Historic Preservation
Las Vegas was established as a railroad town in 1905; at the head of Fremont Street, the Mission-style depot represented the railroad's dominance over the economic and social life of the town for several decades. The streets of downtown were laid out parallel to the railroad tracks and not on a North/South grid. The building of Hoover Dam in the 1930s and the rise of the gambling industry in the 1940s and 1950s fueled spectacular growth in the Las Vegas Valley. With the growth came the loss of many of the town's early buildings. Some important buildings that have been lost include the Clark County Courthouse on Second Street (now Casino Center Boulevard), the ice plant on Main Street and the hospital on Eighth and Ogden. Historic preservation efforts have been successful for several properties, including the 5th Street School, the Las Vegas High School, the Old Mormon Fort and the Post Office and Federal Building. The preservation of Las Vegas' early buildings offers us a rare glimpse of our past in this rapidly changing city.
Marker is on South 3rd Street, on the right when traveling south.
Courtesy hmdb.org
