Hello, I was in vegas in 1951 for a four year tour at nellis. Back then vegas was a homey place with a population of maybe 24000 and all the "action was on fremont st and fifth street (the "setrip".) The rest of the place a block off of fremont was just like any other small town. There were drug and hardware stores on fremont with a few jewler repait shops and a nice small diner called 'melody lane'. I bought a truimph motorcycle from Art Smythe at Arts motor clcle shop on east end of charleston & fremont st. Right across was an ''askew' drive in. Henderson & victory villiage was out at the site of a BMI minindg plant. Small towns, yes. North las vegas was a small development with a few shops and taverns. Freom there to nellis was 7 miles of open and barren desert.
Many memories lay out there for me. Then I got discharged and left. A dumb move that I regret.
Thanks, oldsgt, for that trip back in time! It was wonderful! I moved away from the Vegas area around 1984, and hadn't been back until last spring. Wow, what a change in those 26 years! Didn't even recongnize the strip. I felt melancholy, remembering walking from the Frontier, past the Stardust, both smallish casinos back then. We'd eat the Frontier's buffet, which was our favorite.
Funny how people thought (and probably still do) that all of the people who live there work in casinos and spend all their spare time there! The rest of the city was just a normal city, away from the strip. Most of the time we didn't even think about the strip or the casinos!
The town just doesn't feel personal any more. Too corporate-feeling now. And all those tightly-packed walled subdivisions... sigh...
Thanks, Hermit for the reply. Didn't think anybody reads this stuff. Yes I remember a hotel right across from the RR depot called the Sal Sagev with a nice little bar. And then down fremont st maybe past 5ths st there was a place called the ElCortez, maybe a hotel too and dthey had a great steak dinner for less than $4. Much cheap eats in vegas. In NLV, there was a hole in the wall across from the toweer club that had stools, and served steaks and only steaks. Good chow there too. Used to spend a lot of my spare time bumming in the desert away from the glitzy places and explore old mines and what ghost towns I could find. WAtch the tv show on satellite called Pawn Stars. Can't imagine all the crap they take in. Look for the scenery mostly. Don't recall all the palm trees when I was there tho and the only tall hotel was the flamingo across from the silver slipper and the last frontier villiage. Nice gunshop in there.
Yes, some of that 50+ years come back just like yesterday. If I went back there I would be disappointed cause it wouldn't be like I remembered.
Thanks, oldsgt, for that trip back in time! It was wonderful! I moved away from the Vegas area around 1984, and hadn't been back until last spring. Wow, what a change in those 26 years! Didn't even recongnize the strip. I felt melancholy, remembering walking from the Frontier, past the Stardust, both smallish casinos back then. We'd eat the Frontier's buffet, which was our favorite.
Funny how people thought (and probably still do) that all of the people who live there work in casinos and spend all their spare time there! The rest of the city was just a normal city, away from the strip. Most of the time we didn't even think about the strip or the casinos!
The town just doesn't feel personal any more. Too corporate-feeling now. And all those tightly-packed walled subdivisions... sigh...
That's how I feel about what Austin is turning into. All corporate, no soul.
Yup, that is the way towns go when population increases and big business starts calling the shots. The whole way of running the towns seem to change as you mentiioned. Guess there is no way to travel back in time unless you do it in your memory.
Try googling nevada ghost towns and Another site called Wessells living history for a look back to the 20's and dthe 30's. Even a time of 50 years can make a big difference. That's why I like the desert, without man's interference it is timeless.
Even Benny Binion's million dollars in $100,000 bills (they don't make them anymore either) that hung in binions club winddow on fremont must have disappeared. They used to have a annual celebration called Helldorado day right downtown but maybe that is gone too. Time marches on.....
sign me old sgt. (actually was one)
first off i would like to say thank you OLDSGT for you service to our country...
well Vegas has changed a lot since then...the ElCortez is still there and has the best 8 or 10 oz. prime rib dinner....the Flamingo is still here, not sure if it's still in the same place or not. Henderson, North las Vegas, and las Vegas are all one big happy valley..there is no more open desert in the valley..maybe some very small patches.. Fremont st. has a big electronic cover over it from Las Vegas blvd. (5th st.) to Main st. that's where the RR station was/is i think.. they play video's on it with music. look up Fremont street experience, that's what it's called..
they brought back the Helldorado days parade about 5-6 years ago. there even a 4day rodeo with it..very cool.
love to read stories about Las Vegas from people that lived here..
thanks again.
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Yes, the UP rr station was right at the head of fremont on main st. A nice spanish decor building and I don't think vegas has railroad service any more.
From what you said I take it there is no car traffic on fremont at all. There was a place called the golden nugget that had a good lunch too. Used to be a place called the california club on fremont where I used to take the bus in from nellis and every payday would put a silver dollar into a nmachine right inside the front door. In four years of that I never even got cherries. I was not a gambler and kept most of my GI pay in my pocket. maybe a beer or steak here and there.
Yes the flamingo had a silo type building there with lights that would go up and down. Quite a display in those days. Not too many multi story buildings then over maybe four stories or so. Only had four am radio stations then too KLAS KBMI KORK and KRAM
When I got to nellis the base was just re-opened a few years ago. Previous it was closed after ww2 was over since it was a frexible gunnery school for the army air corps. The buildings were all ww2 primitive buildings, nothing fancy at all. Only air conditioning was two swamp coolers on each floor. They worked fine in the dry climate.
Remember going to places like jen, sloan, blue diamond and goodsprings. We had a base on the tonopah roaad called indian springs afb now renemed creech afb where they remote fly the drones, and a R&R up on Mt Charleston, a nice little military rest thing. Wonder if the roxy is still there?
Well, many things are in memory andhear the blacktop is contdinuos all the way past nellis now. I would not even know where to start.
Thanks for the reply... Old sgt.