On November 1, 1974, collector James M. Greene, interviewed widow and mine leaser, Bertha Gresh (born August 29th, 1883, in Cedarburg, Wisconsin) in her home in Nelson, Nevada. This interview covers early mining days, Bertha’s personal history, and the history of Nelson County. She also discusses her art, social activities, and the prizes she won as a visual artist in Nevada.
Jo Ann and Hal Mueller arrived in Las Vegas in 1956 when he accepted a meteorologist position. In addition to raising their two children, Jo was active in PTA, worked for Weight Watchers, and was a volunteer with League of Women voters. She tells the story of meeting Hal and their whirlwind romance to the altar, moving to the Caroline Islands and eventually choosing Las Vegas over Seattle as their next career assignment. Las Vegas became their permanent home and Jo reflects on life and experiences here.
Jane Radoff?s sophisticated eye and creative energy follow her wherever she goes. Her interior designs have anonymously touched most all who have walked through many of the Strip casinos and hotels. Her working partnership with interior designer Roger Thomas for Steve Wynn properties are among the most iconic of recent era. Born 1940 in Pittsburgh, PA, to Adelaide and Meyer Sachs, Jane was destined to lead a colorful life. Her mother was a local radio/TV personality with her own show and her father was successful real estate entrepreneur. Jane attended the University of Michigan where she honed her design skills. Before moving to Nevada, Jane?s career path included Restaurant Associates, a short stint as a girl Friday for Johnny Carson, and freelance product design while starting a family. Then in 1978, her husband William ?Bill? Radoff accepted a purchasing director position from Billy Weinberger and Neil Smythe at Caesars. With her signature wry humor, she reflects on her early observations of Las Vegas, and eventually working with Roger Thomas. In time, the duo worked together to bring groundbreaking interiors to the Strip, primarily with Steve Wynn. As most Jewish transplants, the Radoffs first belonged to Temple Beth Sholom. Later she was the interior inspiration for Congregation Ner Tamid where Jon Sparer did the architectural design. She is a quiet icon of Las Vegas?s turn to elegance and warmth in design of public spaces.
Mabel Hoggard was the first licensed African-American educator in Nevada. Hoggard taught primarily first and second grade at various elementary schools throughout Clark County, Nevada from 1946 until her retirement in 1970. The schools she taught at included Westside Elementary, Matt Kelly Elementary, Highland Elementary, and C.V.T. Gilbert Elementary, all located in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The old stamp mill, location unknown. A stamp mill (or stamp battery or stamping mill) is a type of mill machine that crushes material by pounding rather than grinding, either for further processing or for extraction of metallic ores. Breaking material down is a type of unit operation. A stamp mill consists of a set of heavy steel (iron-shod wood in some cases) stamps, loosely held vertically in a frame, in which the stamps can slide up and down. They are lifted by cams on a horizontal rotating shaft. On modern mills, the cam is arranged to lift the stamp from the side, so that it causes the stamp to rotate. This evens the wear on the shoe at the foot of the stamp. As the cam moves from under the stamp, the stamp falls onto the ore below, crushing the rock, and the lifting process is repeated at the next pass of the cam. Each one frame and stamp set is sometimes called a "battery" or, confusingly, a "stamp" and mills are sometimes categorized by how many stamps they have, i.e. a "10 stamp mill" has 10 sets. They usually are arranged linearly, but when a mill is enlarged, a new line of them may be constructed rather than extending the line. Abandoned mill sites (as documented by industrial archaeologists) will usually have linear rows of foundation sets as their most prominent visible feature as the overall apparatus can exceed 20 feet in height, requiring large foundations. Stamps are usually arranged in sets of five. Some ore processing applications used large quantities of water so some stamp mills are located near natural or artificial bodies of water. For example, the Redridge Steel Dam was built to supply stamp mills with process water.