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Hank Greenspun – A true old school newsman
who challenged the good old boys when it came to how the news should
be run. He is credited with giving Las Vegas a Newspaper and two
broadcast stations. He was also a huge part of the community with
several places named in his honor including the UNLV Greenspun
School of Communications.
Elvis Presley – The King of Rock n Roll
was also the King of Vegas, at least for a time. More than the
person though, his memorabilia (and hordes of impersonators) did and
still are to this day adding massively both to the Vegas image and
economy. In fact, the months after his death saw greater sales of
Vegas/Elvis trinkets, records, and memorabilia than at any time in
his life.
Kirk Kerkorian – A daredevil pilot and
daredevil business man, he is the father of the “mega resort”
building the original MGM Grand in 1973. He has been responsible for
building “the largest hotel in the world” three separate times now,
is the 41st richest person in America, and at the top of MGM/Mirage
today, which owns half of the casinos on the Las Vegas Strip.
Steve Wynn – Regarded in most circles as
the most visionary casino builder alive, he redesigned the Golden
Nugget bringing Downtown back to life in a large sense. He has also
built the two most expensive casinos on the Strip, Bellagio and the
Wynn. He is responsible for many others like Mirage, T.I., Encore,
and is currently working on a $3 billion urban village.
Harry Reid – Regardless of your politics,
if you don’t like what Reid’s done for Vegas it’s only because you
don’t know what Reid’s done for Vegas. Remember when driving from
north Vegas to the Strip was like NY rush hour? Remember when the
courthouse was a giant hole in the ground? Since his involvement in
Nevada politics, and despite early assassination attempts on his and
his family’s life, he’s finished projects other Senators and
Representatives had been sitting on for years. The son of a
hard-rock minor, he’s pushed through pro-Nevada and Vegas projects
like City Center and the Spaghetti Bowl staying steady as a rock and
regardless of political implications. Vegas would look much
different without Harry Reid’s influence.
John C. Fremont – Not the first scout or
adventurer to come to Sin City by any means, he is credited though
with pointing many travelers to the Vegas Valley. Fremont Street is
the second most known Vegas attraction next to the Strip and is
named after him. While he is credited by some with putting Vegas on
the map, he is better known for starting a war, running for
president, and “freeing slaves before Abraham Lincoln did.”
Jim Cashman – Cashman is a well known name
in Vegas, “Big Jim” Cashman the senior of the Cashman clan, had his
hand in a number of Vegas firsts from the first car dealership to
the first highway to Las Vegas. Several spots in Vegas are named in
his honor including Cashman field.
William Clark – Way back when Vegas was a
dusty village, and nothing more than a stopping point from Salt Lake
to L.A., William Clark chose it as the halfway spot for a new
railway. This was the first of many Las Vegas booms. |
