Oral history interview with Elaina Blake conducted by Claytee D. White and Stefani Evans on September 19, 2016 for the Building Las Vegas Oral History Project. Blake discusses being the first woman elected to head the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce. She also discusses serving as vice chairman and chairman of the Clark County Planning Commission. Blake then talks about her involvement with the United Way, saving the YMCA from closure, and the Focus School Project in 1989. She then discusses working with major local builders such as Pageantry Homes, Heers Brothers, and Christopher Homes. Blake lastly discusses creating Blake and Associates and becoming became a real estate developer.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with John F. Cahlan conducted by Larry DuRussel on July 02, 1975 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Cahlan discusses how Las Vegas, Nevada was developed, how Nellis Air Force Base was built and its purposes, and how water was originally supplied to Las Vegas. Cahlan also mentions the various Hollywood stars he met during his career as a journalist for the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Cahlan lastly discusses atomic testing conducted in Nevada.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with M. Jeri Rarick conducted by Richard J. Travers on March 06, 1975 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Rarick discusses moving to Boulder City, Nevada with her family in 1931. Rarick goes on to discuss settling in Las Vegas, Nevada as a young adult. Rarick discusses her experiences in Las Vegas including her various jobs, ranging from waitress to Union Pacific dispatcher.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with William Snyder conducted by Claytee D. White on November 21, 2008 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. Snyder discusses being an architect who worked for Tate Snyder Kimsey Architects. He also talks about the school named after him, working with the children who attended that school, and designing the McCaw School of Mines for McCaw Elementary School in Henderson, Nevada.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Lee Murialdo conducted by Kim Burco on February 26, 1979 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Murialdo discusses the history of Las Vegas, Nevada as it pertains to casinos and city growth. Murialdo describes the initial founding of the city and origins of the name "Las Vegas," entertainment on the Las Vegas Strip, and the different games available to play in casinos. Murialdo also describes the construction of the Flamingo Hotel and Casino, as well as the construction of the Hoover (Boulder) Dam. Murialdo goes on to discuss her novel and why she decided to move to Las Vegas.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Mario Berlanga Jr. conducted by Claytee D. White on July 26, 2017 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Berlanga discusses his upbringing in Las Vegas, Nevada and growing up in the Westside community. He discusses his experience working at supermarkets, becoming a supermarket owner, and establishing his business, Mario’s Westside Market. Berlanga talks about supporting the children of the community, working with the local police, and the growth of his business. Lastly, Berlanga discusses the redevelopment of the Westside neighborhood.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Jim Gans conducted by Claytee D. White on January 30, 2013 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. Gans discusses working as an electrician and attending the Aviation Academy in Reno, Nevada and then as a flight instructor there. He also discusses working in measuring radioactivity from nuclear testing, working at the Clark County Sanitation, and at the Las Vegas, Nevada Convention and Visitors Authority as a vice president there.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Charlotte M. Kelly conducted by Terri Lynn Truesdell on April 4, 1976 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Kelly discusses local history that she experienced as well as her reasons for moving to Las Vegas, Nevada. She also talks about Las Vegas' population growth and Nellis Air Force Base.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Frances Moore conducted by Len Trout on March 01, 1979 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Moore begins by discussing her family's history in Nevada and the people she met in Las Vegas, Nevada. She talks about visits by prominent politicians to Las Vegas, the crash of Carole Lombard's plane, and life in Las Vegas during the 1930s and 1940s. Moore also describes how Las Vegas has changed, nuclear weapons tests, and the Stewart Ranch.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Roy Smith conducted by Gary Michael Buyacheic on March 13, 1976 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Smith discusses arriving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1931 for job opportunities. Smith recalls the introduction of gambling and the impact it had on the city and throughout Nevada. Later, Smith describes the Stewart Ranch, Mount Charleston, and the growth of casinos and hotels on the Las Vegas Strip.
Archival Collection