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The Sam's Town Hotel and Gambling Hall sits at 5111 Boulder Highway. Information about the sign is available in the Southern Nevada Neon Survey Data Sheet
Site name: Sam's Town (Las Vegas, Nev.)
Site address: 5111 Boulder Hwy
Sign owner: Boyd Gaming
Sign details: Sam Boyd came to Las Vegas in the late 40's early 50's and went to work in the Downtown casinos. He moved quickly through the ranks and was overseeing many operations. His son studied law and coupled with him, Sam Boyd created Boyd Gaming in 1975. Sam's Town opened April 1, 1979 which was named after the company's patriarch. This was one of the first Resorts to cater to locals.
Sign condition: 5- Very good condition
Sign form: Super Pylon and many smaller Port Cocheres.
Sign-specific description: The background of the sign is Red with a yellow/gold trim, "Sam's Town" is in channeled white lettering. The font as well as the gold trim on the sign show the Old West and Frontier style. This sign contains a LED video board as well as a reader board.
Sign - type of display: Neon, LED video board, reader board and Incandescent light bulbs.
Sign - media: Steel and plastic
Sign - non-neon treatments: Reader board and LED screen
Sign animation: Flasher for incandescent light bulbs
Sign environment: This location is on Boulder Hwy just minute's drive from Arizona Charlie's. There are RV parks and various chain restaurants close to this casino.
Sign - thematic influences: It keeps it tradition with western cowboy theming that has been popular in Las Vegas.
Sign - artistic significance: With this Western theme it has remnants of the gold rush and 49er's type aesthetic.
Survey - research locations: Sam's Town https://www.samstownlv.com/ , Correspondence with Boyd gaming. Boyd Gaming website https://www.boydgaming.com/about-boyd-gaming .
Surveyor: Wyatt Currie-Diamond
Survey - date completed: 2017-08-18
Sign keywords: Pylon; Porte-cochère; Neon; Incandescent; Flashing; Reader board; Steel; Plastic; Video screen
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The Champo family, Jacinta and Manuel Champo and their daughter Stella came from Italy to Las Vegas in 1912. They lived in a room at the Union Hotel, which was located at Main and Bridger. In 1917, the Champo family bought a small ranch located about three miles south of what is Henderson today. Manuel grew fruits and vegetables at the ranch and sold them in town door to door. Stella began her education at Las Vegas Grammar School at Fourth and Bridger in 1918 and started babysitting for many of the local women when she was only ten years old. Jacinta’s death in 1927 was hard on both Stella and Manuel. Stella decided not to finish her education. Maude Frazier, who was the principal at the High School, tried to persuade Stella to stay at school. However, Stella had no more interest in school and at eighteen years old she started her career as a waitress. Her first job was at a small Italian restaurant at the Union Hotel where she learned the business. She worked as a waitress and cashier and when P.O. Silvagni opened the Apache Hotel at Second and Fremont she went to work there. Stella continued to work at the Apache until she moved to Los Angeles where she worked as a waitress for eighteen years. Stella had married John Iaconis in 1953 and they moved back to Las Vegas. Both John and Stella went to work at the Sahara Hotel. Stella was a showroom waitress and John was a tailor with his own valet shop in the Sahara Hotel. Stella worked in a showroom at Sahara for three years because it was physically demanding work. Stella went to work at Larry’s where she stayed for twenty years. Stella continued to live in Las Vegas until her death on January 18, 1998 . She was happily retired and always remembered the past and the lessons she learned from her hard work. Stella was a very optimistic and totally self-reliant woman.
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Mark Hall-Patton, administrator of Clark County Museums and since 2008 a frequent guest on the popular cable television show Pawn Stars, was born in 1954 in San Diego, California. His mother was a registered nurse and his father served in the United States Navy. From early childhood, Mark’s interest in history and museums shaped his path in life. After graduating high school in Santa Ana, California, he earned his Bachelor’s degree in history at nearby University of California, Irvine. Degree in hand, Mark worked for Bowers Museum in Santa Ana and founded the Anaheim Museum in 1984. He moved to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1993 to create the Howard W. Cannon Aviation Museum in McCarran International Airport. By 2008, Mark had become administrator over all Clark County museums. In this interview, he explains the various ways his involvement with the popular Pawn Stars program has turned “the museum guy” into a brand, introduced production companies to the value of filming in Las Vegas, increased Clark County museum visits and donations, and raised popular awareness of the academic fields of history and museum studies.
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On March 15, 1981, Marie Carmichael interviewed Jack L. Monroe Jr. (b. 1937 in St. Helena, California) about his life in Las Vegas, Nevada and his work as a cook among many other topics. Monroe speaks initially about his time working alongside his family in the restaurant business, with his father working as a cook, his mother a waitress and himself as both a busboy and a cook. He discusses the working conditions of cooks, the competition between casino restaurants and the relationship between workers, bosses and the public. Moreover, Monroe speaks about life in Las Vegas as a youngster, the significance of YMCA, summer camps and other recreational activities, and the school system. Lastly, he talks about the changing infrastructure of the city, the paved roads and public transportation, how casinos made their profits and the attachment residents develop towards the city of Las Vegas.
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Thomas discusses her family history and arriving to Boulder City, Nevada in 1930. Thomas describes housing in Boulder City and explains that people needed to build their own homes in the 1930s. She then discusses prostitution becoming illegal in Nevada, the Helldorado Parade, and the construction of Hoover Dam (Boulder Dam). Lastly, Thomas recalls how her musical career began and entertainment in casinos.
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On April 12, 1977, collector Mark French interviewed Nanyu Tomiyasu (born May 28th, 1918 in Las Vegas, Nevada) at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. In this interview, Nanyu Tomiyasu discusses growing up and working on his father’s (Bill Yonema Tomiyasu) farm in Las Vegas, Nevada. He also discusses how his father came to Las Vegas and being one of the few Japanese families in Las Vegas as a child.
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