On February 27, 1979, collector Greg Abbott interviewed Hildred Meidell (b. March 17, 1900 in Webb City, Missouri) about her time living in Las Vegas, Nevada. Meidell covers a range of topics, from her and her husband’s time as tourists in the city and their subsequent retirement to Las Vegas from Los Angeles, California. Meidell describes the Las Vegas Strip, the interstate and highway conditions between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, as well as their numerous visits to Hoover Dam (Boulder Dam). Moreover, she speaks about the changing layout of the city, the increase in shopping centers and department stores, and the clothing stores inside of hotels. Lastly, Meidell talks about the prominence of churches in local communities, the atomic testing program and the structural damages these tests caused in her neighborhood, and the influence of the railroad and passenger train on the town.
An image of Nevada Way, a street in Boulder City. Cars are parked outside of various stores lining the street, such as a photography shop, a cafe and gas stations. A white sign attached to a lamppost directs visitors to Hoover Dam. Note: Boulder Dam was officially renamed Hoover Dam in 1947.
Oral history interview with Minnie Logsdon conducted by Eugene George on March 08, 1977 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Logsdon talks about the early history of Las Vegas, Nevada. She specifically talks about the railroad towns, and the construction of the Boulder (Hoover) Dam.