An exterior view of the Riviera Hotel and marquee. The marquee is advertising "Edie Adams" "Rowan and Martin" "Starlite Lounge" "Lionel Hampton" "The Cousins" and the "Sawyer Sisters". The Riviera (colloquially, "the Riv") opened on April 20, 1955 as the first high-rise at 9 stories, and the ninth resort on the Las Vegas Strip. Liberace cut the opening ribbon, and became the first resident performer. The Riviera also broke new ground in its design: previously, Strip resorts resembled roadside motor courts. The Riviera underwent an expansion from 1988 to 1990 this included the 24 story Monaco Tower designed by Martin Stern Jr. and two parking garages. In February 2015, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority acquired the Riviera hotel and its associated land for $182.5 million. The property was leased back to its existing operators, Paragon Gaming, who officially closed the establishment on Monday, May 4, 2015. Due to its size, the Riviera was demolished through two separate implosions conducted in June and August 2016. The first implosion took place at 2:35 a.m. (Pacific Time) on June 14, 2016, taking down the 24-story Monaco tower. A firework display and countdown led up to the implosion. On August 16, 2016 at 2:30 a.m., the Monte Carlo tower along with the 12 story tower constructed in 1966 were imploded. The property was located at 2901 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas, NV 89109.
The Bowers Mansion was built in 1863 by Lemuel "Sandy" Bowers and his wife, Eilley Orrum Bowers, and is a prime example of the homes built in Nevada by the new millionaires of the Comstock Lode mining boom. The mansion, designed by J. Neely Johnson, a builder and ex-governor of California, combined Georgian Revival and Italianate architectural styles. It was modeled after a design conceived by Eilley based on her recollection of elegant buildings in her native Scotland. Following the death of Sandy Bowers in 1868, Eilley fell on hard financial times. She generated income by renting out rooms in the mansion and hosting parties and picnics on the grounds. The mansion hosted a ball for the women's suffrage movement and was the location of the annual Miner's Ball. The period of 1873–75 was the height of the mansion's popularity. However, this was not enough to overcome Eilley's debts and she finally lost her home to foreclosure in 1876. The mansion was abandoned by the time Henry Riter acquired it and operated it as a resort until 1946. The building is currently owned and operated by the Washoe County Parks Department. Some 500 Nevada families have donated period furniture housed in the mansion. The park blends the historical site with recreational facilities such as a spring-fed swimming pool, picnic areas, and a playground. The Bowers Mansion is located in Washoe Valley, within the Bowers Mansion Regional Park at 4005 Old U.S. Highway 395 North, North Washoe Valley, Nevada.
On March 15, 1981, Susan Rapport interviewed Jacqueline Evans (born 1940 in Long Beach, California) about her experiences in Nevada. Evans first talks about living in Reno and Tonopah before moving to Las Vegas where she attended high school. She talks specifically about her extracurricular activities in high school, recreational activities, and other forms of entertainment. The two also discuss political events during the sixties, her husband’s involvement in Indian affairs, and the flood problem in Las Vegas. Evans also talks about bringing children up in Las Vegas, camping as a recreational activity, and the development of Lake Mead.
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.
The Friends of Southern Nevada Libraries Records (1974-2013) is comprised of the organizational records of the Las Vegas, Nevada based non-profit, Friends of Southern Nevada Libraries (FOSNL). Materials include volunteer information, book sale receipts, funding proposals, thank-you cards, board meeting minutes, correspondence, photographs, newsletters, court proceedings, and promotional materials.
The Southwest Oral History Association Records contains records of the Southwest Oral History Association (SOHA) from 1981 to 2020. Records include agendas and minutes from the executive board committee, financial records, correspondence, photographs, and planning documents for SOHA's annual conference.