Fourth-generation Nevadan, Las Vegas native, and great grandson of Mormon pioneer Edward Bunker, Richard W. Bunker knows Southern Nevada as few others do. For example, when Richard Bunker speaks of water, he talks about his father's family leaving their home after the completion of Hoover Dam because their little town of St. Thomas was submerged in the rising waters of Lake Mead; he recalls swimming at the Old Ranch pool, the Springs, and the Mermaid pool; he shares stories of hiring Pat Mulroy, mentoring her, and encouraging her to apply to lead the Las Vegas Valley Water District; he mentions the Dunes and its two fresh-water wells, the Sanitation District and wastewater treatment. Few others have actively shaped Southern Nevada as Richard Bunker has through his lengthy career as a lobbyist (1973–2000); assistant manager for City of Las Vegas (1973–77); Clark County Manager (1977–79); member and Chair of the Nevada Gaming Control Board (1980–1982); executive director (1988-1990) and
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Born in 1936, architect Joel Bergman spent his childhood in Venice, California, the son of Edythe Klein and Harry Bergman, a baker who later turned to dealing in scrap metal. The award-winning designer of such Las Vegas projects as the International Hotel, the MGM Grand Hotel (later Bally's), additions to the Riviera Hotel and the Golden Nugget downtown, the Mirage, Treasure Island, Paris Casino Resort, Caesars Palace, Trump International Hotel and Tower, the Signature at MGM Grand, Rhumbar, Gilley's at Treasure Island, and the Tropicana Hotel and Casino first arrived in Las Vegas in 1968 to work on the International Hotel. In this interview, Bergman discusses his architectural career, which began with his graduation in architecture from the University of Southern California; he also discusses his work with Martin Stern, his sixteen years with Steve Wynn, and the formation of his own architectural firm, Bergman Walls and Associates. Throughout, he pays tribute to the three mentors who had the greatest influence on his work—USC architecture professor Carleton Winslow, architect Berton Severson, and client Steve Wynn—and the ways they visualized people moving through space. He acknowledges other professionals whose work he admired and talks about his wives Marlene Federman, Terrie Colston, Maria Nicolini, and Valentina Bogdanova as well as his children and stepchildren. Joel David Bergman passed away August 24, 2016, three weeks after he gave this interview.
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From the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas; OH-00944. On April 4, 1976, Gordon Brusso interviewed Floyd L. Jenne (born 1915). The interview discussed Boulder City McGill, as well as Nevada history.
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On February 19, 1979, Raymond Haft interviewed his friend, J. W. Campbell (born June 13, 1918 in Pioche, Nevada). This interview covers the history of Nevada, including Mr. Campbell’s personal history and the growth of Nevada, overall. Mr. Campbell discusses the Stewart Ranch, the Mormon Fort, swimming pools in Las Vegas, and the above ground atomic tests. He also recalls the crash of Carole Lombard’s plane and the building of the Basic Magnesium Plant in Henderson. Mr. Campbell calls Las Vegas a “One industry town,” stating that gambling (and tourism) are the main and major factors in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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The Trader Bills gift shop-turned-motorcycle shop sits at 328 Fremont Street inside the Fremont Street Experience. Information about the sign is available in the Southern Nevada Neon Survey Sheet.
Site address: 328 Fremont St
Sign owner: Marshall Family, LP
Sign details: The current building was constructed in 1943 (Assessor). Trader Bill's was a Western style leather and gift shop (RoadsideArch.com). The business has been located downtown at least since the 1930's or 1940's (UNLV digital photo collection) but possibly longer (Shemeligian, 1997). The store moved to its present location by the 1950's (RoadsideArch.com). It later became the Jewelry Outpost and Las Vegas Harley-Davidson (Shemeligian).
Sign condition: Condition 3-4. Cabinet and lights are in good condition. The paint on the street side of the sign is extremely faded.
Sign form: Blade
Sign-specific description: The metal cabinet is shaped like an upside down "L" which points toward the building. The cabinet is painted red. On the side of the sign facing Las Vegas Boulevard the paint has faded almost completely to reveal the earlier blue paint. An arrow-shaped metal cabinet runs along the Fremont Street side of the sign. The sides of the arrow are painted yellow. Three rows of yellow incandescent light bulbs cover the shaft of the arrow and nine rows cover the feathers and head. "Trader" is spelled out in yellow san serif channel letters which run horizontally across the top of the sign. The interiors of the letters are outlined in white neon tubing. "BILLS" (no apostrophe) runs vertically down the sign in the same channel lettering. Rungs run along the spine of the sign and what appears to be a ladder is located under "Trader" at the top of the sign. A plaque on the back of the arrowhead near the last "S" in "BILLS" has a YESCO logo and states "THIS SIGN IS THE PROPERTY OF THE YOUNG ELECTRIC SIGN COMPANY-{illegible] 876-8080
Sign - type of display: Neon and incandescent
Sign - media: Steel
Sign - non-neon treatments: Incandescent
Sign environment: This location is in the Fremont Street Experience on the corner of Fremont street and Fourth Street. It is across the street from Neonopolis and surrounded by other gift shops.
Sign manufacturer: It has the YESCO logo and states that it is the property of YESCO though it is not confirmed if they manufactured it.
Sign - date of installation: Circa 1960's
Sign - date of redesign/move: The sign is probably from the 1960's (Roadside Architecture). A photograph circa 1960 shows the sign painted dark blue with yellow letters (Classic Las Vegas, n.d.). A photograph from 1991 shows the color scheme unchanged (Classic Las Vegas). The sign was painted its current red color by 2006 (RoadsideArch.com).
Sign - thematic influences: The building is Western style brick and weeping mortar.
Survey - research locations: Clark County Assessor Classic Las Vegas. (n.d.). A brief history of Fremont Street, North side of the street, Third to Fourth. Retrieved from http://classiclasvegas.squarespace.com/downtown-history/2007/5/3/a-brief-history-of-fremont-street-cont.html RoadsideArcitecture. Las vegas Signs, Trader Bill's. Retrieved from http://www.roadarch.com/signs/nvvegas3.html Shemeligian, B. (1997 June 19). Landmark downtown shop changes focus. Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved from https://lasvegassun.com/news/1997/jun/09/landmark-downtown-shop-changes-focus/ UNLV Digital Collections. (n.d.). Film transparency showing Trader Bill's souvenir shop in Las Vegas, circa 1930s-1940s. Retrieved from http://n2t.net/ark:/62930/d1nk2c
Surveyor: Mitchell Cohen
Survey - date completed: 2017-08-14
Sign keywords: Blade; Neon; Incandescent; Steel
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On July 15, 1975, Pamela Larkins interviewed Mary E. Habbart (born 1897 in Boothwyn, Pennsylvania) in her home in Las Vegas, Nevada. The two discuss Habbart’s personal family history and her family’s reasons for moving to Las Vegas. Habbart also describes social and economic changes to Las Vegas and her local dairy farm.
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