The Las Vegas Valley has been home to Native Americans for thousands of years. It was discovered by Spanish explorers in 1829 that were attracted to the area because of the natural springs and meadows that existed here. They called the valley Las Vegas, which is Spanish for "The Meadows".

The first modern-era settlement was established by Mormon missionaries in 1855, but the project was abandoned in 1858. This original mission, known today as the Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort, became a haven for desert-worn travelers and trailblazers lured by the region´s gold and silver.

Settlers finally moved into the area to stay in 1865. That year Octavius D. Gass set up a ranch on what is now downtown Las Vegas. Gass lost the ranch to Archibald Stewart, whose wife, Helen, later sold the ranch to Montana U.S. Senator William Clark.

Many people credit Clark as the one who gave Las Vegas its start when he used the land to finish the railroad line between Los Angeles and Salt Lake City. With the arrival of Union Pacific Railroad in 1905 and the auction of land parcels owned by the railroad, Las Vegas was off and running as a typical frontier town.

Las Vegas officially became a city in 1911 by an act of the Nevada legislature. The Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce was founded that same year.

Ls Vegas was fairly insulated from the Great Depression. Jobs and money were plentiful because of the railroad development, legal gambling and the construction of Hoover Dam. Ironically, the dam also generated the start of the tourism industry as thousands of visitors came to watch the dam being built.

When the Nevada Legislature legalized casino gambling as a means of raising tax revenue in 1931, Nevada´s #1 industry began. El Rancho Vegas became the first resort to pennon what was to become the world-famous Las Vegas Strip.

During World War II, Nellis Air Force Base was growing into a key military installation. Originally built to train B-20 gunners, it later be came the training ground for the nation´s ace fighter pilots. Basic Refractors also established a magnesium plant south of Las Vegas to help with the war effort. As the community grew, it became the City of Henderson.

Today´s modern gaming industry began to take shape after World War II. The most celebrated of the early resorts was the Flamingo Hotel, built by Benjamin "Bugsy" Seigel, which opened on New Years Eve in 1946. In 1955, the Riviera became the first high-rise on the Strip with nine stories.

The push to build bigger, more luxurious properties continued. Before long the hotel/casino resorts on Las Vegas Strip were rivaling the downtown area. Growth continued at a steady pace through the 1970´s with a brief lull in the 1980´s when the community felt the effects of nationwide recession. As soon as the economy bounced back, people flocked to Las Vegas in record numbers, first tourists and later as permanent residents.

During the late 1980´s, there weren´t enough construction workers and equipment to meet the demand. Las Vegas soon became the darling of the nation´s economists who were amazed at the growth in construction and residences. The opening of the Mirage Resort in 1989 kicked off a growth spurt of resort properties on the Strip, which didn´t skip a beat in the first half of the 1990´s. By 1996, seven new themed mega resorts had opened.

At the close of the millennium, four more resort properties were added to serve the more than 30 million tourists who visit Las Vegas annually. Long touted as the "Gaming Capital of the World" and the "Entertainment Capital," Las Vegas is also a thriving business Mecca. Even with the spread of gaming throughout the country, Las Vegas is till booming and its future looks bright.