1977

UNLV University Libraries Marianne Carpenter i An Interview with Marianne Carpenter An Oral History Conducted by James D. Campbell Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas Special Collections Oral History Research Center University Libraries University of Nevada, Las Vegas UNLV University Libraries Marianne Carpenter ii © Ralph Roske Oral Histroy Project on Early Las Vegas University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 2017 UNLV University Libraries Marianne Carpenter 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 Marianne Carpenter iv Abstract James D. Campbell interviews Las Vegas native, Marianne Carpenter (born in 1929) at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) office, located at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. During the interview Marianne recalls the crash of Carol Lombard’s plane, the early above ground atomic tests, pollution and other social and environmental occurrences that have taken place in Las Vegas. Marianne also discusses the Helldorado Parade, the Downtown area and the Mesquite Club. Lastly, she offers an overview of her experience working for Nellis Air Force Base and her current job at the EPA. UNLV University Libraries Marianne Carpenter 1 This is Marianne Carpenter being interviewed by Jim Campbell on the EPA building on the campus of the University of Nevada at Las Vegas. Okay, it’s nine o’clock on, wait a second, March 2nd, 1977. Okay, you were born in Southern Nevada, is that right? Yes. I was born right here in Las Vegas, Nevada. Okay. And your family comes from Southern Nevada? Yes. My great-grandparents were original settlers of Las Vegas. My great-grandmother’s name is Helen J. Stewart. Okay. Okay. You said that she was one of the original settlers, could you perhaps expand on that? Okay, Jim, let’s see, from what my family has told me, my father, my mother, my great-grandmother and grandfather purchased the original water rights in to Las Vegas in, oh, I can’t remember exactly the date. They sold it to the railroad in 1905. The original water rights were sold to the railroad by my great-grandmother in 1905. And what comes to mind about my great-grandmother and the articles I’ve read and the things that my parents have told me, is that, she was a very cultured woman. And she was educated and some of the things that have been told to me and things that have been actually printed in the local newspapers about my great-grandmother—she was the individual who suggested the name for the Mesquite Club, to name the Mesquite Club. Our local club, the Mesquite Club. And she was one of the first female jurors in Las Vegas. And she, I know that like in the early days here, there were many very prominent people who stopped through Las Vegas, to see her. Course there was nothing here except just two ranches in those days. And she was widely recognized when she did die, it was one of the largest funerals ever held in Las Vegas. There were people from all over the state who came here. And she, some of the other things now that are coming to my mind, my great-grandmother UNLV University Libraries Marianne Carpenter 2 had one of the largest collections of Indian baskets in the United States at one time. They were considered one of the finest collections of Indian baskets in the United States. And she sold those, oh, I think, I can’t remember exactly the year, but some of them were sold to the Harvey House in Albuquerque, New Mexico. And I don’t know exactly where they are today. But, let’s see, my great-grandmother donated the ground for the Indian village in Las Vegas and the graveyard. And she, the Helen J. Stewart School is named after her, of course. And, but I’m very proud of her, I think I have very fine history there. Okay. You mentioned that some prominent people came to see her. Well, what it was—was, you know like I said, all this was just ranches, two ranches here. The Stewart Ranch and the Kyle Ranch. And the way I understand it, like say, the governors and you know, prominent people in the state of Nevada, would stop through here. And, although, like, I know the, it wasn’t like their place was so fine or anything, it was just that, it, that was about all that was here. But she was a very gracious hostess, and was very, you know, well known, and recognized in the State of Nevada. Okay. After you. Mm-hm. I take it you were educated in Southern Nevada? Yes. I was raised in, educated in the local schools and graduated from the Las Vegas High School in 1947. Okay. And how long have you worked for the Environmental Protection Agency? Oh, I’ve been with EPA now almost sixteen years. But now, EPA, you know, used to be the U.S. Public Health Service, so actually, with EPA it’s only been EPA for, I think it’s about five years now. But I’ve been right here on the campus in these facilities for sixteen years. UNLV University Libraries Marianne Carpenter 3 Okay. Have you noticed any more changes and environmental changes in the last sixteen years? Oh, I think that we all are noticing, you know, pollution. Yes. You know, it’s just you can, a lot of times in the mornings, you know, you can look out and it’s, there’s just a haze over the mountains, which no one likes. And I hope that we can keep under control. Okay. Okay. Have you noticed any economic or social changes, tie in with the gambling, maybe? Mm. You know, when you’re raised, let’s see, how can I put this? Oh, well, of course, things have just really grown. When I was growing up here and going to school when I was young, everything was just concentrated, you know, right in the Downtown Las Vegas area. In fact, like I was born and raised, my grandmother owned houses about a block from Fremont Street, the Downtown Las Vegas area. And I was raised right in that area. And they were, you know, it was so small in those days that you didn’t have like the Strip hotels and things like that. You know, I mean the big, the development on the Strip, so I’ve seen many, many changes in Las Vegas, as in the 1940s is when they first started to build the first hotels on the Strip. The Old El Rancho Vegas and of course then, you know, you could just see it developing, expanding and gambling growing. And I know that the gambling industry’s growing. And, I believe now they feel that, you know, that Las Vegas could survive on the gambling industry now. Okay. Is gambling an important recreational activity for you? UNLV University Libraries Marianne Carpenter 4 It is not. It’s strange. My husband likes it. He’s not from Las Vegas. He’s from upstate New York. But he gambles. But, I think it’s because I was exposed to it all my life. And it’s just like, you know, I just don’t pay attention to it, I guess. But it is not for me. Yes. ‘Cause people at times have said, you know the natives aren’t, ‘cause people from Nevada aren’t that interested in gambling. No. They’re really not. You know, it’s not novel or—I really, in fact, I never gamble, actually. Not that I have anything against it, in fact, I think it’s great. Let everybody gamble. But I don’t, I just don’t participate, myself. Okay. Okay, where do you currently live, now? I live close to the Downtown Las Vegas area next to, what they call, the old Cashman Field that used to be used years ago for all the local rodeos and the local celebration here, which is called Helldorado, every year. It’s coming up in May, so you’ll be here for that, Jim. Mm-hm. (Laughs) Okay. And you’ve always lived in that general area? No. I haven’t. I’ve lived just, I guess I’ve lived in several different areas in Las Vegas. But it seems like close to the Downtown area most of my life. I did live, well, I should take that back, I did live in what we call the Twin Lakes area for about eight years until we bought the property we have right now. Okay. Were you married in Las Vegas? Yes. Well, no, I take that back. I was married in Martinez, California. And that was just before my husband went overseas for the Korean War. Okay. Are you active in politics, in any way? UNLV University Libraries Marianne Carpenter 5 No. I’m really not. But I think the thing that—I think the thing I like about Las Vegans is that they really think for themselves. They, you know, it seems like here, that they vote for the individual, they vote for the man or the woman or whatever. They don’t, you know, although it’s a very strong Democratic county. But it does seem like that people just vote for the individual in Las Vegas. Okay. Well, do you remember any important visits of presidents or any important events that have happened since you’ve married—since you’ve been here? The only thing, Jim, that—I don’t personally remember, well, no, I take that back, I remember that when the dam was being built President Roosevelt came through here. Now that was really, I can’t remember exactly. I was born in ’29 and I don’t remember, it might have been before that time. But I remember my parents talking about President Roosevelt coming through Las Vegas, when they were building the dam. Now, for myself, I, the only thing that I can recall is like when Nixon was here. And he spoke in the Convention Center. And my husband and I did go to listen to him. Drumming up votes, I suppose. Yes. Right. Uh-huh. He was helping out one of the local state candidates here in the state of Nevada, Las Vegas. Okay. There’s an example here of the 1942 crash of Carole Lombard’s plane. Mm-hm. Mm-hm. I remember a little bit about that. Is, again, I was thinking, well, what I remember is that Clark Gable stayed at the old El Rancho Vegas. And I had an aunt that worked there at the time. And so, you know, I can— You snuck in. UNLV University Libraries Marianne Carpenter 6 Yes. Right. (Laughs) And they were all very excited about Clark Gable. But I do remember that they said that he was a very kind, very gracious man—very nice person. Okay. Are you—does church play an important part of your—? It really doesn’t, Jim. It’s not a prominent part of my life. You mentioned before that your grandmother, great-grandmother was not a Mormon? Yes. She was not. No. They were not, she was not LDS. Although, you know, so many people, there are LDS Stewarts in Las Vegas and then my family. Now my family were Protestants, Presbyterian. In fact, my great-grandfather was Scotch-Presbyterian. ‘Kay, moving along. Do you have any memory of the early above ground atomic tests? Yes. I really do. I worked, when I first got out of, graduated from high school, oh, about, maybe, two or three years afterwards, well, in the ‘50s. I worked at Nellis Air Force Base and I could remember that what we would do is—I worked in a big, they called it the “Black Hangar” at Nellis. And so, what we would do is, that when they would have tests, we would climb up a ladder and get up on top of this building and all the employees out there would get up and you could see the mushroom clouds from a distance. Wow. But not the explosion? Just— No. no, you couldn’t—uh-uh. There were, they used to let the, I believe, they would let the press in to, you know, to observe these. In fact, I’m sure they did in those days. But you could actually see the mushroom clouds from Las Vegas. You could see the clouds going up in the distance. I don’t know if they liked that idea. (Laughs) well, now with EPA around they would never let you do that. (Laughs) Hm. Oh, I heard on the news the other that EPA was thinking of moving out. UNLV University Libraries Marianne Carpenter 7 Of Las Vegas? Well, we’ve been sort of in a controversial situation for a while where they were actually considering closing the laboratory. But from what I understand now, that’s all been resolved. And so, we very definitely will stay open and I think we have an important role— And you won’t be out of a job. (Laughs) Right. I won’t be out of a job. (Laughs) And I think we have an important role to play for the community. So. Okay. You mentioned the Mesquite Club before, are you active in that? No. I’m not. Okay. Any social interests along that line? No. On a professional side, from, I have responsibility for security here at the laboratory and I belong to the American Society for Industrial Security. And let’s see, that’s about the only club that I belong to. Well, you’ve given more or less an occupational history of yourself. You’ve worked at Nellis— Mm-hm. That’s true. Mm-hm. And I worked for a short period of time, I work primarily for the government, federal government. And I have about twenty-four years with the federal government and I started at Nellis and about the only time—I did work for the president of one of the local banks for about two years and then I decided that I would, you know, return to federal service. So, most of my career has been with the federal government. Okay. I think that’s about all that I can say. Would you be willing to have somebody else interview you? Well— No? (Laughs) UNLV University Libraries Marianne Carpenter 8 (Laughs) Not necessarily. But—(Laughs) Okay. Well, that wraps it up then, I guess.