Barry W. Becker's father was a land developer and real estate broker in the Los Angeles area. Howard Hughes told him to purchase all the land he could in the West Charleston area of Las Vegas, so his father started Becker Enterprises, Incorporated in southern Nevada, and Barry and his family moved here in 1971. Becker Enterprises developed 2,500 to 3,000 acres in the West Charleston area and built Arizona Charlie's Hotel Casino. Barry came to Las Vegas in his mid-twenties and worked on underground work and other projects for Becker Enterprises. After he married, Barry and his wife Sue moved to the West Charleston area. They lived in the Charleston Heights area and eventually moved to Rancho Bel Air.
Oral history interview with Bernard Lee Brown conducted by Marcus Brown for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Brown discusses his work at various gaming properties on the Las Vegas Strip and in Downtown Las Vegas, Nevada, owning his own shoe business, working at the Nevada Test Site, racial discrimination, and the role of unions. He also discusses the overall changes of Las Vegas over time.
Kenneth Fong reflects on growing up in Las Vegas and being the son of two successful and philanthropic community members, Wing and Lilly Fong. When Ken was born the family live in a modest home on 20th and Stewart. It was a close-knit neighborhood and era, kids played tag and roamed freely. When he entered third-grade, his parents moved their family to a newer subdivision near Rancho and West Charleston Avenue: the Scotch 80s. Their new custom home on Silver Avenue reflected Asian architecture and the family’s Chinese cultural heritage; it also included a pool and a small basketball court. Memories of the neighborhoods are distinct. He learned to be comfortable with his sister and he being the only Asian Americans in school at the time. He kept busy with community volunteering at Sunrise Hospital and tutoring younger children on the Westside among other high school activities. Ken speaks lovingly of his parents and their achievements, family outings to local venues such as Mount Charleston and Red Rock and to California, where they bought Chinese baked goods. His mother, Lilly was born into a large Chinese American family of ten children, each of whom achieved a college education. After her marriage to Wing, she moved to Las Vegas with plans to work as a teacher. Ken retells the story of her encounter with discrimination and overcoming that, and her trajectory to be the first Asian American elected the Nevada Board of Regents. His orphaned father, Wing, immigrated to the United Sates in 1939 to live with uncles. They worked as cooks in Las Vegas and established the first Las Vegas Chinese restaurant, Silver Café. Wing was merely thirteen years old and spoke no English. These were not to be obstacles. He would go on to graduate from Las Vegas High School, earn a college degree in business, have a successful career in commercial real estate and banking, building the notable Fong’s Garden. Ken calls his father his most influential mentor. Today Ken is also a successful in real estate management, active at Grace Presbyterian Church, involved in Rotary Club, and a proud father of two daughters.
Robert Aalberts grew up in a small town called Bemidji, Minnesota. He enjoyed all kinds of outdoors sports in winter and summer. He attended school there from kindergarten through his bachelor's degree.
Robert obtained his master's at the University of Missouri, and then taught geography at the University of New Orleans. After 4 years there, he decided to attend law school at Loyola University, and received his law degree in 1982.
Arthur George Grant, a resident of Las Vegas, Nevada since 1951, was involved in gaming businesses and real estate. Grant was part owner of the Nevada Club, established Honest John’s Casino, and was owner of Western Avenue Business Properties.
Robert Lee Farnsworth was born July 3, 1909 in Chicago, Illinois. He lived in Las Vegas, Nevada for forty-three years where he worked as a real estate appraiser. He was the founder and president of United States Rocket Society, president of Tannisee Uranium Mining Co., and involved with the Masons and Shriners organizations. He passed away August 3, 1989.
Source:
"Robert Farnsworth," Las Vegas Review-Journal, August 13, 1998: page 18.
The Book Appraisals Series contains detailed appraisals dating from 1959 to 1973. It contains appraisals of primarily commercial properties. Many of the appraisals include photographs.
Archival Collection
Elmo C. Bruner Architectural and Real Estate Appraisal Records
To request this item in person:
Collection Number: MS-00177 Collection Name: Elmo C. Bruner Architectural and Real Estate Appraisal Records Box/Folder: N/A