El Rancho Vegas
The first resort on the Las Vegas strip.
Alex Q. Arbuckle
July 1942
Once a modest desert town, in 1931 Las Vegas saw a massive influx of thousands of young men looking to work on the construction of the nearby Hoover Dam. With this new population of young males with money to spend, the Nevada state legislature shrewdly legalized gambling at the local level, and Las Vegas grew into a mecca for casino games and bawdy entertainment. After the completion of the dam in 1935 and the dispersal of the workers, the newly-created Lake Mead became a tourist destination, and more hotels sprouted up.In 1941, El Rancho Vegas became the first resort to open on Highway 91, south of Las Vegas, a stretch which would soon become known as the Las Vegas Strip.Conceived by Thomas Hull of El Rancho Hotels, the Vegas resort featured an oasis-like atmosphere with a large swimming pool and greenery, a marked contrast to the dusty gambling halls nearby. More importantly, it boasted 70 slot machines, two blackjack tables, a roulette table and a craps table.The resort was a tremendous success, and similar establishments soon appeared along the strip. On June 17, 1960, the resort burned to the ground in a devastating fire. Plans to rebuild it never materialized.The land where it once stood is now occupied by the Hilton Grand Vacations Suites.
