Continued from June 13.
At the turn of the 20th century, the oasis town became a rest area for wagons and a stop on the new railroad connecting Los Angeles and Salt Lake City.
This railroad was completed in 1905, and in 1911, Las Vegas was incorporated as a U.S. city. Though gambling was prohibited at first, clandestine casinos opened for business. Then, in 1931, everything changes when Nevada became the first state to legalize gambling, as well as the first to offer quickie divorces.
From then on, the Silver State was synonymous with American excess.
Around the same time, construction began on the Hoover Dam, which would supply water and power to the valley. This monumental project brought in an influx of construction workers to the city of Las Vegas, and local entrepreneurs wasted no time in opening casinos to relieve these men of their spare cash.
--DaCoot
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