The Unusual History of Las Vegas

Water supply

Anyone who would like to learn the unusual history of Las Vegas may be astonished to learn that what is now an arid desert climate used to be marshland which had plenty of vegetation due to the abundant water supply. However, by the time explorers with the Antonio Armijo party which named the area Las Vegas in 1829 came around, water supply in the area had significantly dwindled to artesian wells that provided water to surrounding green areas.

Hoover Dam

A look at the unusual history of Las Vegas would not be complete without acknowledging the importance of building the Hoover Dam from 1931 to 1935. The Hoover Dam not only supplied electricity to the growing population of Las Vegas but also much-needed water. The original name of Hoover Dam was Boulder Dam. Many of the newcomers to Las Vegas were people who wanted to work on the dam and then stayed on as the Las Vegas gambling industry grew.