Lake, Robert E. (Earnest), 1857-1932

Robert E. "Spud" Lake was a Las Vegas pioneer and civic developer for whom an elementary school was named. He was born in 1857 in Illinois. He married Mary Ellen Osborn in Missouri in 1885, and they moved to Ontario, Canada, before eventually settling in Las Vegas, Nevada in 1904. He started a barbershop for railroad workers and other settlers in the area. Lake participated in the land auction for the Las Vegas town site and purchased two parcels. The first school was built on one of his parcels; and he served as the first president of the school board, and later as a trustee.

Source:

Ann Thalken, "Robert E. Lake." Accessed September 14, 2015. https://sites.google.com/site/robertlake516/our-namesake