From the Roosevelt Fitzgerald Professional Papers (MS-01082) -- Drafts for the Las Vegas Sentinel Voice file. On George Washington and Martin Luther King, Jr. comparisons.
Dr. Harold Boyer recalled with great clarity his childhood in Arkansas. Born in 1916 in Hartman, he attended a two-story school which went to eighth grade, fished in a nearby stream, and earned money from the age of six selling newspapers. He remembered that his father wore many hats, including that of town physician, president of the school board, and mayor. He also operated the movie theater and would drive around town announcing upcoming film features through a megaphone. Harold gave details of living through the Great Depression and completing his high school and college education. Dr. Boyer recited many details of his life in the Marine Corps as a medic, serving on active duty in the Pacific arena in WWII, going into medical practice in Oklahoma City and Enid, Oklahoma, and being called back to serve in Korea. In 1952, while checking out practices in several Southwest locations, he came to Las Vegas and interviewed with Dr. Carver Coffman. Harold painted a picture of Las Vegas in the sixties and described his practice and the many organizations in which he participated. He described how certain entities contributed significantly to the growth in the Vegas Valley, including the Convention Bureau, the Elks Club, Rotary Club, Shriners, the Mormon Church, the Mesquite Club, the university, and the gaming industry. He also gave a very positive view of the cultural activities that were/are available to the people of Las Vegas. Comments by Dr. Boyer on race relations recalled the sixties when integration in area schools, hotels, and neighborhoods became a reality under strong black leadership. He also talked about the relationship between casino operators and the civic organizations previously mentioned, and included an anecdote concerning one of his patients and A1 Capone. Helldorado, a unique community celebration, began in 1937 and was designed to draw positive attention to Las Vegas and pull people together. Dr. Boyer described the parades, dances, games, and barbecues that made it so much fun, and listed the founders who made it possible. This list includes people like the Von Tobels, Bob Squires, Bill Ferret, and the Ronzoni family. He related that Helldorado gradually faded out as corporations took over the gaming industry and the population grew to hundreds of thousands. Howard Hughes, the Greenbaums, and Bugsy Siegel are some of the people Dr. Boyer recalled as part of the fabulous tapestry that makes Las Vegas special. He talked about those who had a positive influence on the town, like Ed Von Tobel, Jess Abbott, and Jackie Gaughan. He has wonderful ideas for creating a park near the downtown area that would rival Central Park in New York, Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, or Audubon Park in New Orleans. His closing comments reflect on special projects conducted by the Rotary Club and the future of Las Vegas as an international air travel transportation hub.
The Starlite Motel sits at 1873 North Las Vegas Boulevard. Shortly after this photo was taken, the sign was scrubbed of its neon and made dormant. Information about the sign is available in the Southern Nevada Neon Survey Data Sheet. Site address: 1873 N Las Vegas Blvd Sign owner: LAS VEGAS DRAGON HOTEL LLC Sign details: This motel resides in North Las Vegas and is one of the few around that still offers traditional roadside lodging. Sign condition: 5 - Sign was recently updated with was appears to be newer neon and a different color scheme, going with a bright blue and brown. New white vinyl letters have been added. Sign form: Pole Sign-specific description: Previous to the spring 2017 upgrade: This pole sign extends out toward the street for motorists and pedestrians to see. This pole is a bright red color. A four pointed red star sits at the top of the red pole for everyone to see. This is outlined with neon tubes that glow blue at night. In the spaces between the points of the star the neon tube is bent to create smaller points. In the middle of the star painted in bold white script is the word "Starlite." This is also outlined with neon tubes to glow at night. Under this is the word "VACANCY" painted in bold white text, but the neon tubes that outline it light up red. Attached to the point of the star that extends toward the road is a long, rectangular sign that reads "MOTEL" in bold white text with a black outline on a light blue background. Extending from the "MOTEL" sign towards the red star are 3 smaller four pointed stars that have incandescent light bulbs in their center and are outlined by neon tubes that glow blue at night. On top of the "MOTEL" sign is another one of these four pointed stars that sits on the outer edge of the sign. Next to this is a larger, light blue four pointed star with an incandescent light bulb in the center and a smaller four pointed star made from a neon tube surrounding the light bulb. The neon tube that outlines the larger portion of the star is bent to create smaller points in the portions of the star without points. Sign - type of display: Neon and incandescent Sign - media: Steel Sign - non-neon treatments: Paint Sign animation: Unknown since update Sign environment: The surrounding properties are Jerry's Nugget and the Silver Nugget casinos. It is also just down the street from the Cultural Corridor which includes the Neon Museum and the Las Vegas Natural History Museum. The Las Vegas Library is also down the street. Sign - date of installation: c. 1950s Sign - date of redesign/move: Spring 2017 Sign - thematic influences: This property is one of many star-themed motels throughout the city. The 1950's was a popular time for space age/ star themed business due to the Space Age and explorations during this time period. Also, since the name of the property is the "Starlite Motel", the amount of stars included in this sign emphasizes this theme. Sign - artistic significance: This sign has a heavy influence of the Space Age due to the stars throughout the sign that are telling of the theme for the property. The specific stars for this sign have a Googie-like influence as well because they are very stylized in a futuristic manner. Survey - research locations: Assessor's website, roadarch.com Survey - other remarks: http://www.roadsidepeek.com/roadusa/southwest/nevada/vegas/lvmotel/lvnorthmotel/index.htm#sta rlitemotel Surveyor: Lauren Vaccaro Survey - date completed: 2017-09-05 Sign keywords: Neon; Incandescent; Steel; Paint; Pole sign
The Milan Bakery sign sits at 1625 Fremont Street in Downtown Las Vegas. Information about the sign is available in the Southern Nevada Neon Survey Sheet. Site address: 1625 Fremont St Sign owner: Selak, LLC Sign details: The building was constructed in 1952 (Assessor). Milan Selakovik acquired the property from the Salvation Army in 1966 (Assessor). Sign condition: The sign is condition 2, fair to poor. The paint is flaking. Approximately a third of cabinet bottom has rusted out. No neon remains on the sign. Sign form: Blade sign Sign-specific description: The background of the entire sign is painted red. The top and bottom of the sign are attached to the building by two metal cabinets. The lower cabinet is irregularly shaped. On the west side of the lower cabinet, the telephone and fax numbers are painted in peeling yellow. The paint has almost completely flaked off around the area where a cursive "Fax" formerly appeared. Attached to the street side of the sign is a vertical metal cabinet which runs almost the entire height of the sign. The word "BAKERY" is painted in white sans serif letters which run vertically over most of the cabinet. Extending horizontally from the cabinet toward the building are three small metal cabinets. A horizontal white line is painted on each of the three cabinets. A larger cabinet attached next to the "B" in "BAKERY" extends horizontally toward the building. The cabinet has a medallion shaped black and white cartoon of a baker holding a tray of baked goods. An irregularly shaped cabinet topping the sign contains the name, "MILAN" painted in white sans serif letters. The east side of the sign is painted similarly to the west, except that: 1) a cursive white or silver "Fax" is located at the bottom of the sign to the left of the fax number and, 2) extreme flaking has completely removed what was painted on the medallion at the top of the sign. Sign - type of display: Formerly neon Sign - media: Steel Sign environment: Down on the East side of Fremont Street Sign - date of installation: Based on the acquisition date of the property by Milan Selakovik in 1966, the current design of the sign possibly dates from the 1960's. Sign - date of redesign/move: The unusual shape of the sign indicates that it has been modified over time. The form suggests that the sign was originally a directional arrow which pointed down from the roof toward the entrance to the business, with additional cabinets added later. A 2004 photograph shows the current sign design and color scheme (RoadsidePeek.com). A drawing of a baker's head was located in the medallion where the cartoon baker now resides. The three small cabinets which jut out horizontally from the sign formerly stated, "BREAD", "CAKES" and "PASTRY". The lower portion of the sign advertised "FRESH SANDWICHES". Sign - thematic influences: Their sign showcases similar themes to cartoons, bakers and bakeries. Sign - artistic significance: The sign portrays similar designs to other signs manufactured in the 1960's. Survey - research locations: Clark County Assessor Parcel No. 139-35-315-002. Retrieved from http://www.clarkcountynv.gov/assessor/Pages/PropertyRecords.aspx?H=redrock&P=assrrealprop/pcl.aspx RoadsidePeek.com. Milan Bakery. Retrieved from http://roadsidepeek.com/roadusa/southwest/nevada/vegas/lvsign/lvothersign/index2.htm Surveyor: Mitchell Cohen Survey - date completed: 2017-08-17 Sign keywords: Blade; Neon; Steel