From the Introduction
Some say Las Vegas is completely different from other cities. Others say once you venture beyond the Strip, it’s basically the same as anyplace else. They’re both right. Geography distinguishes Las Vegas from many other cities. It isn’t by an ocean, a lake or a river. It isn’t in the mountains, and it doesn’t sit amid vast farmland. Its location is notable only because it’s near the halfway point of the railroad line between Salt Lake City and Los Angeles.
The city was not founded by any religious or ethnic groups. The 19th century Mormon settlers didn’t stay long. None of its neighborhoods is primarily Italian or Polish, for example. While its black population once was segregated into one area, that practice ended decades ago, and the area in question, the Westside or West Las Vegas, is now a melting pot of race and ethnicity. Areas that are now Latino didn’t start out that way, but evolved with high levels of immigration and new housing construction.
Las Vegas differs from many other cities, especially those back East, in that its history is not woven into the fabric of its culture. Boston is the home of Revolutionary War rebellion. Philadelphia is the birthplace of independence. San Francisco was the cradle of the Gold Rush and later the counterculture. Las Vegas has not contributed in such a way to the American story, other than to be the catalyst for the mainstreaming of gambling.
Las Vegas does share one key characteristic with many other cities: It is associated with a dominant industry. Pittsburgh has steel, Detroit has cars, Hollywood has movies, Las Vegas has gambling. And for a long time Las Vegas’ dominant industry made it a unique company town: No other major American city had legal gambling halls. But that is no longer true. Gambling in some form is now legal in 48 states, and casino-style games are offered in Atlantic City, Detroit and New Orleans, on riverboats and on Indian reservations across the land.
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