In 1943, Cleophis Hill Williams was a teenager visiting her mother who had moved to Las Vegas. For most of her young life she had lived with her parents in Muskogee, Oklahoma and Paul Spur/Douglas, Arizona. The same year that she visited Las Vegas, she met her future husband Tom Williams, with whom she had nine children, all born and raised on the Westside. Tom worked construction and built their first home on G Street. For Cleophis, she focused her life on raising her children and, whenever possible, finding some precious time to read.
Ruby Amie-Pilot moved to Las Vegas in 1952. She worked at the Desert Inn in the kitchen, was the first African American full time sales person at Sears; she also worked as a window dresser with Hazel Gay, and later owned travel agency with Esther Langston. In the interview, Ruby discusses moving to the Westside, Jackson street and housing developments, education, and her experiences with local leaders.
Strutt Hurley Collection on the Southern Nevada Association of Pride, Inc. (SNAPI) and Las Vegas Gay Pride
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Collection Number: MS-00466 Collection Name: Strutt Hurley Collection on the Southern Nevada Association of Pride, Inc. (SNAPI) and Las Vegas Gay Pride Box/Folder: Oversized Box SH-077
Alfred Parkinson and Fred Schoonmaker were a couple who moved to a ghost town in Rhyolite, Nevada and attempted to create a gay residential area called Stonewall Park.
Lera, Bridget. “Queer Cities and Their Temporary Monuments.” Nevada Humanities. Nevada Humanities, September 10, 2020. https://www.nevadahumanities.org/blog/2020/9/9/queer-cities-and-their-temporary-monuments.