The Leila Walker Gregory Papers (1920-1979) consists of newspaper clippings and handwritten notes regarding the murder of Reed Walker, Leila's second husband who was Chief Building Inspector for Las Vegas, Nevada. Included are also notes and Mormon genealogy information on Leila and her third husband, Arthur Gregory, Gregory's diplomas, and correspondence.
The Ernest Clary Papers on Basic Magnesium, Inc. Engineering Plans (1941-1944) contain an essay written by Clary formalizing the engineering process in building Basic Magnesium, Inc. (BMI). Also included are maps of the area around the plant and site maps of the main BMI structures.
Information about the Kings Row Trailer Park sign that sits at 3660 Boulder Hwy. Site address: 3660 Boulder Hwy Sign owner: Kings Row Trlr Pk Inc Sign details: This property is still functioning as a mobile home park along Boulder Highway. They are one of the largest RV parks in Southern Nevada and within a close distance to downtown and Boulder Station Casino. They advertise that they have some of the best deals in town as well as about 200 spaces available. They have been operating in Las Vegas for more than 60 years. Sign condition: 5 - in great condition, well maintained Sign form: Roadside pole with a message center and directional elements Sign-specific description: This sign is made up of many different small cabinets. The top is a painted crown that is plastic and backlit. This sits on top of a red minimal arrow sign that points to the direction of the trailer park. This sign has yellow incandescent light bulbs lining the edge with "Kings Row" painted in white paint on the top of the sign, "Trailer Park" painted in bold yellow text in the center, and the text is outlined with neon tubes. The cabinet under this is a long, red trapezoid with "OVERNITES" painted on it in bold white text that is also outlined with neon tubes. Under this is what appears to be an iron flourish on top of another plastic backlit sign. This sign as "RV SPACES" painted on it in bold red text over yellow paint, "INDOOR HOMES TRAILERS CAMPING" in bold red text against a white background, and "MOBILE HOME SPACES POOL REC HALL" in bold red text against a yellow background. Under this is another iron flourish. Following that sign is a plastic backlit reader board. Under that is a plastic backlit sign with "CAMPERS" in white text and underlined against a red background. Finally, there is another plastic sign in the shape of an arrow with "Kings Row" in a light blue script, "ENTRANCE " in red, and "TRAILER PARK" in black inscribed on it. Sign - type of display: Neon, incandescent, backlit Sign - media: Steel and Plastic Sign - non-neon treatments: Paint Sign environment: This property sits along Boulder High way and near many other RV rental businesses. It is also down the street from Boulder Station Hotel & Casino. Sign - date of installation: Possibly c. 1962 Sign - date of redesign/move: Current sign not the original, which was a long rectangular shape cabinet Sign - thematic influences: This sign is very unique to the RV park. To emphasize the "Kings Row" theme, the crown perched on the top of the sign is designed to help with this. Much of this sign is used to tell motorists and pedestrians what the property has. Sign - artistic significance: This sign is elaborate. There are many different elements to this sign overall. This sign is that there is a crown to signify the royal theme of this property, possibly as a way to differentiate from other RV park signs around town. Survey - research locations: Kings Row website, assessor's website Surveyor: Lauren Vaccaro Survey - date completed: 2017-09-14 Sign keywords: Neon; Incandescent; Backlit; Steel; Plastic; Paint; Pole sign; Roadside; Directional; Reader board
Information about the Bunkhouse Saloon sign that sits at 124 S 11th St. Site address: 124 S 11th St Sign owner: 11th Street Tavern LLC and Jillian is the manager (no last name found) Sign details: This location opened in 1953, but has recently reopened under new ownership. This location is known for their concert venue as well as their southern style bar food. Sign condition: 3-4- some fading in the plastic so it does not show as clear as an image as it could. Sign form: Pylon Sign-specific description: This sign has a black steel base with a sign box on top. This sign box is steel but has wood renderings on the sides of it. The sign box contains a back lit plastic sign that is red with yellow lettering that states "The Bunkhouse Saloon" in a swirly western font. Below this is a reader board. Sign - type of display: Backlit plastic sign and reader board Sign - media: Steel, wood and plastic Sign - non-neon treatments: Plastic backlit sign and readerboard Sign environment: This location is downtown on East Fremont across the street from PublicUs and a food market. Sign - thematic influences: Their saloon theme is portrayed in the font on their sign. This theme could also pay homage to the early Las Vegas and Old West theme with the saloon idea. Survey - research locations: Asessor's Page, Bunkhouse website http://www.bunkhousedowntown.com/about/ and google images. Survey - research notes: Tried to contact manager for information on sign but no response. Surveyor: Wyatt Currie-Diamond Survey - date completed: 2017-08-23 Sign keywords: Pylon; Plastic; Backlit; Steel; Reader board
It was spring vacation 1971 when Mary Hausch arrived in Las Vegas with four girlfriends. As a Ohio University senior, the closing of college campuses due to anti-Vietnam War protests had given her a reprieve from final tests and papers. The spontaneity of the trip and her enjoyment of the weather resulted in her applying for, and getting, a reporter position at the Las Vegas Review-Journal. For the next nineteen years, she worked her way up the newspaper ladder, covered local education issues that included desegregation, a groundbreaking series of POW-MIA war stories, and the Nevada legislature. She became the first woman city editor and managing editor of the newspaper. Her career journey was not always smooth. It was an era of cultural roadblocks and emerging feminism. Eventually, Mary was passed over for the ultimate appointment of R-J editor and was placated with a short-lived "associate editor" position. She describes the ensuing civil rights complaints and how she segued into teaching at UNLV. During her robust journalism career, Mary's personal life also hit some rocky times, but ended happily when she met and married Bob Coffin, a then reporter for the newspaper. [Bob is interviewed separately for this John S. Park neighborhood series.] The couple bought the Gubler House in John S. Park and Mary describes the charm of the house as well as the neighborhood, historically and currently. Mary was a tireless participant in the efforts to have John S. Park designated a historic neighborhood. This two-part interview paints a picture of a community that has weathered various phases from what she calls the "widow phase" to the "homeless" to the rebirth stirred by new residents. She also offers advice and thoughts for those looking to achieve the historic designation for their neighborhood.
Dr. Lonnie D. Spight grew up in northern Colorado, earned his bachelor's degree at Colorado State University, and his PhD at University of Nevada Reno. His interest in astronomy dates from his early years on the farm in Colorado, star-gazing in the fields at night. Before coming to UNLV, Lonnie worked for the Department of Defense on scattering cross sections and explosions. Working between Los Alamos and the Test Site, he was often in Las Vegas and had met most of the physicists at the university. He was invited midterm to take over a physics class for a faculty member who had fallen ill, and was offered a job the following fall of 1970. In the seventies when Dr. Spight arrived, the physics department was located in trailers, and the university campus was mostly desert. Lonnie served as chair of the department on several occasions, and was responsible for insisting that faculty members get involved in research, no matter how tight the budget. He worked on solar energy and far-field microwave analysis, and helped set up safety standards for the new laser technology. One of Dr. Spight's interests outside of physics is a love for classical music. He was a volunteer "Deejay" for 12 years with KNPR once it got started in 1980. Meanwhile, after 37 years with UNLV Lonnie retains his enthusiasm and love for teaching. Today he teaches quantum mechanics and hopes that one day he will be able to teach a particle physics course which ties together cosmology, the beginning of the universe, fundamental cutting edge physics, quarks, gluon plasmas, and more. He has the course materials ready to go and is looking forward to many more years at UNLV.
Kenneth Fong reflects on growing up in Las Vegas and being the son of two successful and philanthropic community members, Wing and Lilly Fong. When Ken was born the family live in a modest home on 20th and Stewart. It was a close-knit neighborhood and era, kids played tag and roamed freely. When he entered third-grade, his parents moved their family to a newer subdivision near Rancho and West Charleston Avenue: the Scotch 80s. Their new custom home on Silver Avenue reflected Asian architecture and the family’s Chinese cultural heritage; it also included a pool and a small basketball court. Memories of the neighborhoods are distinct. He learned to be comfortable with his sister and he being the only Asian Americans in school at the time. He kept busy with community volunteering at Sunrise Hospital and tutoring younger children on the Westside among other high school activities. Ken speaks lovingly of his parents and their achievements, family outings to local venues such as Mount Charleston and Red Rock and to California, where they bought Chinese baked goods. His mother, Lilly was born into a large Chinese American family of ten children, each of whom achieved a college education. After her marriage to Wing, she moved to Las Vegas with plans to work as a teacher. Ken retells the story of her encounter with discrimination and overcoming that, and her trajectory to be the first Asian American elected the Nevada Board of Regents. His orphaned father, Wing, immigrated to the United Sates in 1939 to live with uncles. They worked as cooks in Las Vegas and established the first Las Vegas Chinese restaurant, Silver Café. Wing was merely thirteen years old and spoke no English. These were not to be obstacles. He would go on to graduate from Las Vegas High School, earn a college degree in business, have a successful career in commercial real estate and banking, building the notable Fong’s Garden. Ken calls his father his most influential mentor. Today Ken is also a successful in real estate management, active at Grace Presbyterian Church, involved in Rotary Club, and a proud father of two daughters.
Oral history interview with Christian Chan conducted by Cecilia Winchell, Jerwin Tiu, and Stefani Evans on May 06, 2022 for the Reflections: the Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander Oral History Project. In this interview, Chan begins by describing her childhood in Hong Kong and later moving to San Francisco, California with her family, then to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1965. She recalls attending Sunrise Acres and Roy Martin Middle School before graduating from Valley High School as valedictorian. In college, Chan attended the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) and graduated with a degree in engineering. After college, she found work in the Las Vegas Valley Water District and became the first woman engineer. During her five years there, she excountered subtle sexism for the first time. Chan continues the interview by describing her work while she lived in California, as well as her years internationally living in the Philippines as well as Ecuador. Throughout the interview, Chan touches on topics ranging from identity, to her impressions of the different generations, discrimination, and the growth of Las Vegas.