(Research provided by the City of Las Vegas)

In the early 1700s, a Spanish scout named Rafael Rivera discovered a valley along the route to Los Angeles with wild grasses and a plentiful water supply. His discovery of what the Spanish called "Las Vegas," or "The Meadows" cut days from the time previously required to reach Los Angeles.

However, until the explorer John Fremont wrote about Las Vegas in 1844, no one other than Spanish explorers, missionaries and local Native Americans knew about the Valley. Soon afterward, in 1855, Brigham Young helped establish the first non-Indian settlement in the region by assigning a small group of Mormon missionaries to build a fort and teach local Paiute Indians how to farm. Unfortunately, the Paiutes rejected the teachings. Their frequent raids on the fort caused it to be abandoned only two years later in 1857.

The discovery of minerals and precious metals, lead to the beginning of the mining industry in Nevada in 1885. In 1905, the completion of a main railway which linked Southern California with Salt Lake City, further established Las Vegas as a railroad town, as the availability of water made it a natural resting and refueling stop. The railroad was the principal industry in Las Vegas for the next 25 years.

Las Vegas was founded as a city on May 15, 1905, and was governed as part of Lincoln County until 1909 when it became the county seat for the newly established Clark County. It became an incorporated city on March 16, 1911. At that time, Las Vegas was only 19.18 square miles and had a population of approximately 800

By 1930, Las Vegas' population had grown to slightly more than 5,000. However, in 1931, three events occurred that would forever change the city. First, gambling was legalized in the State of Nevada. Second, divorce laws were liberalized so that a "quickie" divorce could be attained after six weeks of residency. And finally, construction began on the Hoover Dam, which brought an influx of construction workers. These three things combined to begin a opulation boom and gave the ValleyÕs economy a much-needed boost.

The outbreak of World War II brought the defense industry to the Valley. The isolated location, plentiful water and inexpensive energy, made Las Vegas an ideal site for military and defense related industries.

The Las Vegas we know today began growing with the construction of lavishly decorated hotels and casinos which offered top-name entertainment. Tourism became the area's largest employer, and the city quickly grew to 64,405 by 1960.

During the 1960s, Howard Hughes and other corporations began building and/or buying hotel/casino properties. Gambling became "gaming" and started the transition into legitimate business. Throughout the 1970s and into the 1980s, corporations continued to invest in the hotel/casino industry.

By 1980, the population had increased to 164,674, while Clark County had grown to a population of 463,087. But even this level of growth was nothing compared to what was about to happen. Starting in 1984, the Valley's annual population increased nearly 7 percent per year. Because of this, the city's population doubled between 1985 and 1995, increasing from 186,380 to 368,360 during that time, while Clark CountyÕs population increased from 562,280 to 1,036,180

The latest population predictions estimate that theLas Vegas Valley will be home to more than 2 million people by 2005.

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