On March 5, 1981, Mike Martinez interviewed Laura Gunning (born 1923 in Los Angeles, California) about her life in Las Vegas, Nevada. Gunning first talks about her family background, her church membership, education, and the minimum wage. She also talks about the Las Vegas Strip, the first businesses and markets in Las Vegas, change in climate, and family trips.
The Dorothy Dorothy papers (approximately 1913-1986) document the life of singer, songwriter, columnist, pilot, and farmer, Dorothy Dorothy. Materials contain genealogy records, correspondence, business and organizational records, local history, sheet music, artifacts, and two boxes of photographic prints. Also included are materials relating to her active involvement with animal rights campaigns.
The JMA Architecture Studio Records are comprised of architectural records (1953-2002) created by the American architect Jack Miller and/or his architectural firm, known as both Jack Miller & Associates, Architects, & Engineers, Inc and JMA Architects, Inc. This collection includes 30.25 linear feet of materials documenting work on over 250 projects. The collection focuses on Las Vegas and Reno, Nevada. The materials feature photographs of the firm’s projects and hand-drawn architectural drawings, ranging from pencil and ink on tracing paper preliminary sketches to ink on Mylar (TM) construction documents. The drawings also contain work from a number of consultants, engineers, and other architects who collaborated on the development of the various projects. The collection includes architectural drawings for hotels, casinos, integrated casino resorts, office towers, multi-family residential developments, and custom single-family homes.
The Sandstone Ranch Collection is comprised of bank statements, letters, correspondence, and photographs relating to the Wilson family from 1907 to 1941. The collection includes information about the financial aspect of the Wilson Ranch, later renamed the Sandstone Ranch, located outside of Las Vegas, Nevada. The collection also includes information about the personal lives of those working on the including contracts about grazing cattle, selling cattle, and appropriation of water.
Narrator affiliation: Western Shoshone Property Owner under Treaty Access note: Audio temporarily sealed. May not quote in any form without written permission from interviewee
In this interview, focused on the John S. Park neighborhood of Las Vegas, Arne Rosencrantz discusses his childhood growing up in Las Vegas. He talks about local businesses, including his father's furniture store, as well as schools and churches in the neighborhood.
Arne Rosencrantz remembers living on Beverly Way from 1954 to 1970. Like so many others from that era, he attended Fifth Street School, John S. Park Elementary School, John C. Fremont Middle School and graduated from Las Vegas High School. As a Jew, he was in a small minority, but fondly recalls growing up in the dense Mormon population of John S. Park Neighborhood. As a youngster, life in Las Vegas was filled with fun. The desert provided opportunity to hunt lizards and rabbits. Kids walked to school without concern. They played ball and found the Strip casinos welcoming to locals. He tells how the social issue of segregation of the 1960s did not affect him personally, but how local movie theatre owner Lloyd Katz fought to make his Huntridge and Fremont theatres integrated. He also reminisces about his father opening Hollywood Furniture and later Garrett's Furniture, which Arne operated until retiring in 2001. During the interview, he lists other furniture companies and the strong assortment of other retailers and restaurants that served the neighborhood.
On February 7, 1977, collector Enrico Messina interviewed Edith Leavitt (born April 12th, 1924, in St. George, Utah) at her home in Las Vegas, Nevada. In this interview, Mrs. Leavitt talks about teaching in Southern Nevada, including in the Virgin Valley and in Las Vegas. She also discusses the changing education system in Southern Nevada during her time as an educator.
On February 28, 1979, collector Monte Leavitt interviewed Gene Leavitt (born October 6th, 1923 in Mesquite, Nevada) at his home in North Las Vegas, Nevada. In this interview, Mr. Leavitt talks about his career as a truck and bus driver. He also talks about the life in Southern Nevada, the soldiers stationed here, and gambling.
On February 28, 1980, Rodney Goosby interviewed Al McDaniels (b. 1940 in Muskogee, Oklahoma) about his life in Las Vegas and his career as an athletic coach. McDaniels, referred to as Coach by Goosby, speaks primarily about his time as a coach for track and field at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, his community involvement and the city’s recreational activities. Moreover, McDaniels speaks about his education and his current research as he works on a doctoral degree in physical education. Lastly, he talks about the city’s growth and the move from empty desert spaces to housing and shopping center constructions.