Abstract
The James Cashman Sr. Papers date from approximately 1890 to 1969 and contain correspondence, photographs, insurance records, and bank records related to Cashman and his businesses in Southern Nevada. The collection documents the lives of the Cashman family and their businesses in southern Nevada.
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Scope and Contents Note
The James Cashman Sr. Papers date from approximately 1890 to 1969 and contain correspondence, photographs, insurance records, and bank records related to Cashman and his businesses in Southern Nevada. The collection documents the lives of the Cashman family and their businesses in Southern Nevada. The materials also include records from the Cashman garages and automobile dealerships in Searchlight and Las Vegas, Nevada, organizational notes from the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and Las Vegas Rotary Club, and Cashman and Barker family photographs.
Access Note
Collection is open for research.
Publication Rights
Materials in this collection may be protected by copyrights and other rights. See Reproductions and Use on the UNLV Special Collections and Archives website for more information about reproductions and permissions to publish.
Arrangement
Material remains in original order.
Biographical / Historical Note
James "Big Jim" Cashman was born to Benjamin Franklin Cashman and Ella Mary Stovall in Ladue, Missouri on December 16, 1884. Cashman moved to Searchlight, Nevada in 1904 and began working a variety of jobs until he opened an automobile garage in approximately 1910. Cashman later sold automobiles and operated in Searchlight until the mining boom halted around 1920. As a result, Cashman decided to move his business to the growing city of Las Vegas, Nevada. Cashman met his future wife, Leah Barker, in Las Vegas and they married in 1923.
In 1920 the voters of Clark County, Nevada elected Cashman to the position of county commissioner. During his time in office, Cashman operated a ferry service across the Colorado River, until the beginning of the Hoover Dam project. In 1931 Cashman sold six Caterpillar Inc. diesel tractors to Six Companies Inc., which made him as an official partner for the Hoover Dam project. After his time in office, Cashman continued to operate his automobile dealership until his retirement in 1955.
Cashman was active in Las Vegas organizations such as the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and the Las Vegas Rotary Club. Cashman died from a heart condition in 1962. Clark County named James Cashman Middle School in honor of Cashman and his contributions to the city of Las Vegas, and the Cashman family was inducted into the Nevada Business Hall of Fame in 2007.
Sources:
"Big Jim Cashman." Cashman Equipment. Accessed December 31, 2019. https://www.cashmanequipment.com/about/cashman-history/big-jim
"Commissioner James Cashman." Clark County Nevada. Accessed December 31, 2019. http://www.clarkcountynv.gov/parks/Documents/centennial/commissioners/commissioner-j-cashman.pdf
Fechita, Bogdan. ""Big" Jim Cashman, Everything Started with 10¢." Casino Inside (Romania). Accessed December 31, 2019. https://www.casinoinside.ro/%E2%80%9Ebig-jim-cashman-totul-a-inceput-cu-10%C2%A2/?lang=en
Genealogy files about "James Cashman." Accessed December 31, 2019. Accessed from Ancestry.com and FindaGrave.com.
Preferred Citation
James Cashman Sr. Papers, approximately 1890-1969. MS-00144. Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada.
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Acquisition Note
Materials were donated in 1983 by Tona Cashman Siefert and James Cashman Jr.; accession numbers 1983-059 and T-041.
Processing Note
Materials were processed by Special Collections Staff. In 2015, as part of a legacy finding aid conversion project, Hana Gutierrez created the collection description and brought it into compliance with current professional standards and entered the data into ArchivesSpace. In 2019, as part of a backlog elimination project, Ryan DiPaolo updated the finding aid and brought it into compliance with current professional standards.
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Separated Materials
Some of the photographs in this acquisition were removed from the collection and placed in
James Cashman Sr. Photograph Collection, approximately 1900-1960. PH-00013. Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada.