In 1905 a land auction near where the Plaza hotel-casino sits today began the city of Las Vegas. Since then the city has grown from a dusty stop on the Union Pacific railway to a part of a vibrant metropolitan areas that is home to more than 2.2 million people.
Mayor Oscar B. Goodman had big plans to celebrate the city’s Centennial and most of them came to fruition quite spectacularly during a year-long celebration in 2005. Today the Centennial continues to influence the city through the Commission for the Las Vegas Centennial. The commission is a group of appointed citizens who oversee the distribution of centennial grants to generate community projects that promote and preserve Las Vegas history.
The group receives funding through the Centennial license plate, a special commemorative plate available through the
Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles,
which features the famous "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" sign. Since 2005 the commission has awarded more than $21 million in grants to projects like the Helldorado Days Parade and Las Vegas Days Rodeo, the restored, vintage neon signage that is in the medians on Las Vegas Boulevard downtown, the Historic Westside School and artists developing historical films and documentaries and oral histories.
For more information contact Historic Preservation Officer Diane Siebrandt at 702-229-2476, or
dsiebrandt@lasvegasnevada.gov.
Resources