# The Las Vegas of 40 Years Ago



## imp (Nov 13, 2015)

My work here lately, of less than  "stellar" acceptance, encourages me to reveal a little more. Vegas has an "aura" about it, a belief in the glitter, as though it assuages and anoints past unhappiness. 

We (wife, 25, her brother 22, sister 15), left Chicago seeking a new life after they lost their parents. I took over an ARCO service station, Sue, a German-trained Cosmetologist, took a job in the Stardust Beauty Salon, "Annee of Paris". Her abilities, in high demand, soon brought requests from NY, Chicago, anywhere back east, booking her "solid" 3 months ahead! Moneyed ladies "toked" (tipped") her in hundreds, instead of dollars, requesting appointments way in advance of arrival. But, we needed that, as the Arab Oil Embargo loomed, making the ARCO Station a huge liability. I got out. We reconnoitered, deciding if I could finally get my Degree, fat city again might present. I enrolled in UNLV (University of Las Vegas, NV). Things went fairly well. We applied for, and got, a custom-home building loan, and proceeded to realize something of the dream:



The home we built, rockwork mine, as well as pool heater on roof.



The love of my life and her sister. This was livin'!  Not to continue, though.




The '66 I put a Cougar 302 engine in, presented to Sue for her birthday. circa 1974.

The screeching halt came when her brother Rick died of complications from ulcerative colitis on his 25th. _birthday, _Nov. 28, 1975. She wanted  closure. We were separated, sold the house easily, parted amicably, and were later divorced.

So, how do things change in Vegas? I left, took a job in Colorado. Meanwhile, Stephen Wynn, son of the originator of the downtown Las Vegas Club, built the spectacular Mirage Resort Hotel, complete with a mock-up, but highly convincing, erupting volcano out front. He sold out, and the new owners are seeking zoning approval to rip out the volcano! Local opposition fears that in it's place may be installed a "Walgreens" store!

Vegas was back then incredible, IMHO. We loved it. The last few times I've been there were definitely demoralizing for me. The Recession: Strip malls, stores, whole blocks of commercial buildings boarded-up, businesses closed, enormous numbers of foreclosures, empty homes, BROKEN LIVES. Having lived the hey-day, I could have wept. 

Have any of you been there lately?   imp


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## Butterfly (Nov 13, 2015)

Haven't been there in about 20 years or so.  I'm not a fan of Vegas.  It always seemed so artificial to me and I'm not a gambler.


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## SifuPhil (Nov 13, 2015)

Never been to Vegas, although one of my wishes would be to see it back in the '50's.

Wonderful - but poignant - story, Imp. Thank you.


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## Mrs. Robinson (Nov 13, 2015)

Haven`t been there for about 8 years-and have only been twice in my life. Wasn`t that impressed. My 19 year old grandson just came back from working there for a couple of weeks. Before that he worked a couple of weeks in Reno and LOVED it. When he got the call that they were going to Vegas,he was soooo excited. But he ended up being really disappointed and couldn`t wait to come home.


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## Ameriscot (Nov 14, 2015)

My sister and her kids love visiting Vegas, but I have absolutely no desire whatsoever to go.


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## Pappy (Nov 14, 2015)

A program I watched last night featured Nevada and the growth of the state. Huge warehouse for Amazon which I believe the town is called Friendly. But the main problem is the water consumption the state is using. Las Vegas is a huge user of water and it showed pictures of Lake Mead and how much the level is down.


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## Ken N Tx (Nov 14, 2015)

Ameriscot said:


> My sister and her kids love visiting Vegas, but I have absolutely no desire whatsoever to go.


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## oldman (Nov 14, 2015)

Been there quite a few times because of flying into McCarran Airport. When I would stay over, I would often venture into the city and go to a show and maybe, just maybe drop a few bucks in the casino. Mostly, just went to see a show. The buffets were too over-whelming, so I only ever ate there a few times. Saw a lot of entertainers and watched Las Vegas go from a ghost of a city to what it is today. Also drove the I-15 from Las Vegas to LA via going through the dessert. What a boring drive, although there used to be a little restaurant along the way that had big letters on the side of it that read something about being an Oldies Rock 'N Roll Cafe. So, we stopped in. Neat little Mom and Pop joint.


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## Jackie22 (Nov 14, 2015)

I've been to Las Vegas many times, the most recent was three years ago when my friend and I went.  I'm not a gambler either, but I love to go to the shows, Las Vegas has some of the best entertainment in the country.


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## squatting dog (Nov 14, 2015)

Hit it up early this year. Hadn't been there since the 80's. Lot's of changes... none I could see for the better. 
Oh yeah, my big winnings at the slots.  cleaned them right out.  the bottom 2 tickets were .05 and .32. kinda crummy, they don't even pay out in tokens even.


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## AZ Jim (Nov 14, 2015)

I married my first wife (there have only been two) in Las Vegas in 1957 when it was a small city controlled by the mobs. I have been through a few times since, but only stop to use a restroom or get gas.


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## imp (Nov 14, 2015)

Mrs. Robinson said:


> Haven`t been there for about 8 years-and have only been twice in my life. Wasn`t that impressed. My 19 year old grandson just came back from working there for a couple of weeks. Before that he worked a couple of weeks in *Reno* and LOVED it. When he got the call that they were going to Vegas,he was soooo excited. But he ended up being really disappointed and couldn`t wait to come home.



Reno always was a nice alternative. Much higher altitude, cooler in summer, occasional snow in winter, close to Big Tree country, Lake Tahoe, Carson City. A friend in Vegas, Bill Long, had his own business repairing cars. Expert mechanic, self-taught machinist. He was born and raised in Reno, HATED Vegas. I asked him why he stayed. His reply, too frosty to quote exactly, was, "This city is filled with helpless A. holes, and I make a good living keeping their cars running". That would have been around 1974. Few years ago, while in Vegas, I sought to find him, but could not. He was a couple years younger than I, maybe moved back to Reno.   imp


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## Linda (Nov 16, 2015)

I haven't been there since my brother left 5 or 6 years ago.  He was a carpenter at the 4Queens for several years.   I enjoyed walking on the strip and going in and out of casinos, putting a few quarters in here and there.  Most places had the paper vouchers the last time I went and I don't like that at all.  

Imp your car looks like the one I have now.  Same year and color but mine isn't a convertible.  There is a 302 or I think they call it a 5.0 sitting beside it that will replace the 6 cyl. whenever my husband gets around to doing it.  He's had to change some other things over first.


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## imp (Nov 17, 2015)

Linda said:


> Imp your car looks like the one I have now.  Same year and color but mine isn't a convertible.  There is a 302 or I think they call it a 5.0 sitting beside it that will replace the 6 cyl. whenever my husband gets around to doing it.  He's had to change some other things over first.



The yellow Mustang? I picked it up for her about a year before we split up. Had a tired 289 eng. in it, I put in a later-model 302, cannot recall where I got that one, but a Cougar comes to mind. Car ran really nice! 

When we split up assets, equitably, she asked for the car and one good handgun, 'course she took the BEST one I had, a nice Detective Special, nickel-plated. I wrote up what I considered a workable "divorce decree", which I signed, she took it to the County Building downtown. Some judge told her to be sure it was what she wanted, come back in 3 days. She did, he signed it off. We had, of course, before that time sold the house, the only asset of great value. How I hated to leave that house! The work I put into rock veneer turned out to be the selling point. Guy and his wife saw the Realtor sign, sat out front about a half-hour, rang the doorbell, asked if they could look. 

They said they had looked at dozens; the rock work convinced them! Offered fifty-thousand cash-to-loan. He was a mechanic for United Airlines, being relocated to Vegas from Crystal Lake, Illinois. Wonder why I'm telling all this........who could care? 
imp


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## AZ Jim (Nov 17, 2015)

I wonder too.


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## mariana (Nov 17, 2015)

I went to Las Vegas a couple of times in the 1980s---we stayed at the Mint hotel--actually arrived in Vegas about midnight --temperature 90 degrees--we rushed upstairs, put the tv om to watch the wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana.   I loved Vegas---just so exciting,like somewhere I had never imagined before. Went again and saw Michael Crawford in EFX--i think at the MGM grand.  Then returned in the 90's,, changed completely--hotels being pulled down, more bigger ,moe exotic hotels being built--we stayed in----forget its name , but it had a shipwreck every hour. But still love Vegas. Crazy place !!!


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## Linda (Nov 17, 2015)

Imp, the rock work on the house looked nice.   My car is WHITE and the one in the photo looks white too.  I have never driven it as I told my husband I won't drive till he moves me back to town.  I've held out for 22 years just because of the needle pin cliffs up here with no guard rail and half the drivers up here either high or drunk, not to mention the ones who are just nuts.


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