From the Nye County, Nevada Photograph Collection (PH-00221) -- Series IV. Pahrump, Nevada -- Subseries IV.D. Wiley Family. In the years after Roland Wiley acquired John Yount's ranch in Pahrump Valley, Nevada, access was difficult. From Las Vegas the shortest route was to drive through Goodsprings over a paved road, then to Sandy Valley, which was a narrow gravel road; then to the Pahrump Valley and west on the Tecopa Road. The trip took 3-1/2 hours. Wiley notes that from the ranch, it was a 7-hour round trip drive into Las Vegas to buy a 10-cent screw. In 1941, Roland constructed the airstrip pictured here near the ranch in order to make access easier.
On February 24, 1980, Robert Cannata interviewed his neighbors, Lee & Dick Igert about their employment agency company. The Igerts discuss the many different job opportunities outside of casino work that are available in Las Vegas, Nevada. The interview concludes with an explanation of how one finds a job in Las Vegas.
Shirley Weiss describes her childhood housed in army barracks in the ghetto in Beregszasz (Berehove), Hungary. She was sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau, and several other camps, and eventually liberated from Terez?n in 1945. She came to the United States via Sweden.
From the Nye County, Nevada Photograph Collection (PH-00221) -- Series IV. Pahrump, Nevada -- Subseries IV.D. Wiley Family. Mummified remains of an Indian renegade known as Queho. Many years previous to when this photo was taken in the early 1940, Queho is said to have killed and robbed a number of individuals in the Searchlight, Nevada area. Unsuccessful efforts were made to to apprehend Queho. In the early 1940, the men pictured here on the left and right were exploring an area along the Colorado River when they saw a cave in the cliffs above the river. They climbed up to the cave and Queho's remains were found. Research established that the remains were Queho’s because several of the artifacts he had stolen from people in Searchlight accompanied the remains. Queho’s remains were turned over to the Palm Mortuary in Las Vegas when a question arose there as to who would pay for the expenses of keeping Queho there and his burial. Roland Wiley, district attorney for Clark County, Nevada, at that time, suggested that the remains be turned over to the Elks Lodge, where for a number of years they were exhibited on the Helldorado grounds during Helldorado Days in a glass display case with some of the stolen artifacts. Queho’s remains were stolen from the Elks on two occasions, and each time they were recovered. Jim Cashman, head of the Las Vegas Elks at that time, grew tired of worrying about the theft of Queho’s remains, so they moved to a building belonging to Dobie Doc Caudill near the Tropicana Hotel. Roland Wiley purchased Queho’s remains from Dobie Doc for $100 and buried them near Cathedral Canyon, located on Wiley’s ranch in Pahrump Valley overlooking his Hidden Hills airstrip, in concrete and steel so they could not be easily stolen again. Wiley believed the Indian deserved a decent burial and buried popcorn with the remains to accompany Queho on his journey. Standing second from the left is Frank Waite, chief of police in Las Vegas for many years. Waite was a member of the posse that initially searched for Queho.
Oral history interview with Sanje Sedera conducted by Kristel Peralta, Cecilia Winchell, Ayrton Yamaguchi, and Stefani Evans on April 16, 2021 for Reflections: The Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander Oral History Project. Sanje Sedera discusses growing up in Sri Lanka, formerly Ceylon, with his family. He shares his educational history, moving from Sri Lanka to Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia as a high schooler to learn English before immigrating to the United States to attend Idaho State University. Sedera discusses the political unrest and civil war that took place in Sri Lanka between the Tamil and Sinhalese people, and how he grew to appreciate political activism instilled in him by his paternal grandparents. Sedera shares his employment history working as a manager for K-Mart, an opportunity that brought him to Las Vegas, as well as his entrepreneurial pursuits of owning a mortgage business and becoming a realtor. He talks about the financial crisis of 2008 that led to losing his business, his attempts to run for public office, and how he helped to form Nevada's Asian American Democratic Caucus. Sedera concludes with a discussion of his Buddhist practice and how these philosophies have shaped his life.
On an unknown date (likely 1999-2000) and time, K.J. Evans interviewed Ralph Denton, an adviser to former Governor Grant Sawyer and political figure in Nevada for many years. Denton first talks about his personal friendship with Sawyer, their education in law school, and his eventual work on campaigning for and working with Sawyer after he became governor. Denton then explains the controversy regarding Denton’s accepting of complimentary services (comps) at hotels. He later describes his work as a Clark County Commissioner and then talks about working as district attorney in Esmeralda County, Nevada. Denton then talks about the influences that led him to be interested in a career of law and later speaks more about working with Grant Sawyer, specifically about serving as his adviser, afterwards providing the argument on why he believes Sawyer was the greatest governor of Nevada. Toward the latter part of the interview, Denton describes his work on improving civil rights and some of the challenges that came with that. The two also discuss how the practice of law has changed over time. To conclude the interview, Denton describes his experience in running for governor and how he would have served as governor if he had been elected.
Oral history interview with Simon Lamsal conducted by Jerwin Tiu, Cecilia Winchell, and Stefani Evans on December 16, 2022 for Reflections: the Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander Oral History Project. In this interview, Lamsal describes growing up in Kathmandu, Nepal, and growing up with his grandparents. After graduating in Nepal, Lamsal applied to college in the United States and started in Arkansas studying computer science but later relocated to Las Vegas, Nevada and continuted at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). Lamsal describes joining CSUN, the National Millenial Community, and investing in his community. Currently, he is in graduate school and an information technology intern at MGM. Thoroughout the interview, Lamsal touches on a number of other topics regarding finding community, cultural foods, and family life.
Schwartz Brothers Clothing was located on Main Street for five years before it moved to Second Street, then in 1957 the business relocated to 303 Fremont Street, which was the heart of the business district at the time. The store was located on Fremont Street for 22 years, during which time Stanley Schwartz was president of the Downtown Merchants Association for three or four years. The Schwartz brothers also operated the men's and boys' departments in the Wonder World discount stores, and later the artificial flower department
Dr. Steven Parker grew up and went to school in Connecticut. His parents were caterers and taught him a solid work ethic through example. His only sibling was finishing a post doctorate at Yale and had accepted a job at one of the Cal State schools when his life was tragically ended. Steven graduated from Assumption College in Massachusetts with a bachelor's in political science and got a scholarship to State University of New York at Albany. About hallway through his Master of Public Administration degree, the dean encouraged him to go on for his doctorate. He finished his PhD in 1971, and got a job at Western Illinois University which he started on September 15, 1971, the same day his son was born. Alter 8 years (and another child) in Illinois, Steve and his wife were ready to leave. He had attended a public administration conference in Baltimore in the spring of 1975, and was interviewed by Dina Titus and Tom Wright of UNLV. He had several other job offers, but UNLV looked like the best possibility, so he and his family moved to Las Vegas. Dr. Parker's title at UNLV was associate professor and department chair, although Dina Titus actually chaired the department his first semester here. He took over as chair in the spring of 1980. Steven started when Brock Dixon was interim chair, and has served under university presidents Leonard "Pat" Goodall, Bob Maxson, and Carol Harter. Today Dr. Parker teaches American Presidency and American government every semester, Natural Resource Policy and Political Corruption and Political Ethics once or twice a year, and occasionally teaches Urban Government. He also continues as the director of the University Forum Lecture Series, which was initiated by Tom Wright more than 23 years ago.