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The Strip, January 1976. Photo by Hank deLespinasse.

Vintage Las Vegas

VACANT / HILTON GRAND – former El Rancho
1941-1960: El Rancho Vegas | 2720 Hwy 91 | T. Hull, owner (later “a succession of owners, leasees, and lawsuits” – Graham history of El Rancho); W. McAllister, architect. Neon by Nevada Electric Co (RJ 4/19/41). Opened 4/3/1941. 1941, Nov.: New wing with rooms and KENO (AM) station (11/22/41). Circa 1942-1947: standalone KENO AM station opened to the south of El Rancho. 1950, September: road sign opposite from the resort changed from a billboard to the neon arrow. 1951: Renovation led by owner B Katleman, designer Tom Douglas (RJ 7/3/51); “last summer Katleman told Dougles he wanted to ‘get rid of the corn’ but keep the Western character” (RJ 6/18/52); Round Up room becomes Opera House. 1960: casino/showroom destroyed by fire 6/17/60. Fire debris remained on site until late ‘61 (RJ 10/18/61, 11/2/61). 1962: some bungalows removed/relocated (RJ 9/22/62, 10/16/62, 11/11/62, 12/27/62). 1964: Reopened as El Rancho Vegas Motor Inn (RJ 3/7/64) w/ shops through c. 1967.2003: Hilton Grand Vacations | 2650 S Las Vegas Blvd. Opened with Tower 1; 2005: Tower 2.
2007: Sky Las Vegas | 2700 S Las Vegas Blvd.
1960-2006: Nevada Square Shopping Center | 2800 S Las Vegas Blvd. Ted Griss, developer. Paul R Williams, arc. (RJ 5/15/60). Includes Tommy B’s Pub (1968-1985) Anthony J Benetti, tavern, package liquor, slots.
1958: Las Vegas Strip Travelodge | 2830 S Las Vegas Blvd. 1957, Sep: Groundbreaking and business arrangement described in RJ 9/29/57. Franchise owned by M Kelch & partners. 1958: opens around May. First seen in the background 5/58.

SAHARA
1947-1952: Club Bingo | Prior to Club Bingo, M.D. Close built a restaurant on this site in 1946, sold a year later to Prell (RJ 5/2/47). Club Bingo opens July 24, 1947. M Prell, S Rubin, partners, owners. Waterman & Beckett, architect (RJ 7/17/47). Signs by YESCO. 1948: Bonanza Room opens in May (RJ 5/6/48), signs added. 1949: new sign by YESCO (RJ 6/29/49). 1952, May: Closed, Sahara construction begins; casino items sold to the public on June 4 (RJ 6/1/52).
1952-2011: Sahara | 2700 S Las Vegas Blvd. Opened Oct 7, 1952, owner M. Prell, A. Winter & partners, arc. M Meltzmann, built by Webb Corp. 1959: first tower construction (RJ 10/4/59). 1960: Tunis Tower (14 fl, arc. M Stern) and 127-ft sign (c. 9/15/60). 1961: Sahara and The Mint sold to Del Webb Corp. Sahara-Nevada Corp. for the merger, completed 9/61 – first public company to own casinos (source, RJ 7/19/61, 7/21/61, 9/1/61, 10/1/61, source, RJ 2/7/99). 1963: Alexandria Tower (24 fl, arc. M Stern). 1963: Don the Beachcomber addition (July ‘63 construction). 1967: Convention Center addition. 1978: Tangiers Tower (26 fl, arc. M Stern). 1980: second sign. 1982: Lowden purchase. 1988: parking garage, “T” extension of Tangiers Tower (27 fl) (Emporis). 1995: Bennett/Gordon Gaming purchase. 1996: Last of the 1950s-era low rise rooms demolished. 1999: renovation, Speedworld addition. 2007: SBE Ent & Stockbridge purchase. 2011 closed. 2014: Reopened as SLS Hotel. Tunis, Alexandria, and Tangiers towers renamed Sam, Society, and Citizen. Society tower becomes W Hotel 2017-2018. 2019: renamed Sahara.

THE DREW construction site
1948-1976: Thunderbird | 2755 S Las Vegas Blvd; 2731 Hwy 91. Opened 9/2/1948. M Hicks, C Jones, owners. Signs by Graham Sign Co (RJ 8/18/48). Fall 1958: renovation (RJ 11/24/58), adding new second floor over casino framed in rectangular box, new porte-cochère. 1959: “Thunderbird” logo changed early ’59; roadsign replaced in Fall. 1961/1962: roadsign moved to the front-center of the hotel, fire-shooting stick added to both birds. 1962: new roadsign and pylon. 1963, Oct 5: Thunderbird Downs quarterhorse track opened (9/24/63). 1964, Sep: Del Webb purchase. (Tiki torches?) 1965: 700-ft horizontal “Thunderbird” sign by Bill Clarke/Ad Art installed over the south rooms (seen 7/12/65); Fall: roadsign & pylon replaced with one roadsign and new neon bird (old bird sign over casino removed). 1975: Blue/green sign painted zigzag red/orange 1/75 or earlier. 1970s: changed hands from Caesars, to Parry Thomas, to Major Riddle (12/76).
1977-1981: Silverbird | 1977, January: Reopened as Silverbird. Thunderbird sign still in place until Mar 28, 1978 (RJ 3/29/78); replaced by the 190-ft sign/porte-cochère designed by Raul Rodriguez for Heath, built by AdArt. 1981: closed in 12/3/81, sold to Ed Torres in Feb 82 and renamed El Rancho in Apr 82 (RJ 3/18/82, 4/7/82).
1982-1992: El Rancho | Opens August 31, 1982 (RJ 9/1/82). 1987: Tower addition (source). Closed Jul 6, 1992. 2000: demolished, replaced by Turnberry & Fontainebleau construction site. 2017-2018: Fontainebleau purchase by Witkoff/New Valley, renamed The Drew.
1953-2005: Algiers | Built by M & L Hicks (Thunderbird), opened Nov 25, 1953. Signs by H Boernge, YESCO. 1968: Little Church of the West Algiers opens in front of the hotel Feb 68, Merle & Charolette Richards, owners (RJ 2/23/68, 7/3/88). c. 1970: Chapel sign changed. c. 1974: the chapel becomes Candlelight Wedding Chapel. 2005: hotel demolished, chapel moved to Clark County Museum, replaced by Turnberry & Fontainebleau.

Cross street: Circus Circus Dr (Keno Ln, 1955-75) / Elvis Preseley Blvd (Racetrack Rd, Riviera Blvd, 1961-2016)

OFF THE STRIP – by date.
1964-1985: Savoy Motel | 496 Keno Ln | RJ 4/8/64. c. 1985-86: demolished, replaced with Circus Circus Skyrise tower
1969: Westgate | 3000 Paradise Rd | Founded by K Kerkorian, International Leisure Corp. 1968: Groundbreaking Feb 9 (RJ 2/11/68). 1969: International Hotel opens 7/2/69. 1970: Hilton becomes primary owner of Int’l Leisure, late 70. 1971: renamed Las Vegas Hilton (RJ 7/18/71) with the “International” sign seen on top of the hotel as late as 1972. 1975 east tower (seen under construction 6/75). 1978: north tower. 1994: Second sign installed early 1994, 362 ft, John Renton Young Lighting. Partially demolished by storm (RJ 1/30/94, 3/13/94, 7/20/94). 1997: Third sign installed c. Mar-Jun 1997, 279 ft, by YESCO (RJ 3/7/97). 2011 renamed LVH; 2014 renamed Westgate.

CIRCUS CIRCUS
1968: Circus Circus | 2800 S Las Vegas Blvd. Opened 10/18/1968, J. Sarno, S. Mallin. 1971: carousel moved from south corner to north, replaced with Slots A Fun. 1972: Main Tower East (15 fl.). 1974: Bennett & Pennington lease and run the property (“remodeled the casino to separate the gamblers from the circus acts” – MM – but when?). 1975: Main Tower West (15 fl.). 1976: Lucky the Clown sign (unlv), late 76, named “Lucky” in a contest (RJ 1/16/77). 1980: Circus Circus Manor addition. c. 1981-82: redesigned porte-cochère, fountains covered. 1983: Bennett & Pennington purchase, Circus Circus Ent taken public 10/25/83. 1986: Skyrise Tower (29 fl.). 1993: tower, Adventuredome. 1999: Circus Circus Ent. becomes Mandalay Resort Group.
1971: Slots-A-Fun | opened Aug 1971

RESORTS WORLD construction site
1948: Motor-Vu Theater | Opened 4/23/48 (RJ) adjacent to Last Frontier. 1959: new owners change the name to Stardust Drive-In (RJ ¼/59). Vacant by ‘73. c. 1990: Budget Suites, demolished 2007, replaced with parking structure.
1955-1959: Royal Nevada | Founded by Frank Fishman in 1953 (RJ 6/15/53). Groundbreaking June 54 (RJ 6/27/54). Arc. John Replogle/Paul R Williams (RJ 10/28/53, 7/25/54, 1/11/55). Opened 4/19/1955. 1956: casino (or hotel and casino) closed Jan-Mar. 1957: casino closes in Dec. (“Big Hotel Beats Cheating Charge” RG 12/10/57). 1958: hotel closed in Mar. after IRS raid (“Revenue men close hotel in Las Vegas” UPI, 3/6/58). D.I./Stardust partners lease Royal Nevada hotel (RJ 8/29/58). 1959: Closed, turned into Stardust Auditorium, signs changed in Fall 59 (RJ 9/18/59, 10/12/59).
1958-2006: Stardust | 3000 S Las Vegas Blvd. 1953-1954: Stardust Inc formed by T. Cornero, land purchased from F Fishman, construction begins 10/54 (RJ 7/2/58). 1955: Cornero dies 7/31/55. 1956: sale to J. & R. Factor. 1958: Completed by Desert Inn associates, opened 7/2/1958. Sign by K. Wayne, YESCO. 1960: Aku Aku Restaurant opens 1/28/60 (RJ). 1961: Aku Aku road sign (Polynesian Food/Exotic Drinks) installed next to the moai (Sign of the Times 8/62). 1964: 9-story tower (seen under construction, 11/63). 1966: Left side of the sign chopped off during construction of blgd between casino & Aku Aku. 1967, July: Aku road sign removed, replaced with the base of 188 ft pylon. 1968: 188-ft pylon completed 2/16/68, design by Paul Miller, Ad Art. New building sign installed, exact date unknown. 1969: Sale to Parvin-Dohrmann Co., later known as Recrion (RJ 12/11/70). 1974: Recrion acquired by Argent. 1975: “Lido” added to the sign above the reader board. 1976: ’68 building sign removed in June; new facade and porte-cochère. 1987: Lower section of the sign’s reader board changed to LED; Aku Aku statue removed, donated to Clark County 11/87, installed at Sunset Park 5/88 (RJ 6/5/88). 1990: construction of West Tower (32 fl.), completed in ’91. 1991: type face on sign changed; “Lido” section removed from the sign. Closed 11/2006; Demolished 3/2007, Echelon construction begins, suspended in 2008. 2014: sold to Resorts World.
1965-2005: Westward Ho | 2900 S Las Vegas Blvd. 1962: Strip 66 Motel opens 8/31/62 (RJ) around the same time as Strip 66 service station on the same property. (Strip 66 Motel sign later moved to Strip 91 Motel.) 1963: Executive Suites (apartment-motel) opens behind Strip 66 (RJ 3/30/63) – these 30 buildings, 120 units remain until circa 2005; Strip 66 renamed Satellite Motel (RJ 10/24/63). 1964: Westward Ho groundbreaking (RJ 9/28/64) on the larger property north of Satellite/Strip 66/Executive Suites. 1965: Westward Ho #8 and Dennys #81 open in March (RJ 3/24/65). c. 1967 Satellite Motel name discontinued, consolodated [sic] into Westward Ho. 1971: Casino addition, briefly called Nickel Nik’s Westward Ho. 1976: second sign. 1983: third sign (“umbrellas”) installed. Closed 11/2005; demolished 3/2006.

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