From Harvey's Hotel and Casino Postcard Collection (PH-00367)

Steve Evans is a native of Henderson, Nevada; living there when it was little more than an industrial town. In this interview, Steve tells of his humble life in Henderson's Carver Park community to becoming the owner of a home formerly owned by a teenage mentor, Flora Dungan, who founded Focus, a youth counseling program where he worked. Steve's penchant for architecture threads through this narrative. Among the stories he shares is of his efforts to recover information about his John S. Park home, which was built in 1964, designed by Kennard Design Group of California and considered the best example of mid-century modern architecture in Las Vegas. In addition, Steve is an informed observer of a community in transition. He tells about the thriving commerce of Fremont Street shifting to Maryland Parkway, the beginning of the Arts District, the impact of events on the John S. Park Neighborhood sense of community, events such as the Stratosphere wanting to build a roller coaster as well as the movement to give John S. Park a historical designation. Steve left Las Vegas for a few years to purse his career in social justice and activism. He returned home and has been a involved in community service, a City Planning Commissioner, Chair of the Downtown Design Review among other committees.