Ruth Jane Kiley was born in Newark, New Jersey, and lived in California and New York before her
family moved to Las Vegas in 1957, when Ruth was thirteen. Ruth worked in the insurance business for almost thirty years, dealing with casinos during the most expansive period of the city's growth.
A postcard showing buildings on Fremont Street with a handwritten letter on back which reads: "Dear Grandmother, Does this photo look familiar to you? You will see I have marked our place of business with a cross. Business has been very good with us lately and I have not had much time to write. I love to write so well you know. Floyd is still working and doing fine. We had a bad fire in Vegas about a week ago. Dobson Bros. grocery store went up in smoke. Tell Grandad hello for me and tell [Maude?] to drop me a line. Earl." The second photograph shows The People's Store and has "1st State Bank" written on its back side.
On November 1, 1979, Robert Maichle interviewed Marshall Mack Dawson (born 1938 in Las Vegas, Nevada) about his experiences living in Las Vegas. Dawson first talks about his early education, his family, and the Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort. He then describes the changes he has noticed over time, the atomic testing, the Helldorado parades, Red Rock, the development of the Strip, and the changes in the Downtown area. Dawson also discusses some of his work for Nevada Power, the early movie theaters, his opinions on journalism, and various other topics.