where does the name las vegas come from
History of Las Vegas The name Las Vegas was given to the area in 1821 by Rafael Rivera, a member of the Antonio Armijo trading party that was traveling to Los Angeles,[1][2][3][4] and stopped for water there on the Old Spanish Trail from New Mexico. At that time, several parts of the valley contained artesian wells surrounded by extensive green areas; Las Vegas means the meadows in Spanish. The flows from the wells fed the Las Vegas Wash, which runs to the Colorado River.
El Cortez (Las Vegas) The El Cortez, a hotel and casino, is a relatively small downtown Las Vegas gaming venue a block from the Fremont Street Experience and Las Vegas Boulevard. The official marketing slogan has been "Where locals come to play" since the El Cortez has traditionally attracted Las Vegas residents weary of large casinos geared towards tourists. Slots, table games, and a race and sports book occupy one floor of the main pavilion. It is one of the oldest casino-hotel properties in Las Vegas having continuously operated at the same Fremont Street location since 1941.[1] Primarily Spanish Colonial Revival in style, it reflects a 1952 remodel when the facade was modernized.[2] On February 22, 2013, the structure was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.[3]