On this day in 1905, Las Vegas was officially founded as a city. But its history began long before this date. In pre-historic times, what we now call Las Vegas (Spanish for “The Meadows”) was a verdant marshland, replete with vegetation and animal life (including mammoths, whose remains were found in the 1990’s). In time, the water receded, leaving a parched and barren wasteland, with life only sustained along the Colorado River which flowed through the Las Vegas Valley. 10,000 years ago, Native Americans lived in the valley, a modest oasis of life in an otherwise inhospitable desert.
In the 19th Century, while the territory was still a part of Mexico, southern traders would stop at the valley, known as a reliable place to refresh their supplies, before pushing-on to Los Angeles. It was at this time that the Mexican travelers christened the area “Las Vegas.”
Near the turn-of-the-century, after pipes were laid—making water supplies more convenient and reliable—U.S. settlers moved-in and train tracks were laid through the territory. Since 1905, Las Vegas has experienced dynamic growth, giving birth to a legalized “gaming” industry.
The handmade dice pictured above, retired from actual use at casino games tables, have been fashioned into sterling-mounted cufflinks—part of our wide array of cufflinks in-store. Please come into the shop to see them.
More cufflinks tomorrow.