Las Vegas

Las Vegas, a city in southeastern Nevada, is the seat of Clark County and, with a population of 258,295 (1990 census), is the largest city in the state.  Because of its gambling casinos, it is a world-famous resort.  Las Vegas is also the commercial center for a large mining and ranching area. The city lies at an altitude of 620 m (2,033 ft) on a desert plain surrounded by mountains.  Income from luxury hotels, gambling casinos, and other entertainment used by approximately 15 million tourists a year forms the base of the city's economy.  Livestock raising, mining (gold, silver, lime, borax, and gypsum), railroading, and the manufacture of beverages are also important industries. HOOVER DAM and the Nevada Test Site of Nellis Air Force Base are both nearby.  A branch of the University of Nevada is in Las Vegas.

Artesian springs first attracted California-bound travelers to the site. Mormons from Utah settled there briefly (1855-57), and in 1864 the U.S. Army built Fort Baker. First part of Arizona Territory, Las Vegas was included in the state of Nevada in 1867. Arrival of the San Pedro, Los Angeles, and Salt Lake Railroad in 1905 encouraged the town's growth. Gambling was legalized in Nevada in 1931, and the population burgeoned after 1940 and again between 1960 and 1970, when the population almost doubled. In 1980 a fire at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas took 84 lives (from Toolworks Multimedia Encyclopedia).