In the depths of the Great Depression, the United States undertook a task so monumental it demanded nearly five thousand people to complete. The Hoover Dam stands as a modern marvel, a testament to America's ingenuity. However, few know the story of the town that built the dam. To house the workers, Secretary of Interior Ray L. Wilbur envisioned a model of city planning, giving birth to Boulder City. Wilbur intended for the city to be temporary, to disappear once the dam was complete, but it didn't work out that way. Local author Paul W. Papa offers a unique look at a town that may have been forged by a dam but took on a life of its own.
The Boulder Canyon Project Act, authorized by Congress in 1928, designated funds for the construction of the Hoover Dam. This monumental undertaking affected the interests of seven states and is considered by many to be the most significant American public works project of the 20th century. A project of this scope required thousands of workers, and to meet their needs, the Bureau of Reclamation planned the town of Boulder City, Nevada. Today, the planning of Boulder City is recognized as a significant influence on modern city planning. To a country shaken to its roots by the tumultuous effects of the Great Depression, the Hoover Dam project provided two essentials that were in short supply: work and housing. With the planned community of Boulder City, there was yet another benefit--an oasis in the desert, a city with character and charm. From the hot, barren, cactus-covered land rose green lawns and gardens, workers and their families created a new sense of community, culled from their hard work and the massive dam that was rising before their eyes.
The original planners of Boulder City, Nevada, did not expect that the community of workers and engineers would outlast the construction of the great Hoover Dam. The subsequent years challenged this assumption, however, as Boulder City continued to grow and thrive even after the dam was completed and the waters of the Colorado River were harnessed. As more families took road trips to visit the dam and other southwestern attractions, Boulder City became a tourism hub. Shops, restaurants, and hotels, including the famous Boulder Dam Hotel, were built, and even more visitors flocked to the nearby Lake Mead National Recreation Area after its establishment in 1964. Elton M. Garrett aptly described the city in the masthead of his newspaper, the Boulder Dam Challenge, in 1936: "Boulder City Carries On With Spirit With Which Boulder Dam Challenged Rio Colorado."
WINNER OF 12 LITERARY AND DESIGN AWARDS! The unreal but TRUE story of the unknown casino that changed Las Vegas forever! After a horrific blaze destroyed Willie Martello's El Rey Club in 1962, fifty years would pass before anyone knew of how that casino and one-time brothel influenced LAS VEGAS casinos, upset the mob, and inadvertently launched the career of Francis Ford Coppola. Were it not for the chance discovery of a single photo in a Las Vegas museum, the El Rey Club would only be known as the seedy brothel where Senator Harry Reid learned to swim. Martello's accomplishments should place him among magnates like Howard Hughes or Steve Wynn, yet very few know his name. Featuring over 140 rare or unseen photos, these vibrant stories are now brought to light! ------------------------------------------------------------------- "Who else could tell the story of Willie Martello? The rare photos alone are worth the price of admission. My only regret is that I didn't write this book." -Robert Graysmith, New York Times Bestselling Author of Zodiac, Auto-Focus, and Black Fire "Quick, funny, and extremely intelligent!" -Mark L. Walberg,Host, Antiques Roadshow (PBS) "A literal time machine...a read that not only unleashes the imagination, but authenticates the splendor of Las Vegas' golden years." -Todd Newton,Emmy-winning game show host, author, and Las Vegas performer "Andy Martello has written a fascinating biography of Willie Martello. It is a long-awaited addition to my Nevada history shelf." -Mark Hall-Patton,Clark County Museum System Administrator,Pawn Stars, American Restoration (The History Channel) "LONG LIVE WILLIE MARTELLO!" -Richard B. Taylor,Author, historian, Las Vegas casino owner WINNER! 2014 International Book, 2014 USA Best Book Awards, Florida Book Festival, Great Southwest Book Festival WINNER! Silver Medals, 2014 Readers' Favorite International Book Awards, 2014 American Advertising Awards for book design (The ADDYs) FINALIST! Best New Non-Fiction, USA Best Book Awards, 2014 Red City Review Book Awards RUNNER-UP! 2014 Hollywood and Beach Book Festivals HONORABLE MENTION!, Great Midwest and Southern California Book Festivals
Deborah Wall has written an exciting and useful hiking guide for the Southwest. Featuring Arizona, Nevada and California's most picturesque destinations, this book is not to be missed by outdoor enthuasists of all ages. Filled with beautiful pictures and informative maps and guides, this book is the ultimate companion for any outdoor adventure. The author and editor of the guide have taken special care in selecting the most interesting and breath-taking hikes for feature in this book. Even non hikers will enjoy the vibrant narrative of Wall, as she draws you into her hiking adventures.
"A beautiful young woman dies from a fall in Asheville's greatest hotel ... and the Pink Lady is said to still wander the massive halls of the Grove Park Inn. A building is constructed on the grounds of a miserable, ancient cemetery ... now they say you can still hear strange noises at night in the halls of Clyde A. Erwin High School. In 1908, a group of prisoners finally comes to Christ ... after being terrorized at night by a spook in the Buncombe County Jail. A distraught mother hangs herself from the rafters of a looming Beaucatcher Mountain bridge ... and the legend of Helen is born. These stories and more can be found within the pages of this remarkable book. A surreal mixture of history and myth, it searches for the fading morsels of truth while examining the feasts of folklore. These are the tales that linger in the minds of Asheville, as old and flavored as the mountains themselves. From secret chambers in aged castles to cryptic etchings on forgotten tombstones, this mountain town is filled with the lore and intrigue of the mysterious side of life."--Publisher description
The drastic contrast between its desert landscape and the deep, blue waters of Lake Mead makes it difficult to envision the park's creation as merely incidental. After the completion of the Hoover Dam, the waters of the Colorado River began to flood the river valley and form one of the largest man-made lakes in the United States. The Bureau of Reclamation soon realized the vast recreational opportunities that Lake Mead would provide. Through a memorandum of agreement, the National Park Service was tasked with managing the first national recreation area, formerly known as the Boulder Dam National Recreation Area.
Most writing about Las Vegas focuses on the spectacular story of casino gambling and tourism. This book is different. Written by two renowned urban studies scholars and a local Las Vegas journalist, combining scholarly research with investigative reporting First academic book to provide a synthesis on the recent growth of Las Vegas Appropriate for courses in urban studies, economic development and tourism, communities and cultural studies
Anna Christiansen's small-town life is about to go haywire. A young reporter stuck in a dead-end job, Anna falls head over heels for an interview subject, the bass player in an up-and-coming alt band. In short order, she pulls up stakes, moves to Las Vegas, gets married and pregnant, and moves into a big fixer-upper haunted by the ghost of a Sin City racketeer. That's when she gets notice from a corrupt casino owner that he's buying up all the properties on her street to make way for a parking lot. But Anna has poured her heart and soul into the house, and digs in hard to fight the system, not the easiest of tasks in a city where bribery, mayhem, and murder are standard operating procedures. Can Anna's tough-guy ghost provide the help she needs to prevail in this dangerous cat-and-mouse game? Will Anna's life be left in ruins? Or worse? Part road trip, part coming-of-age saga, part mystery, part ghost story, The House Always Wins is all Vegas.
