The Culinary Workers Union Local 226 Las Vegas, Nevada Photographs document various activities of the Culinary Union, from the 1950s to 2006, with the bulk of the material documenting the 1990s. Prominently featured in the collection are various strikes, pickets, marches, parades, rallies, and demonstrations from the late 1980s to early 2000s. A large portion of these photographs documents the Frontier Strike of the 1990s. Also included are photographs of press conferences, political rallies, internal committee meetings, Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees (H.E.R.E.) conventions, and various social events. Materials contain photographic prints, photographic negatives, and a small number of slides.
On February 10, 1977, Frederick Dougan interviewed Russell Grater (born 1907 in Lebanon, Indiana) about his career in the U.S. National Park Service. Grater first talks about his move to the Southern Nevada area and his work that impacted the Hoover Dam project. He then talks about the town of St. Thomas, Nevada, the Lost City, and the activities of tourists. Grater also talks about his work in excavation, the indigenous American Indian tribes of the area, findings on petroglyphs, and the types of wildlife that were found in the area. He later talks about findings related to fossils, gold mining, the effects of World War II on the dam project, and vegetation in the area.
On March 27, 1977, collector Jeff Crampton interviewed accountant, Ruth E. Hazard (born June 25th, 1907 in Marshall, Michigan) in Las Vegas, Nevada. The interview takes place at the collector’s home and offers an overview of life in early Las Vegas from 1931 to 1977. The interview concludes with a discussion on local atomic testing.
Wells drilled previously were not sufficient to solve area water problems. Wittwer recommended consulting with the United States Geological Survey and State Engineer before any more wells were drilled. Report signed by John H. Wittwer as County Extension Agent. Project Number: State Office No. 282, Clark Co. No. 22. Name of Project: Domestic water supply for Bunkerville & Mesquite.
The Maria LaCavera Papers (1947-2017) contain the papers of professional dancer Maria LaCavera. The collection documents the career of LaCavera dancing in Las Vegas, Nevada at the Flamingo Hotel in 1947, and the Last Frontier Hotel in 1949 as one of the Ramona Girls dancing in the Danny O'Neil Varieties Act. Materials include photographs of LaCavera and other Ramona Girls, newspaper clippings, correspondence, LaCavera's American Guild of Variety Artists (AGVA) employment contracts, Fabulous Las Vegas magazines, and hotel receipts. Other items of note include photographs of the 1949 Helldorado parade, a Frontier Hotel Ramona Room menu, and Frontier Hotel ephemera. There is also a copy of a self-published biography of LaCavera, written by her daughter-in-law Kristin Meyer entitled From Bon-Air to the Last Frontier. The collection also contains the digital images used to illustrate the book.