Las Vegas was originally named and discovered by Rafael Rivera, a European scout, in 1829, but its modern development owes much to figures like Senator William Clark and mobster Bugsy Siegel, among others.

Early Las Vegas

• Rafael Rivera named the valley “Las Vegas,” meaning “the meadows” in Spanish, after its lush springs.

• Early native peoples and Spanish traders used the area long before European settlement began.

Building the City

• The first permanent, non-native settlement was built by Mormon missionaries in 1855, who established an adobe fort along a spring-fed creek.

• In 1902, U.S. Senator William Clark purchased the former Mormon settlement and water rights, founding the basis for the present city by developing it around the railroad.

Founders of Modern Las Vegas

• Bugsy Siegel, a notorious mob figure, kick-started modern Las Vegas by building the Flamingo Hotel & Casino in 1946, introducing the entertainment-centric model that defines the city today.

• Howard Hughes, Jay Sarno, Kirk Kerkorian, and other entrepreneurs further shaped the city’s entertainment, casino, and hospitality industries in later decades.

Summary Table: Key Figures

Name| Contribution| Period
---|---|---
Rafael Rivera| Named Las Vegas, scouted the valley| 1829
Mormon settlers| Built first permanent settlement| 1855
William Clark| Bought land, spurred city development| 1902
Bugsy Siegel| Developed casino resorts, modernized Las Vegas| 1940s
Howard Hughes| Corporate expansion, bought out mob casinos| 1966+
Others (Sarno, Kerkorian, etc.)| Developed iconic resorts and casinos| 1960s-1990s

Multiple visionaries played a part, but Bugsy Siegel is often credited for modernizing and popularizing Las Vegas as a global entertainment destination.