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Oral History Interviews
Total records in this collection: 2606Print version of all records
| Narrator | Date | Project | Content | Transcript | Tapes |
| Christensen, Paul J. | 02/19/2008 | Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project | Personal history of Las Vegas through the eyes of a public servant. Growing up in Las Vegas during the 1940s. Education history and childhood memories. Downtown. Experiences in the US Air Force: flying B-47s loaded with nuclear bombs; training. NV Test Site. Family jewelry business in Las Vegas. Election to the board of the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce. Election to the Las Vegas City Council and the beginning of a career in politics. “Jam auction.” Tussle with the Clark County Commission over wastewater in the valley: details of the dispute, extended to the state and Environmental Protection Agency. Move to the County Commission and why? The Mob during the 1950s and 60s. The Mormon community in Las Vegas. Howard Hughes. Experiences sitting on the County Commission. Chairman of the Convention Authority. Remarks on Las Vegas’ future water supply. Election defeat. Corruption on the County Commission (Erin Kenny). “Distinguished Nevadan” award. County Hospital. Quick Care Centers. Opinion on the growth of Las Vegas. Speedway Children’s Charities. Dina Titus. Experiences with African Americans. Lucy Stewart. Beaver, NV. | yes | 0 |
| Christian, Ray | 03/19/1978 | Local Oral History Project-Roske | Las Vegas history, 1940s-1978, from an African American perspective. Education of narrator. Schools in Las Vegas. Sunday school. Leisure activities. Utilities. Boy scouts. Cleaning job at El Portal. Race relations and racial conflict in Las Vegas with a focus on schools—a couple of stories from narrator. Westside. Relations between white and black baseball teams. Depression during 1947-1948 depression. Narrator was the first black mail carrier in Las Vegas. Philosophy of a successful marriage. Segregated theatres. According to the narrator, white and black veterans were influential in improving of race relations in Las Vegas. [No file] | no | 1 |
| Christiansen, Norman R. | 11/28/1986 | Local Oral History Project-Roske | Family history. Red Lodge, MT mining disaster in 1943. Philosophy of life. Transition from residing in Montana to living in Las Vegas. Changes in Las Vegas: highways; construction; schools; pollution. Teaching in Las Vegas. Change in the attitudes of students. Comparison between Montana and Las Vegas. Price of entertainment on the Strip. Comparison between the Las Vegas of the late 1950s and the city in the 1980s: teaching. Reminiscences of working at the Nevada Atomic Testing Site. Economic and environmental changes. Strengths of Las Vegas. | no | 1 |
| Christie, Gordon | 06/30/1975 | Local Oral History Project-Roske | Las Vegas history, 1959-1975. Narrator moved to Las Vegas from Los Angeles in 1959—too many people in southern California. Narrator was a carpenter, specializing in the crafting of high end furniture. Worked on the construction of the several high rise casinos including the original MGM hotel, Desert Inn, Frontier, and the Landmark. In the 1950s Las Vegas became a ghost town during the week, once Californians returned to their state. Meeting with Governor O’Callaghan. Reflections on atomic testing. Influence of Howard Hughes. Standard of living in Las Vegas. Northern Nevada. Narrator’s salary in 1959 compared with 1975. Leisure activities: fishing in the Colorado River; hunting in northern Nevada, for example the area around the town of Midas. El Rancho fire.[Interview summary on file] | no | 1 |
| Cichoski, George D. | 03/15/1981 | Local Oral History Project-Roske | History of the Cumorah Credit Union—served members of the Church of Latter Day Saints. Background to the Credit Union’s establishment in 1965. Notable charter members: Gerry Schneider (President), Edward Bunker, A. A. Stevenson, and Virgil Slade. Development of the Credit Union from 1966-1981. Financial Institutions Act (1980). Future of credit unions and Cumorah Credit Union itself. [Interview summary on file] | no | 1 |
| Ciliax, Betty & Gus | 03/02/1977 | Local Oral History Project- Roske | An interesting, detailed, and entertaining recollections at Las Vegas during the early 1930s encompassing many topics. Small population and close community. Softball teams. Swimming pool and local prostitutes. Prostitution and Block 16 and “Four Mile.” Local economy—Nellis AFB, Boulder Dam, and railroad. Mr. Tomiasu (?) a Japanese resident. Vineyards in Las Vegas. The Street Shop—a gathering place for the whole community. Flora in Las Vegas. Gambling. Keeping cool! Hellorado festival. Lorenzi Park dance. First radio station. St. Thomas (city, near Overton, evacuated and submerged under water as part of the Lake Mead project). Family relative travelling to Las Vegas in 1909. Tourism. Frank Williams. Clara Bow and Rex Bell. Carol Lombard airplane crash. Flight to LA in 1940. Medical facilities. House purchase in 1942. Japanese internment. El Rancho and shows. Racial segregation. [Helpful interview summary on file] | no | 1 |
| Ciliax, Carl | 03/08/1980 | Local Oral History Project-Roske | Nevada history, hunting, water, Spring Range Mountains, Goodsprings, Test Site Contamination (Atomic Testing), trail mapping - surveys, Lake Shore Road, Pollution, Conservation. | no | 1 |
| Clark (Bearden), Betty Joyce | 02/16/1978 | Local Oral History Project-Roske | Las Vegas history, General Family history, Charleston Blvd., "the Strip", Las Vegas High School, Rancho High School, 1953 - 1954 Rancho High School, Jim Bilbray, Roy Parrish, Hyde Park, Twin Lakes, 1947 - 1953 life in Las Vegas, early Southern Nevada Memorial Hospital, Rose De Lima Hospital and Woman ’s Hospital in 1959, El Rancho, Helldorado, growth from 1950 's and 1960 's, Railroad, Mormon Fort (Stewart Ranch), Mormon Church (religion), old McCarran field (Nellis Air Force Base) between 1940 's and 1950 's, Blacks in Las Vegas, Las Vegas Police Department, Clark County Law Enforcement, Crime in Las Vegas. | no | 1 |
| Clark, Dick | Arnold Shaw | Entertainment | no | 2 | |
| Clark, Dominic | Local Oral History Project-Roske | no | 1 | ||
| Clark, Georgie | 03/02/1980 | Glenn Canyon Dam "River Runner" | Glenn Canyon Dam "River Runner", Colorado River and Lake Mead, changing water levels 1944 - 1980, Swimming in the Colorado River, Las Vegas in the late 1940 's, Phantom Ranch, Native American Indians in the Area, Rules and regulations of the River, Current Issues and Future of the River, Outlawing Motors on the river - Congressional Bill. | no | 2 |
| Clark, Helen M. | 03/05/1979 | Gambling, Boulder Dam Prohibition | Gambling, Boulder Dam (Hoover Dam, Prohibition, Education, Women’s Occupations, Depression Years, early WWII, early casinos, Nellis Air Force Base, Red Light District (prostitution), Helldorado, Atomic Testing, development of hotels, growth of Real Estate. | no | 1 |
| Clark, Phyllis Webb | 10/23/1972 and 04/07/1976 | Local Oral History Project-Roske | Changes in Las Vegas. | no | 1 |
| Clark, Roy | 09/10/1976 | Arnold Shaw | Entertainment. Interviewer: Arnold Shaw | no | 1 |
| Clark, Roy | 01/13/1989 | Arnold Shaw | Entertainment | no | 1 |
| Clark, Virginia | 06/20/1972 | Local Oral History Project-Roske | No Tape - Hand Written Interview | yes | 0 |
| Clarke, Angela Dr. | 10/03/2008 | Heart to Heart:: A History of Las Vegas Health Care Oral History Project | R154.C344.A3 2009 Dr. Angela Clarke is a board-certified family practitioner who moved to Las Vegas in 1976; became head of the County Medical Association. | yes | 0 |
| Clary, Ernest Henry | 02/10/1979 | Local Oral History Project-Roske | Atomic Testing, President Johnson and Carole Lombard crash, economics and environment of Las Vegas, History of Illnesses, Surveying acreage, minerals in Nevada, Jim Henry (prospector), Mark twain, Comstock Lode, Geothermal in Southern Nevada, Old Ranch (Stewart Ranch), Geological Tests, Henderson Housing, "Strip" Hotels. | no | 1 |
| Clary, Pat and Diane | 5/20/2009 | Boyer Early Las Vegas OHP | Spoke of early city and state leaders and figures who owned early Strip hotel casinos. | yes | 0 |
| Cleman (Conner), Rosemary C. | 03/08/1981 | Educator | Teacher at Nellis, physical changes in Las Vegas, Blacks in Las Vegas, Employment of Blacks on "the Strip", Mormon influence, semi - Integration, entering the Coffee Bean business in Las Vegas, Parole counseling - contact with Judges - early days of the girls school in Caliente, teaching emotionally disturbed and handicapped children, work with the YMCA, Nevada as the Las Frontier, drug programs, Dr. Ravenholt influence, George Franklin 's help, Boulder Dam project (Hoover Dam), Boulder City resistance to growth, Elko, Mining industry, Tonopah - Mining - MX missile, Political Leaders (Grant Sawyer, Paul Laxalt, Mike O'Callaghan). | no | 1 |
| Clement, Jonce T. | 03/07/1975 | Local Oral History Project-Roske | No Tape - Hand Written Interview | yes | 0 |
| Clemmens, Martin A. | June 19 (Year - Unknown) | Local Oral History Project-Roske | No Tape - Hand Written Interview | yes | 0 |
| Clinesmith, Kathie | 10/30/2010 | Blue Diamond Oral History Project | This is the history of Blue Diamond Village. Blue Diamond is located 26 miles southwest of Las Vegas. The village, originally known as Cottonwood Springs, changed its name when the Blue Diamond Company took ownership of the Gypsum mine and built corporate housing for the workers in the early '20s. Near the base of the Red Rock canyon, Blue Diamond Village was originally a stop on the Old Spanish Trail for traders from Santa Fe, N.M., to California between 1830 and 1848, according to the history committee's findings. road for the The Blue Diamond School opened in 1929. The company built bunk housing and homes for the workers that it started selling to the public in 1965. | yes | 1 |
| Cloe, Don | 12/05/2002 | Arnold Shaw | Entertainment. Interviewer: Cork Proctor | no | 2 |
| Clooney, Rosemary | Arnold Shaw | no | 1 | ||
| Close, Hilda | 11/26/1973 | Local Oral History Project-Roske | No Tape - Hand Written Interview | yes | 0 |
| Cloud, Barbara | 05/30/2006 | UNLV | yes | 2 | |
| Coates, Della | 03/18/1978 | Local Oral History Project-Roske | Public Services, Phone Company and its growth from 1952, Atomic testing, Nellis Air Force Base, Education, School System, people of Las Vegas, Military, difference in wages and wage changes. | no | 1 |
| Cobeaga, Mitchell A. | 03/14/1976 | Retirement in Nevada | Early life in Nevada, development and growth of Nevada State Bank in Las Vegas, Nevada ranch life, schools in the 1920 's and 1930 's, University of Reno (UNR) in the 1930 's. | no | 1 |
| Coblentz, Thelma | 02/17/1980 | Early Las Vegas-Roske, Jewish, Indians, Basque, WWII | Lovelock 1936, Lavant Lovelock, Ruth Ruddell, Alfalfa Crops, Basques for sheep herding, prostitute shakes owned by Ruth Ruddell, Medical Care to the Indians(Native Americans), Native American Indian childbirth, Sheriff Chapman, Dr. Ballinger (dentist), Mr. Gardner (Newspaper publisher), Jewish community and Nellis during WWII, Ladies Hebrew Society, El Cortez, CCC Organizations, Last Frontier, Twin Lakes Pool, Depression, John S. Park School, Training area for flyers during WWII, Basic Magnesium in Henderson, changes Downtown, Huntridge Home prices, Charleston home build by George Franklin 's father, Downtown Sears store, development of Maryland Parkway, Cloudbursts, Dust Storms, early entertainers on "the Strip", opening of the Flamingo Hotel, Elvis performance, Liberace 's first performance, early physicians, Doctor Woodbury, Frank Sinatra, Joey Bishop, El Rancho Hotel. | no | 1 |
| Cochrell, Jinx | 03/20/1978 | Local Oral History Project-Roske | Old Cowboy statue, first hotel, Navy, Airplanes, Airport, Airlines, Reservationist, Howard Hughes, entertainment, Mt. Charleston, weather, Underworld Figure, Equipment at airport, Boulder Dam (Hoover Dam), Secretary at UNLV, ranches, Chuck wagon, Mob. | yes | 1 |
| Coe, David Allan | 09/23/1988 | Arnold Shaw | Entertainment | no | 1 |
| Coffin, Bob (James Robert Coffin IV) | 01/29/2010 | Voices of the historic John S. Park Neighborhood | F849.L35 C66 2010 Bob Coffin arrived in Las Vegas in 1951. His family moved to the John S. Park Nieghborhood in 1960. He and his wife Mary Hausch, who also has been interviewd as part of this porject, bought the Gubler home in that neighborhood in 1987. He worked as a janitor at the Nevada Test Site as as a journalist for Las Vegas Review Journal. Bob was elected to the Nevada State Assembly in 1982 and to the State Senate in 1986. He has a special interst in neighborhood preservation | yes | 0 |
| Cohen, Burton | 05/31/1995 | Arnold Shaw | Entertainment. Interviewer: Bill Willard | no | 1 |
| Cohen, Burton | 01/09/2009 | Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project | CT247 .C63 2007 Burton Cohen served in management of some of Las Vegas's most famous casinos starting with his involvement in the transformation of the Frontier Hotel in the mid-1960s | yes | 0 |
| Cohen, Myron | 11/25/1975 | Arnold Shaw | Entertainment. Interviewer: Arnold Shaw | no | 1 |
| Cohen, Oscar | 05/21/1974 | Arnold Shaw | Entertainment. Interviewer: Arnold Shaw | no | 1 |
| Cole, Natalie | 08/12/1983 | Arnold Shaw | Entertainment | no | 1 |
| Cole, Woody | 11/22/1975 | Arnold Shaw | Entertainment. Interviewer: Arnold Shaw | no | 1 |
| Coleman, Rachel | 07/24/1996 | Women in Gaming and Entertainment | Worked in the back-of-the-house for various gaming venues, moved up the ranks of the Culinary Union Local 226; management position at Union Plaza as the head of housekeeping. | yes | 2 |
| Collins, Ed | 03/15/1981 | Local Oral History Project-Roske | Personal background living in Las Vegas, how females came to be in Casinos, the first female jobs in Casinos, how the Culinary Union Came to help the workers in the Hotels, how showrooms became an important part in the casino business, helping Nick Kelly, dealer, gaming and gambling, hotel operations and incidents. | no | 1 |
| Collins, Gene | 08/31/2000 | Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project | Gene Collins worked as an operator's engineer at the Nevada Test Site and later trained as an engineer. He worked with youth groups in Las Vegas, was a state assemblyman, and was instrumental in getting the Martin Luther King holiday bill passed. He was president of the Las Vegas chapter of the NAACP | yes | 3 |
| Collins, Will | 05/04/1998 | Dennis McBride Oral Interview | yes | 8 | |
| Colton, Annie Victoria | 02/28/1973 | *NO TAPE* TRANSCRIPT ONLY General Nevada History 1905 - 1973 | yes | 0 | |
| Colton, George Gordon | 10/09/1973 | *NO TAPE* TRANSCRIPT ONLY Searchlight Nevada, Original Gold Strike in Searchlight. Development of the Duplex Mine. History of Searchlight Nevada. | yes | 0 | |
| Colton, Gordon | 10/03/1973 | *NO TAPE* TRANSCRIPT ONLY The history of Searchlight Nevada | yes | 0 | |
| Colton, Rodney A. | October 1973 | *NO TAPE* TRANSCRIPT ONLY General History of Southern Nevada and Las Vegas 1918 - 1973 | yes | 0 | |
| Conner, Gerald L. | 02/22/1977 | Red Rock School/Nellis Air force | Nevada growing from the 1950 's, Nellis Air Force, Lake Mead, changes in UNLV since the 1950 's, churches and religion in Nevada, social clubs in Nevada, problems in the school districts, progress of hotels and gambling in Nevada, Horse Racing in Las Vegas, El Rancho hotel fire, the first earth quake in Nevada, early Atomic testing and how it affected Las Vegas, active in politics and elections, the Rodeo in Nevada, changes in Nevada. | no | 1 |
| Conover, Barbara | 11/28/2003/2006 | Blue Diamond | yes | 4 | |
| Conover, Barbara | November 28, 2003 | Blue Diamond Oral History Project | This is the history of Blue Diamond Village. Blue Diamond is located 26 miles southwest of Las Vegas. The village, originally known as Cottonwood Springs, changed its name when the Blue Diamond Company took ownership of the Gypsum mine and built corporate housing for the workers in the early '20s. Near the base of the Red Rock canyon, Blue Diamond Village was originally a stop on the Old Spanish Trail for traders from Santa Fe, N.M., to California between 1830 and 1848, according to the history committee's findings. road for the The Blue Diamond School opened in 1929. The company built bunk housing and homes for the workers that it started selling to the public in 1965. | yes | 4 |