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History   Spanish traders en route to Los Angeles along the Spanish Trail seek a route that passes through the then unexplored Las Vegas Valley. The Spaniards refer to the route through the valley as "jornada de muerte," journey of death. A young scout named Rafael Rivera is the first person of European ancestry to look upon the valley. His discovery of a valley with abundant wild grasses growing and a plentiful water supply reduces the journey by several days. The valley is named Las Vegas, Spanish for "The Meadows."   Early 1700's                 1844 Famed explorer Captain John Fremont writes about Las Vegas - bringing the valley to the attention of others besides the Spanish explorers and missionaries and the indigenous Indian population. Brigham Young assigns 30 Mormon missionaries to build a fort in the Las Vegas valley. The fort constitutes the first non-Indian settlement in the region and is still located on the corner of Washington Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard. Their primary purpose is to teach the Paiute Indians farming techniques. The Paiutes reject the teachings and occasionally raid the fort.   1855                 1857 Bringham Young's fort is abandoned The discovery of minerals, including precious metals, leads to the beginning of the mining industry. The completion of the main railway, linking Southern California with Salt Lake City, establishes Las Vegas as a railroad town. The availability of water makes Las Vegas an ideal refueling point and rest stop. The railroad is the principal industry in Las Vegas for the next 25 years.   Late 1800's                 1885 The State Land Act of 1885 offers sections of land at $1.25 per acre. Farmers move in and agriculture becomes the dominant industry for the next 20 years. Las Vegas is founded as a city on May 15, 1905, when 110 acres of land situated between Stewart Avenue on the north, Garces Avenue to the south, Main Street to the west, and 5th Street (Las Vegas Boulevard) to the east, are auctioned off. Freight Wagon on Freemont Street 1905                 1909 Las Vegas becomes the county seat for the newly established Clark County. Until now, the city is governed as part of Lincoln County. Las Vegas becomes an incorporated city and adopts its first charter on March 16th. At the time of incorporation, the city encompasses 19.18 square miles, and has approximately 800 inhabitants, less than 1 percent of the states total population. Clark County has a population 3,321. On March 19th, gambling is legalized in the State of Nevada. One month later, the city issues six gambling licenses. Divorce laws are liberalized in the State of Nevada, making residency easier to attain. A "quickie" divorce can be attained after six weeks of residency. These short-term residents stay at "dude ranches" which are the forerunners of the sprawling Strip hotels.   1911                 1930 Las Vegas grows to a population of 5,165. Beginning in 1931, the construction of Hoover Dam brings an influx of construction workers which starts a population boom and gives the Valley's economy, which was in the grips of the Great Depression, a needed boost.   1931                 1935 Hoover Dam is complete. Las Vegas' population has grown to 8,422. The outbreak of World War II brings the defense industry to the valley. The isolated location, along with plentiful water and inexpensive energy, makes Las Vegas an ideal site for military and defense related industries. The site for Nellis Air Force Base is located in the northeast, and the Basic Management Complex, providers of raw materials, is located in the southeastern suburb of The Hills. The defense industry continues to employ a significant number of valley residents.   1940                 1945 Following World War II, lavishly decorated resort hotels and gambling casinos offering top-name entertainment come into existence. Tourism and entertainment took over as the largest employer in the valley. Gaming Board is created. Moulin Rouge, Las Vegas' first racially integrated hotel, opens its doors   1955                 1956 The city of Las Vegas annexes one square mile of land, its first such addition since incorporation 45 years earlier. Topless Showgirls debut on the Strip with "Minsky's Follies."   1957                 1959 "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" sign is created by Betty Willis. Las Vegas encompasses 25 square miles and has a population of 64,405. Las Vegas has more than 22 percent of Nevada's total population on less than .02 percent of the State's land. At the same time, Clark County has a population of 127,016. Las Vegas hosts its first boxing match.   1960                 1960's During the 1960s, a phenomenon lead by Howard Hughes, occurs in Las Vegas. Corporations are building and/or buying hotel/casino properties. They have the capital necessary and the profitability makes entrance into the casino industry extremely attractive. Gambling becomes "gaming" and starts the transition into legitimate business. Elvis Presley opens at the International Hotel, now known as the Las Vegas Hilton.   1969                 1970-1980 Corporations continue to invest in the hotel/casino industry. Gaming becomes a legitimate business and some properties have stock traded on the market. Las Vegas economy remains strong and the population increases to 164,674. Clark County, meanwhile, grows to a population of 463,087.   1980                 1980's Starting in the mid 1980s, a period of unprecedented growth begins. Annual population increases averaging nearly 7 percent causes the city's population to almost double between 1985 and 1995, increasing from 186,380 to 368,360, a 97.6 percent increase. That is equivalent to building a city larger than Reno in 10 years! At the same time, Clark County's population increases from 562,280 to 1,036,180, an increase of 84.3 percent.           1993 The Dunes Hotel implosion. Contributing to the population growth is a 4 percent annual increase in hotel rooms and a 9.18 percent annual increase in jobs   1990's         The US Census reports the population of Las Vegas is 478,434 over a land area of 113 square miles. There are over 500 churches and synagogues, 799 acres of parks, 7 television stations, and 12 radio stations (4 AM and 8FM). Las Vegas is the largest metropolitan city in the U.S. that was founded in 20th century.   2000                 2005 The city of Las Vegas celebrated its 100th birthday on May 15, 2005. The events celebrated the May 15, 1905 auction in which 110 acres of downtown Las Vegas laid the foundation for the city we know today. The celebration began on December 31, 2004, and lasted throughout 2005. For more information, visit the Centennial Web site.

 

General Characteristics	Number	Percent	U.S.
Total population	518,313	100.0	100%
Male	260,834	50.3	48.9%
Female	257,479	49.7	51.1%
Median age (years)	33.4	(X)	36.0
Under 5 years	43,498	8.4	7.0%
18 years and over	374,216	72.2	74.3%
65 years and over	56,551	10.9	12.0%
One race	506,098	97.6	98.1%
White	398,375	76.9	76.1%
Black or African American	42,226	8.1	12.1%
American Indian and Alaska Native	896	0.2	0.8%
Asian	25,466	4.9	4.1%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	4,244	0.8	0.1%
Some other race	34,891	6.7	4.8%
Two or more races	12,215	2.4	1.9%
Hispanic or Latino (of any race)	141,139	27.2	13.8%
Average household size	2.73	(X)	2.6
Average family size	3.35	(X)	3.2
Total housing units	214,306	100.0	100.0%
Occupied housing units	190,075	88.7	89.7
Owner-occupied housing units	115,589	60.8	66.8%
Renter-occupied housing units	74,486	39.2	33.2%
Vacant housing units	24,231	11.3	10.3%
Social Characteristics	Number	Percent	U.S.
Population 25 years and over	332,368	100.0
High school graduate or higher	(X)	78.7	83.6%
Bachelor's degree or higher	(X)	18.9	26.5%
Civilian veterans (civilian population 18 years and over)	44,399	11.9	11.4%
Disability status (population 21 to 64 years)	29,187	9.6	12%
Foreign born	106,157	20.5	11.8%
Male, Now Married (population 15 years and over)	107,930	54.6	56.6%
Female, Now married (population 15 years and over)	102,522	51.4	51.6%
Speak a language other than English at home (5 years and over)	136,7000	28.8	18.4%
Economic Characteristics	Number	Percent	U.S.
In labor force (population 16 years and over)	252,074	64.7	66.0%
Mean travel time to work in minutes (population 16 years and over)	24.6	(X)	24.3
Median household income (dollars)	44,078	(X)	43,564
Median family income (dollars)	51,968	(X)	52,273
Per capita income (dollars)	21,341	(X)	23,110
Families below poverty level	12,154	9.8	9.8%
Individuals below poverty level	64,418	12.5	12.7%
Housing Characteristics	Number	Percent	U.S.
Single-family owner-occupied homes	108,209	100.0
Median value (dollars)	166,631	(X)	147,275
Median of selected monthly owner costs	(X)	(X)
With a mortgage	1,248	(X)	1,204
Not mortgaged	322	(X)	333

 

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