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Clark's Las Vegas Townsite ready to be sold |
| The San Pedro, Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad, the company controlled by Senator W.A. Clark, is planning to sell the lots for what will be then called the 'Clark's Las Vegas Townsite'. |
| The Las Vegas Land and Water Company is encharged for the sale. The Clark's Las Vegas Townsite is located to the southeast of the McWilliams' one, on the other side of the Las Vegas creek. |
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Map (compiled by McWilliams himself) showing both McWilliams' anc Clark's Las Vegas Townsites, as well as the location of the original Las Vegas Rancho.
Courtesy of UNLV Special Collections |
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Advertising the public land-auction sale |
| Since a huge number of offers comes out, a public land-auction sale is decided in order to maximize the profits. The auction is effectively advertised on many newspapers, among which even the 'Los Angeles Times'. |
| Special prices for the journey to Las Vegas are also offered to the bidders, as well a complete refund for the travel to those who will buy lots. |
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May 15th, 1905: people arriving at Las Vegas by train.
Courtesy of UNLV Special Collections |
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The very first Las Vegas Hotel |
| For this event the first major hotel of Las Vegas, called Hotel Las Vegas, has also been built. It has as much as 30 rooms, even though its roof is simply covered by a canvas. This hotel will be dismantled before the end of the year. |
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Clark's Las Vegas Townsite: Las Vegas Hotel, located at Stewart and Main Streets.
Courtesy of UNLV Special Collections |
The Las Vegas Hotel, while it is dismantled, before the end of 1905.
Courtesy of UNLV Special Collections |
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The official birth of the Las Vegas town |
| Although McWilliams tries to convince people about the risks of an auction, on May 15th, 1905, at the opening of the auction about three thousand bidders are present. The auction lasts for two days, but most of the lots are sold during the first one. |
| Therefore May 15th, 1905, is commonly accepted as the official birth date of the Las Vegas town. |
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The auction of May 15th, 1905.
Courtesy of UNLV Special Collections |
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The decline of McWilliams' Townsite |
| This date also marks the beginning of the end for the McWilliams' Las Vegas Townsite. Some of the inhabitants of this townsite, just after the auction, move to the Clark's Las Vegas Townsite. |
| Shortly after the railroad line is built, in between the two towns, and the tracks are placed high enough to make very difficult for wagons to cross them, therefore putting an handicap on any business located in the McWilliams' Townsite. |
| Near the end of 1905 a big fire destroyed most of McWilliams' Townsite, and most of the remaining chances of this town to survive. |
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Clark's Townsite: the future 'Downtown' |
| Differently from the McWilliams' Las Vegas Townsite, the street names of Clark's Townsite will survive unchanged for at least the first century of life of Las Vegas, forming what later on will be called the 'las Vegas Downtown'. |
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Map of Clark's Las Vegas Townsite
Courtesy of UNLV Special Collections |
A panoramic image of the Las Vegas Townsite.
Courtesy of UNLV Special Collections |
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The railroad depot |
| The early development of Las Vegas is tightly related to the railroad. For this reason a landmark of the city is the railroad depot. |
| At a first time a Rail Car (Number 12) is used as a temporary ticket office, but later on the Town will be provided with a permanent structure used as depot. |
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The first train arrived in Las Vegas from Salt Lake City.
Courtesy of UNLV Special Collections |
Rail Car Number 12 served is the first depot in Clark's Las Vegas Townsite.
Courtesy of UNLV Special Collections |
Another view of Rail Car Number 12.
Courtesy of UNLV Special Collections |
The San Pedro, Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad, with the Clark's Townsite in the background.
Courtesy of UNLV Special Collections |
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Clark's Las Vegas is rapidly growing |
| Clark's Las Vegas Townsite then continues growing. Many business are opened, or are just moving from McWilliams' Townsite. |
| A weekly newspaper, called ''Las Vegas Age'', is also founded: it will have Charles ''Pop'' Squires as its most famous editor. |
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Clark's Las Vegas Townsite: First State Bank, located on the corner of First and Fremont Streets, has moved from the McWilliams' Townsite.
Courtesy of UNLV Special Collections |
Clark's Las Vegas Townsite: Las Vegas Trading Co., Lumber, Lime, Cement etc., located on the corner of Main and Lewis streets.
Courtesy of UNLV Special Collections |
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Water to Las Vegas |
| Peter Buol becomes the manager of the Vegas Artesian Water Syndicate, an organization aimed at drilling artesian wells to provide Las Vegas with more water. |
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Japan wins the war against Russia |
| Japan wins the war against Russia. After having conquered the strategic town of Port Arthur, the Japanese troops get various successes. This war end with the Treaty of Portsmouth. |
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Russian workers march in St. Petersburg |
| Russian workers march in St. Petersburg against Czar Nicholas II, asking better conditions at work and more civil rights. soldiers shoot at people leaving 100 killed. After this massacre other protests and riots take place in many Russian towns. |
| Famous is the mutiny of the battleship 'Potemkin', that 20 years later will be the subject of a famous film of Sergei Eisenstein. |
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Albert Einstein writes three fundamental papers for the modern physics |
| Albert Einstein writes three fundamental papers for the modern physics: one on the Brownian motion (of small particles suspended in a fluid), proving that the matter is made of atoms; |
| another on the photoelectric effect, proving that the light is made of 'quanta'; the last one on the special theory of relativity, introducing a completely new concept of space and time. |
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Franz Lehar |
| Franz Lehar's operetta 'The Merry Widow' makes its debut in Vienna. |
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