Oral history interview with George E. Franklin conducted by Diane Hunsley on March 08, 1975 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Franklin discusses his personal history in Nevada, atomic testing, Howard Hughes, and his law experience.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Harry M. Reid conducted by Nancy Worthen on March 09, 1978 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Reid discusses his personal family history and the history of Searchlight, Nevada. Reid mainly focuses on mining and its relation to Searchlight. Reid also talks about the Nellis family and William Nellis, a fighter pilot. Nellis Air Force Base was renamed in his honor in 1950.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Maureen Preuit conducted by Michael Johnson on March 03, 1979 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Preuit discusses her experiences in Las Vegas, Nevada. She talks about her experience working as a bar owner and bartender, places she resided in Las Vegas, and environmental changes that has happened during the 1960s and 1970s.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with James Stover conducted by Robert Filmer on March 31, 1978 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Stover discusses arriving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1953 to work in construction. Stover then describes his most recent occupation, pest control, and describes the kind of work that goes into pest control. Stover later discusses problems with living in a desert and the difficulties of floods in a desert environment.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Betty Kramer conducted by Kathy Wheat on March 02, 1973 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Kramer talks about the development of Henderson, Nevada and shares the significance of the Basic Magnesium Inc. (BMI) to the Las Vegas, Nevada community. Kramer also talks about the societal change in Las Vegas, Nevada when gambling became legal, and the growth of the city at large.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Jerry Herbst conducted by Stefani Evans on August 16, 2016 for the Building Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Herbst discusses his early life in Chicago, Illinois, and his father’s chain of service stations, Terrible Herbst. He remembers moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1959, taking ownership of his father’s company, and expanding the business to California and Arizona. Herbst recalls a shortage of fuel during the early 1970s, how service station owners dealt with the shortage, and converting service stations to be self-serve. Lastly, Herbst discusses the ideal location for service stations, and adjusting fuel prices.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Jean Bennett conducted by Claytee D. White on July 8, 2008 for the All That Jazz Oral History Project. Bennett discusses how she went to California from Missouri to pursue her dreams of being a singer. She also discusses her career working for Buck Ram, who wrote, produced and arranged for the Platters, the Drifters, and many more singing groups of early rock-and-roll and rhythm-and-blues genres.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Edgar Fountain conducted by Julia Bragg on February 26, 1973 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Fountain discusses his career, the Boulder (Hoover) Dam, and the Democratic Party.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Mildred Bardy conducted by Deborah Grant on March 11, 1981 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In the interview Bardy discusses the famous celebrities who would come to purchase clothing at the specialty clothing department store where she worked, as well as the costumes that were made there for the Helldorado Parade. Bardy also discuss some of the changes in Las Vegas over time, particularly the changes in fashion styles.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Ashley Hall conducted by Claytee D. White on September 2, 2015 and September 22, 2015 for the Building Las Vegas Oral History Project. Hall discusses being the city manager of Las Vegas, Nevada during the early portion of the development of Summerlin, Nevada by the Hughes Corporation. He also discusses his earlier life before politics, pertaining to Nevada Trench Safety.
Archival Collection