From the Roosevelt Fitzgerald Professional Papers (MS-01082) -- Drafts for the Las Vegas Sentinel Voice file. The author's memories of Natchez, Mississippi Christmas decades past.
On February 18, 1951, Fred Wilson interviewed Mary Ellen Osborn Lake (born 1870 in Mercer County, Missouri) and her son, Thomas Lake (born 1889 in Missouri). Wilson first asked Mary Ellen questions about when she first arrived in Las Vegas, Nevada in 1904. Much of the relatively brief interview involved questions related to the first Methodist churches in Las Vegas and the Lakes’ involvement and recollections of the locations and members of the church community.
The Outpost Motel sign sits at 1104 North Boulder Highway. Information about the sign is available in the Southern Nevada Neon Survey Data Sheet. Site name: Outpost Motel (Las Vegas, Nev.) Site address: 1104 N Boulder Hwy Sign owner: Vegas Outpost Motel LLC Sign details: The Outpost motel was built all the way back in 1937 and still resides out in Henderson along Boulder Highway. The current sign was installed around the 1950's. Sign condition: 5, the sign is in excellent condition. Sign form: Pole Sign-specific description: This pole sign has a zig-zag like design on the top of it. Underneath that is the word "OUTPOST" in bold white letters against a forest green background. "MOTEL" is painted under that in bold white letters as well. "VACANCY" is painted under the "OTEL." Outlined in neon is "NO," which is difficult to see if it's not lit up. Each of these words is outlined with neon as well so you can see them at night when the sign would be lit up. The lower half of the sign is a back lit reader board. On the outer edge of the sign is a large, yellow arrow that extends from the top of the sign above the "O" in "OUTPOST" and points to the reader board. This is also covered in incandescent light bulbs. Sign - type of display: Neon, incandescent, backlit reader board Sign - media: Steel and plastic Sign - non-neon treatments: Reader board Sign animation: From photos, it looks as though the sign has some sort of animation to it in the yellow arrow on the outer edge. The incandescent light bulbs look as though they twinkled, but it is difficult to tell exactly how or in what direction. Sign environment: This property sits way out in Henderson along Boulder Highway. It is down the street from Sam Boyd Stadium, Clark County Wetlands Park, and the Henderson Bird viewing Preserve. The properties that sit immediately next to the motel are a few small casinos and a random assortment of businesses. Sign - date of installation: Possibly the 1950's Sign - date of redesign/move: Photos from 2014 show that the sign was in a rough condition at one point, but in 2015 it received a fresh coat of paint. Sign - thematic influences: The design for this sign is similar to many of the small motel throughout the city from the 1950's/60's era. They usually have one major element that makes them striking when viewed from the street view, for this sign it would be the big, yellow arrow. It is also a pole sign and many of the motels from this time period use this style of sign. Survey - research locations: Roadside architecture http://www.roadarch.com/signs/nv2.html , Classic Las Vegas website ghhhttp://classiclasvegas.squarespace.com/classic-las-vegas-photo-galler/classic-las-vegas-signs/900788 , Asessor's Page http://www.clarkcountynv.gov/assessor/Pages/searchbybusinessname.aspx , Flickr website for photos https://www.flickr.com/photos/roadsidepictures/294981090 Survey - research notes: There are not many sources discussing the history of this property. Surveyor: Lauren Vaccaro Survey - date completed: 2017-08-28 Sign keywords: Neon; Incandescent; Backlit; Steel; Plastic; Reader board; Pole sign; Directional