On November 30, 1986, collector Patton Alberti interviewed Ruby Canonic Leavitt (born 1907 in Genoa, Nevada) at her home in Reno, Nevada. Mrs. Leavitt discusses her time as a teacher in Verdi, Nevada, as well as other places in Northern Nevada. She also discusses the changes she has seen in teaching and in the towns she has lived in over time.
On March 21, 1978, collector Dennis Luppens interviewed Louise LeClair (born July 28th, 1910 in Mesquite, Nevada) at her home in Las Vegas, Nevada. In this interview, Mrs. LeClair discusses her family history and education in Las Vegas, Nevada. She also discusses healthcare and talks about the flu epidemic of 1918 and how it affected Southern Nevada.
On February 27, 1980, Rafael Reyes-Spindola interviewed Mary Leo (b. Mary Susanne Kaime Leo in 1949 in Santa Barbara, California) about her life growing up in the Las Vegas Valley and her varied career path. Leo, having moved to Las Vegas as a toddler, talks about what the city was like when she arrived, the landscape, schooling and local life in general. She remembers the construction of the University of Las Vegas, Nevada and the growth of the city and population. Through her anecdotes, Leo shares the local attitude towards the Strip that Las Vegans develop as a result of being raised in the city and focuses the beginning half of her interview on life outside of the Strip. The interviewer and Leo move their conversation towards her career path, beginning in a coffee shop at the Riviera Hotel & Casino, her time in the travel industry, as a Las Vegas showgirl in the famed Folies Bergere show, her return to the Riviera as the director of sales and catering, and the legacy she hopes to leave behind with her career.
Jack LeVine offers a narrative as a real estate agent and a gay man who has lived in Las Vegas since he was a young adult in the 1980s. He first started visiting Las Vegas whenever his truck driver routes allowed him to visit his parents who had moved here in 1977. They owned a downtown sandwich and catering business called Your Place or Mine. Then in 1985 Jack and his life-partner, J.J., decided to relocate to Las Vegas. Jack soon launched a real estate career that began with the purchase of a 13-unit apartment complex. Over the years he became knowledgeable about the history of the greater community and the individual neighborhoods; including John S. Park—"the earliest suburb in Las Vegas. Jack and J.J have lived in a 1954 Mid-Century Modern home since the mid-1990s. Jack is a strong believer in re-gentrification and mentions other cities where this has been successful. His philosophy includes an explanation of the sense of community that is derived from those who invest of themselves in that community life John S. Park.
Steven Ligouri is an artist who is a born and raised Nevadan whose artistic creations can be enjoyed at such places as the Hoover Dam, where his famous High Scaler sits comfortably [above left photo]. The stories of this statue and others are included within this interview. Steve began mastering his trade as a youngster making jewelry with assistance of his father, Bruno Ligouri who owned a turquoise shop in Boulder City. Since his birth in 1962, Steve has lived in several locations: a family farm in North Las Vegas, John S. Park neighborhood, in Boulder City, and eventually back to John S. Park. Returning to the John S. Park neighborhood after a 22-year absence gives him the chance to reflect on the changes that have occurred. Steve fondly calls the neighborhood "home" and firmly believes it can reach its potential.
Lytle discusses his birth in Salt Lake City, Utah, his early life in Overton, Nevada, moving around the Southwest United States, and returning to Overton in the early 1930s to work with the Civilian Conservation Corps. Subjects Lytle also talks about in the interview include road and campsite construction at the Valley of Fire State Park, stories about associates and relatives, and being enlisted as a male nurse with the United States Army during World War II. Lastly, Lytle talks about the construction of an exhibit building at Hoover Dam (Boulder Dam) originally used as a headquarters for soldiers during World War II to protect the dam.
On February 23, 1979, collector Sean Powers interviewed Joseph C. Mattingly (born April 21st, 1912 in Texas) at his home in Las Vegas, Nevada. In this interview, Mr. Mattingly discusses working construction on many buildings in the Las Vegas and Henderson areas in Nevada. He also talks about being a member of a motorcycle club and about air conditioning in the early days.
On March 1, 1977, collector Sam C. Melchiome Jr. interviewed Jean McColl (born May 24th, 1931 in California) at her home in Las Vegas, Nevada. In this interview, Jean McColl discusses growing up in Searchlight and then Las Vegas, Nevada. She discusses how her family came here as well as the many changes she has seen through the decades living in Las Vegas, Nevada.
On February 28, 1980, Rodney Goosby interviewed Al McDaniels (b. 1940 in Muskogee, Oklahoma) about his life in Las Vegas and his career as an athletic coach. McDaniels, referred to as Coach by Goosby, speaks primarily about his time as a coach for track and field at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, his community involvement and the city’s recreational activities. Moreover, McDaniels speaks about his education and his current research as he works on a doctoral degree in physical education. Lastly, he talks about the city’s growth and the move from empty desert spaces to housing and shopping center constructions.
On February 26, and 27, 1980, Maylene C. Cabatingan interviewed Evelyn Miller McDonald (born 1905 in Alderson, West Virginia) about her life in Las Vegas, Nevada. Also present during the interview is Maylene’s step-father (name unknown) who occasionally participates in the conversation. At the time of the interview, McDonald had lived in Nevada for over seventy-two years and described early Las Vegas as a small-town railroad community with few amenities. McDonald discusses her occupational history, and how her father started the first car garage in Las Vegas. She goes on to talk about the impact of the Great Depression on Las Vegas and how Hoover Dam’s construction reduced the severity of the financial depression in comparison to other cities. She then recites the hotels that were built and the appeal that Vegas had to tourists and divorcees. McDonald later discusses how prostitution was accepted by the community, and recalls a story about how local businessmen rallied together to ensure that a minister would preach the funeral for a young woman who had died, despite being a prostitute. McDonald concludes her interview with a brief discussion of her goals in life and her pride in her daughters.