Kim Bird's family moved to Las Vegas in 1955 when she was twelve years old. Pam Fogliasso arrived in 1954 with her family in 1954, when she was ten. Kim married and had a son and a daughter; she lives in Las Vegas. Pam married, had two children, and lives in Parumph, Nevada. Though Kim and Pam moved here in the mid-1950s, they had family members who had lived in Southern Nevada and worked on building Hoover Dam - Kim's grandfather and Pam's great-uncle. Both women remember growing up in a Las Vegas that was run by the mob and safe for teenagers; meeting friends in local hangouts such as the Blue Onion and attending sock hops, babysitting, and cruising down Fremont Street. They attended high school with black students but were also aware of the segregation that existed on the Strip. This interview focuses on Kim and Pam's experiences growing up in Las Vegas, and on their teenaged years attending Rancho High School.
A street scene with people and a horse-drawn buggy. The Light & Power Company building is visible in the foreground. The location is possibly Goldfield, Nev.
A dinner event with many men sitting and standing in a small room. The tables are covered with dinnerware - all men are unidentified and location is unknown.
Photograph of a person in a hat sitting on a rock in a creek. Boulders and desert plants surround the creek. A small tree and mountains are visible in the background.