Interviewed by Monserrath Hernández and Laurents Bañuelos-Benitez. Eric Calvillo was born into a Mexican American household in San Jose, California in 1980. As he recalls, it was there that his fixation with the colors and recurring themes of his family's Mexican roots told hold of his imagination. Today, this is core to his growing art career. Art has not been his sole ambition. Before moving to Las Vegas in 2005, Calvillo attended a San Francisco culinary school. He relocated to Las Vegas to complete his culinary internship at the prestigious Picasso restaurant at the Bellagio. Eventually, he began to pursue a professional art career as a painter of Día de los Muertos motifs and beautifully portray the Mexican tradition of celebrating the lives of the deceased. Through his use of acrylics and oil on canvas, Calvillo conveys the emotion of his culture and then, being a skilled carpenter, crafts his own frames.
On March 18, 1976, collector David Steele Broussard interviewed Relda Whitney Leavitt (born April 3rd, 1917 in Saint Thomas, Nevada) at her home in Las Vegas, Nevada. In this interview, Mrs. Leavitt discusses growing up in Saint Thomas, Nevada before her family moved to Las Vegas. She also discusses moving to Las Vegas, Nevada and her family’s dairy business in Whitney, Nevada. She speaks about the different changes and growth she has seen in Las Vegas over the years.
Margaret "Peggy" Casey was born in Louisville, Kentucky where her father was the city editor of the local newspaper. She grew up amidst all the excitement of the Kentucky Derby, which she recalls in the interview. Peggy attended college at the University of Wisconsin during World War II. She describes the atmosphere and what it was like during her years in college. After graduating, she worked for an aeronautical company, Curtiss-Wright, where she helped build planes for the war. By 1952 Peggy was married to Walt Casey, whom she met through her sister, and they had moved to Las Vegas. In the interview, Peggy discusses what the environment was like in Las Vegas for a woman raising children. She describes what grocery shopping was available, and how she sewed most of her children's clothing. Peggy's children got involved in different activities. Mike had asthma, and he started swimming at the Paradise Park pool, which was built around 1960. The aerobic effects of competitive swimming developed his lungs. Steve was into horses and actually delivered newspapers on his horse. Her daughter loved horses also, and owns them to this day. In 1959, Peggy joined the Mesquite Club, which is the oldest federated women's club in Las Vegas. The club planted trees, started the public library, and was involved in many worthy causes. She also became a Master Gardner and has helped in many gardening projects around the valley. Peggy gives a great account of her life in Las Vegas, and that of her family and friends. At the end of the interview Peggy gives her thoughts on Las Vegas today, comparing them to her memories of Vegas back in the 1950's and 1960's.