1939 Winters Pictorial View of Las Vegas, Boulder (Hoover) Dam, and Environs

A whimsical 1939 Raymond Winters pictorial view of Las Vegas, Nevada, and its environs, including Boulder (Hoover) Dam and Lake Mead.

A Closer Look

Oriented towards the northwest, this view covers an area between Death Valley and Lake Mead, focusing on Las Vegas and the recently completed engineering marvel, Boulder Dam. The city is presented as raucous, rowdy, and energetic, matching the overall Western frontier theme of the piece. Trains, automobiles, and airplanes are seen heading into town, bringing passengers eager for excitement. The judge snipping the ties between a couple in a Las Vegas courthouse is a reference to Nevada's liberal divorce laws at the time.

Aside from the city itself, outdoor activities such as golfing, skiing, and hunting are highlighted, including at national parks. Boulder Dam and Lake Mead stand out prominently at right, reflecting their importance not only to Las Vegas but as national symbols of modernity.

The opposite side of the recto includes a small map and information on travel times (by train and air) to Las Vegas, accommodations, climate, the state's relaxed marriage and divorce laws, and its low taxes. The verso includes promotional images and text for Las Vegas, Boulder Dam, Death Valley, and other nearby attractions.

Before 'Sin City'

The claim that Las Vegas was 'still a frontier town' was not entirely bogus when this view was published. Although Native Americans had inhabited the area for centuries, the harsh climate deterred most white settlers aside from a few hardy Mormons and U.S. military outposts. The city was founded in 1905, the same year it was reached by the railroad, which allowed its tiny population to grow considerably in the following years. Even so, at the time of publication, the population of Las Vegas was under 10,000. In the following years, though, the city would transform dramatically due to the development made possible by Hoover Dam and the increased presence of the U.S. military. By 1950, its population had already more than doubled to nearly 25,000 and again by 1960 to over 60,000.

Hoover Dam

Hoover Dam, built on the Nevada-Arizona border, is a concrete arch-gravity dam in Black Canyon on the Colorado River. It was built between 1931 and 1936, with over 3,000 individuals on the payroll when construction began. The workforce hit its peak in July 1934, with 5,251 people on site. Over one hundred people died during construction. Hoover Dam forms Lake Mead, the largest reservoir in the United States. Between 1933 and 1947, it was named 'Boulder Dam' by the Roosevelt Administration in a rebuke to President Hoover, who had championed the project. The dam generates electricity for millions of people in Nevada, Arizona, and California, and when water levels are sufficient, Lake Mead provides for a wide range of maritime recreation activities.

Publication History and Census

This view was drawn by commercial artist Raymond Winters for the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce in 1939. It is only noted in the OCLC among the holdings of Southern Methodist University and the Newberry Library.