Ruins of an old wagon in Eldorado Canyon, Nevada.

A view of a freight team in the desert between Eldorado Canyon and Las Vegas in southern Nevada.

Ruins of stamp mill of the Southwest Mining Company overlooking the Colorado River at Eldorado Canyon.

The memories and recollections of Gail and Donna Hanley Andress provide a rare and fascinating look at the early days of Las Vegas. They arrived in the early 1930s and, except for relocations due to military service in World War Two, remained active citizens of the town until retiring to Nelson, Nevada, in 1987. Gail's careers spanned a number of occupations, from car dealerships to construction work, and Donna volunteered to serve in a number of community organizations, principally the Service League, the forerunner of the Junior League of Las Vegas. They insist that Nelson is not far from Las Vegas and have remained interested and supportive of many projects in both communities.