Oral history interview with Delon Potter conducted by Eleanor Christoffersen on February 3, 1972 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this brief interview, Potter, a Mesquite, Nevada native, talks about his birth in 1909 and his move to Las Vegas in 1933. He describes the early town and some of the more notable inhabitants including "Pop" Squires, working at the Winterwood Ranch at the base of Sunrise Mountain, as a sheep herder near Kaolin, Nevada, and later as a construction worker at the Hoover Dam. After the war, Potter explains that he tried running his own ranch in Utah before moving back to Henderson, Nevada, working for U. S. Lime and trading horses throughout Nevada, Utah, and Arizona.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Eddie Buxton conducted by Bernard D. Vardiman on March 30, 1976 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Buxton describes the significance of some of his ancestors, including Ernest May, who was the first law enforcement officer in Las Vegas, Nevada killed in the line of duty in 1933. Buxton also recalls the development of both Las Vegas and North Las Vegas, going to school in the city, and his father’s work on Hoover Dam.
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Oral history interview with Myron E. Leavitt Sr. conducted by Monique E. Kimball on September 28, 1975, October 26, 1975, and December 04, 1975 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Leavitt discusses growing up in Bunkerville, Nevada in 1895. He also describes working as a freight driver in the early 1900s. Leavitt later describes Las Vegas, Nevada in the 1920s and shares his reaction upon arrival.
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Oral history interview with Vernon G. Stockall conducted by Stephanie Aylward on February 11, 1979 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Stockall discusses arriving to Pioche, Nevada in 1935 as a miner. Stockall then describes the early aboveground atomic tests that were done at the Nevada Test Site. Stockall later shares his thoughts on the growth of gaming in Las Vegas, Nevada. Stockall also recalls the growth of Boulder City, Nevada and the construction of Boulder (Hoover) Dam.
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Oral history interview with Mirtha Rojas conducted by Marcela Rodriguez-Campo on December 6, 2018 the Latinx Voices of Southern Nevada Oral History Project. Mirtha talks about her artistic upbringing in Cuba and how she immigrated to the Florida with her brother. She talks about relocating to Las Vegas in 2000, her membership with the Culinary Workers Union Local 226, and her employment as a guest room attendant and shop steward at the Aria Hotel and Casino.
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Oral history interview with Dr. John S. Wright conducted by Katie Lockhart on February 26, 1977 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Wright discusses moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1956. He describes the origins of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas including its relationship with the University of Nevada, Reno regarding funding. Wright also describes the culture and development of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas such as its organizations and programs.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Mary M. Gafford conducted by Claytee D. White on September 24, 2021 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project.
Mary Gafford discusses her 30 year teaching career for the Clark County School District (CCSD) and her community service projects working with organizations such as the American Association of University Women (AAUW), the Mayflower Society, the Nevada Statehood Sesquicentennial, and the Nevada Women's History Project.
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Oral history interview with Lee White conducted by Claytee D. White on May 18, 2021 for African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. Lee White played professional football for the New York Jets, Los Angeles Rams, and San Diego Chargers. A promising career as a first round draft pick resulted in an injury in his first professional game. He retired from football at the age of 28 and moved back to Las Vegas where he had grown up on the Westside. Lee entered the hotel and casino industry as a dealer, retiring twenty-five years later as a Vice President of Casino Operations. His career in the tourism industry included work at the Sands, MGM, Desert Inn, and the Tropicana.
Subjects discussed include: Westside School, Weber State College, and the Sahara Hotel and Casino
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