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Fremont Street: then and now

1952 vs 2011 · Las Vegas, NV

Fremont Street, 2011Fremont Street, 1952
NowThen
Then, 1952A night photo of the street glowing with neon signs, including a big yellow gold nugget sign and a Shell sign, with cars parked along the curb.Photo: Edward N. Edstrom · Public domain · Source · resized
Today, 2011A wall of orange and red lights under the arched canopy, with people strolling below and palm trees at the edge.Photo: Allie_Caulfield · CC BY 2.0 · Source · resized

The story

Fremont Street dates back to 1905, the year Las Vegas itself was founded. It was named for explorer and politician John C. Frémont. It was the first paved street in Las Vegas, in 1925, and it got the city's first traffic light in 1931.

In 1931 the Northern Club received one of the first six gambling licenses issued in Nevada, and the first for Fremont Street. The street became known as 'Glitter Gulch' for its many neon signs, like the cowboy Vegas Vic.

Fremont Street once carried several national highways, including U.S. 93, 95 and 466. In September 1994, it was closed to vehicles to begin construction of the Fremont Street Experience.

Did you know? Fremont Street got the city's first traffic light in 1931.
Historians argue about this. Many people call the Las Vegas Strip the original main street. Wikipedia says Fremont Street, the 'Old Vegas Strip', was the heart of the city's casinos first.

Fact or tall tale?

Sources

More: Look for historic photos at the Library of Congress

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