This is the history of Blue Diamond Village. Blue Diamond is located 26 miles southwest of Las Vegas. The village, originally known as Cottonwood Springs, changed its name when the Blue Diamond Company took ownership of the Gypsum mine and built corporate housing for the workers in the early '20s. Near the base of the Red Rock canyon, Blue Diamond Village was originally a stop on the Old Spanish Trail for traders from Santa Fe, N.M., to California between 1830 and 1848, according to the history committee's findings.
JMA (Jack Miller & Associates) was established by Jack Miller (1914-1999) in 1945 and is one of the oldest architectural firms in Las Vegas. Jack Miller came to Las Vegas in 1942 to assist in the design of the Basic Magnesium Plant in Henderson. As one of only a few architects working in Las Vegas after the war, Miller was able to establish a thriving practice designing all types of buildings: schools, residences, commercial and government buildings, hospitals and the original Stardust Hotel.
The Ruby Duncan Photograph Collection on Operation Life (1970s-1980s) is comprised primarily of photographic prints with some corresponding 35 mm negatives of Ruby Duncan and other Operation Life organizers, as well as important organization buildings. Materials include photographs of Ruby Duncan, Aldine Weems, Renee Diamond, and Jack Anderson in the original Operation Life Las Vegas, Nevada Operation Life headquarters and the regional office in San Francisco, California. Also pictured are other employees and beneficiaries of the organization at a Christmas Party.
The Lamar and Patricia Marchese papers (1959-2015) contain awards, correspondence (both professional and personal), a Clark County Services and Facilities Directory, newspaper and magazine clippings, pamphlets, Parks and Recreation information, KNPR events and newsletters, art exhibits brochures, and musical performances brochures. The collection chronicles the contributions of the long-time Las Vegas community leaders through photographs, speeches, an interview done with Lamar Marchese, professional papers, audiovisual materials, Las Vegas Centennial Board (LVCB) end of year report, and a LVCB book.