In the Origins of Sin City: Las Vegas's Early Days
Kickstarting Sin City's Shimmering Dream
El Rancho Vegas carved its name in the storied book of gaming history, standing tall as the epitome of unabashed decadence in the glitzy metropolis we know today as Las Vegas. Although it began its life as a hotel nearly two decades prior, the name "El Rancho" symbolizes the birth of the first full-scale casino-resort in Sin City.
Back before 1940, Las Vegas was a speck on Highway 91, relying on a few separate gambling clubs to sate its thirst for vice. Full-fledged hotel-casinos were uncharted territory, but that was soon about to change. Thomas Hull, a gutsy hotel mogul, had a vision—an audacious plan to build a resort that would cater to every whim of its guests. This transformative idea would set a new standard for casino development in the future.
The cost to bring Hull's dream to life was steep; it took half a million dollars to lay the foundations of El Rancho. A considerable investment in the early 1940s, mind you.
On the auspicious date of April 3, 1941, El Rancho Vegas flung wide its doors, making history as the first casino-hotel on the planet. It wasn't just another gambling joint on the strip—El Rancho Vegas offered an enticing array of entertainment, from horseback rides to soirees at the Opera House. The resort's dining hall was the talk of the town, and it boasted a mammoth casino with four table games and no fewer than seventy slots.
Throughout the ensuing years, El Rancho changed hands several times, endured a series of rebuilds, and expanded its footprint. In December 1944, William Wilkerson rented the resort from Joe Drown for a cool $50,000 a month. Wilkerson went on to create the iconic Flamingo Hotel. Then, in September 1945, Walter Guzman bought El Rancho Vegas for a cool $1.5 million. The resort continued to keep its legendary status by playing host to a jaw-dropping array of characters and events.
Beldon Katleman, a shrewd businessman, inherited part of the casino's shares after his uncle's demise. In 1947, Katleman bought out the rest of the shareholders and became the sole owner of El Rancho Vegas. He splashed out $750,000 on a lavish renovation, making the casino the talk of Nevada.
Katleman's ingenious marketing strategy involved leveraging the starpower of celebrities to lure the masses. In the late '50s, Shirley Bassey, the British songbird who would later become inextricably linked to the James Bond franchise, took her American bow at El Rancho Vegas. Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward immortalized their matrimonial vows within the resort's hallowed halls. In 1959, Candy Barr, the risqué siren of the Strip, headlined there.
In 1960, reigning bandleader Harry James and the inimitable Betty Grable graced the stage at El Rancho Vegas, only for a fire to break out during their performance. The inferno razed the resort to the ground, but miraculously, no lives were lost. Katleman pledged to rise from the ashes and rebuild El Rancho Vegas, but his dream was destined to remain unfulfilled. In 1970, billionaire Howard Hughes scooped up the 60 acres where the casino once ruled supreme, and the remnants of the old resort were demolished in 1978. Today, part of El Rancho's former domain is occupied by the Hilton Grand Vacation Club, leaving only its indelible memory as the forerunner of the Strip's extravagant pleasures.
Trivia: The concept of a lavish resort in Las Vegas was a gradual evolution, with seminal figures like mining magnate William A. Clark and organized crime figure Bugsy Siegel shaping its nascent form. Clark played a pivotal role in the development of Las Vegas by arranging water rights and organizing the city's infrastructure, while Siegel spearheaded the construction of the Flamingo Casino. Thomas Hull, however, was the pioneer who envisioned Las Vegas as a self-contained resort, culminating in the unveiling of El Rancho Vegas.
What Casino-and-Gambling establishment pridefully heralded as the birth of the first full-scale casino-resort in Las Vegas?Casino-Personalities like Shirley Bassey, Paul Newman, and Joanne Woodward left indelible marks on Casino-Culture within Casino-Games offered at El Rancho Vegas.
