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Dennis Begin photos
The Other Las Vegas
Las Vegas Library and Children's Museum. Photo courtesy of LV Library
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The Other Las Vegas
Fremont Experience
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The Other Las Vegas
Mob Museum
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The Other Las Vegas
Neon Museum
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The Other Las Vegas
Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort
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The Other Las Vegas
Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort
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Dennis Begin photos
The Other Las Vegas
Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort
Story & photos by Dennis Begin
The Las Vegas most people are familiar with consists of opulent hotels, ritzy casinos, romantic wedding chapels, spectacular shows and great shopping, largely located along ‘The Strip’ or ‘Las Vegas Boulevard’. The ‘Entertainment Capital of the World’ is a fair description for this city. There is another side of Las Vegas that few people take the time to explore, that being the arts venues. There are forty museums, art collections and galleries in and around Las Vegas.
The Cultural Corridor
The epicenter of ‘the other’ Las Vegas is called the ‘Cultural Corridor’. The Corridor is located off the 515 Freeway [Exit 75], where the Las Vegas Boulevard intersects with Washington Avenue. This is the route to the arts, science, history and cultural areas of Vegas. Some of the attractions include the Neon Museum, Natural History Museum, Las Vegas Library and Children’s Museum, the Mob Museum as well as the Cashman Center. The ‘Cashman Center’ comprises a 10,000-seat baseball stadium [Triple A], a 1,898-seat theater for the performing arts as well as a large convention center.
In and around Vegas are unique museums, such as the Auto Collections at the Ling [350 cars], Howard Cannon Aviation Museum, the National Atomic Testing Museum and the Barrick Museum on the UNLV Campus. One of the most comprehensive museums is the Clark County Museum in nearby Henderson, administered by curator Mark P. Hall, who frequently appears on the TV show Pawn Stars as an authenticalist or history expert.
Google lists twenty-eight art galleries for the connoisseur, which includes major facilities such as the Contemporary Arts Center and its avant-garde art, as well as many boutique galleries like The Arts Factory, Sin City Gallery and many others. Vegas is also a prime location for touring exhibits such as Bodies: The Exhibition, Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition, Graceland Presents Elvis: The Exhibition and the Art of Picasso at the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art. Many artists have had their work displayed in various galleries, including Dale Chihuly [glass sculptor], Sam Francis [abstract painter], August Rodin [sculptor] and the works of Richard MacDonald [sculptor].
The Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort - Birthplace of Las Vegas.
One of the museums that visitors may not be familiar with is the Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort, also located in the Cultural Corridor. The word ‘las vegas’ is Spanish and means ‘the meadows’. The meadow was a natural oasis or artesian springs only 5 km (3 mi) from the Old Mormon Fort. In the past, the local Paiute people, mountain men, gold seekers and settlers along the Old Spanish Trail used the oasis. One small tributary from the meadows bisected the grounds of the Old Mormon Fort and was called the Las Vegas Creek. A small, cemented creek now flows in the same location as the original stream. It was here that the Mormons built their new home, the Birthplace of Las Vegas.
In June 1855, William Bringhurst along with twenty-nine Mormon missionaries from Utah arrived to construct a 4.3 m (14-foot) 46 m (150 ft) adobe fort and eight houses, which became the first permanent non-native settlement in Nevada. The fort was strategically located half way between Salt Lake City and San Bernardino, California, and served as a rest station for travelers. The Mormons
wanted to build a ‘State of Deseret’ where they could practice their religion and establish a mission to convert the Paiute Indians. Following disagreements and conflicts within the Mormons, this first settlement lasted only two years, but the buildings remained.
The abundance of fresh water attracted others to the valley, such as Archibald and Helen Stewart. It was Helen, following the death of her husband in a gunfight, who turned the property into a prosperous ranch. When Helen died in 1902, the land was sold to the San Pedro, Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad Company, becoming part of the Union Pacific Railroad. A new city quickly emerged around the railroad with Fremont the main street. This historic street is now known for its covered walkway, casinos including the Golden Nugget, and the Fremont Experience, which is a nightly music and light show.
The Old Mormon Fort itself has been a State Park since 1991 and underwent major renovations to the tune of $4.5 million in 2003-05. The park now consists of a Visitor Center, courtyard, re-constructed walls, bastions, gardens and site of the Ranch House’s original foundations. The only other original remnants of the fort is the BOR Test Lab, and the south stone wall. The Visitor Center has many interpretive displays, historical exhibits, artifacts, gift shop and a good historical film. The fort, listed on the National Register of Historical Places, is located adjacent to the Natural History Museum.
As for the original springs or meadows, the ground water decreased and eventually was diverted into the wells of the Las Vegas water system. In 1977, the original springs became the Springs Preserve, a nature park, science exhibit, botanical gardens, walking/hiking area, and home to the Nevada State Museum.
There are numerous attractions in Vegas other than the casinos and shows, and takes only a little research and time to visit The Other Las Vegas.