Oral history interview with Kenneth W. Fong conducted by Lois Goodall on February 22, 2014 for the West Charleston Neighborhoods--an Oral History Project of Ward 1. Fong discusses growing up in Las Vegas, Nevada and being the son of two successful and philanthropic community members, Wing and Lilly Fong. Fong also discusses his father starting a grocery store and later in 1955, Fong’s Garden. He then discusses real estate development, Nevada State Bank development, as well as contributing to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and the Chinatown evolution.
Oral history interview with Lydia Berry conducted by Kathy Zeller on February 22, 1979 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. During this interview Berry discusses her experiences as a worker for the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Berry discusses her progression from being a teacher in Kansas City, Missouri to moving to Los Angeles, California and then to Las Vegas, Nevada where she worked at Nellis Air Force Base and then eventually to the Fish and Wildlife Service. She also mentions some of the operations of the Wildlife Service as well as her concerns over animal life and natural resources.
Oral history interview with Andy Hafen conducted by Stefani Evans and Claytee D. White on August 22, 2016 for the Building Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Hafen discusses his upbringing in Henderson, Nevada. He recalls being elected to the City Council in 1987, the expansion of Henderson, and the development of the Water Street District. Hafen then talks about redevelopment of historic areas and the increase in businesses in Henderson. Later, Hafen discusses Lake Las Vegas, the drought and its effect on Lake Mead, and the challenges in developing Lake Las Vegas. Lastly, Hafen explains the how Nevada State College (NSC) has become the necessary link between the College of Southern Nevada (CSN) and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV).
Oral history interview with Michael Montandon conducted by Stefani Evans and Claytee D. White on September 22, 2016 and October 3, 2016 for the Building Las Vegas Oral History Project. Montandon talks of forming relationships with developers, legislators, and other municipalities. He speaks about land use, open space, parks, trails, conservation, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act (SNPLMA). He shares histories and stories of the Becker family's role in developing Clark County, of the Combs family's North Las Vegas, Nevada pig farm and the drama that routinely characterized BLM land auctions, and of why North Las Vegas spent millions of dollars to build its own sewage treatment plant.
Oral history interview with Maxine Butler conducted by Frank Johnson on April 22, 2016 for the African Americans in Las Vegas: a Collaborative Oral History Project. In this interview, Butler discusses her early life in Jonesboro, Louisiana. She talks about moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1965, the Westside, and businesses on Jackson Street. Butler recalls working at The Cove as a cocktail waitress, the reopening of Moulin Rouge Hotel, and the African American community on the Westside. Later, Butler discusses her involvement at Greater Evergreen Missionary Baptist Church, the importance of church to the African American community, and compares church life in Jonesboro and Las Vegas. Lastly, Butler talks about changes in the Westside.
Oral history interviews with Harry Mortenson conducted by Claytee D. White on April 08, 2014, April 22, 2014, and May 06, 2014 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. In the first interview, Mortenson discusses his personal background, working at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, and arriving to Nevada to work as a nuclear physicist at the Nevada Test Site. Mortenson describes his work and recalls anecdotes from his employment. He then talks about his company, Sigma Scientific, and explains the different projects where he worked as a consultant. In the second interview, Mortenson discusses the methods of transportation used to arrive to the Nevada Test Site, his involvement with different organizations, and his tenure in the Nevada State Legislature. In the final interview, Mortenson discusses the device he built to take photographs of the nuclear reactor cores at Las Alamos National Laboratory, and explains how that device worked.