Oral history interview with M.J. Christensen conducted by Rick Maggot on October 23, 1974 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Christensen recalls living in Las Vegas, Nevada during the crash of Carole Lombard’s plane and describes local reactions to the early aboveground atomic tests. He also discusses family, religious life, and the Mormon Church. Christensen speaks about his time as the head of the Merchant’s Bureau, president of the Chamber of Commerce, and the president of the Southern Nevada Better Business Bureau. He also discusses being an assemblyman for eight years and serving for four years as a senator in the state of Nevada.
On February 8, 1977, Mark Lucas interviewed Edmund “Ed” Fleming (born 1915 in Virginia, Minnesota) about his experience in Southern Nevada. Fleming first talks about his moves to and from Nevada before describing the mining practices within the small towns in Southern Nevada. He also talks about his experience as a teacher in Pahrump and Goodsprings and his eventual move to Las Vegas, where he continued in the educational field. Fleming also talks about religion, transportation, funding for education, inflation, and cultural arts as they all relate to Las Vegas.