IV 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. CON. RES. 105 
Recognizing the 100th anniversary of the founding of Las Vegas, Nevada. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 17, 2005 
Ms. BERKLEY (for herself, Mr. GIBBONS, and Mr. PORTER) submitted the fol-
lowing concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
Government Reform 
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 
Recognizing the 100th anniversary of the founding of Las 
Vegas, Nevada. 
Whereas for centuries before the first Westerners arrived in 
the area now known as Las Vegas, Nevada, Native Amer-
icans inhabited the Las Vegas valley and surrounding 
areas; 
Whereas in the early 1800s, Spanish traders traveling the 
‘‘Old Spanish Trail’’ from New Mexico to California 
crossed the valley and named the area ‘‘Las Vegas’’, 
meaning ‘‘the meadows’’; 
Whereas in 1829, a young Mexican scout named Rafael Riv-
iera became the first Westerner to discover spring water 
in Las Vegas, in an area now known as Las Vegas 
Springs;
•HCON 105 IH 
Whereas approximately 14 years after Riviera explored the 
Las Vegas valley, Captain John C. Fremont of the 
United States Army entered the valley and recorded the 
name ‘‘Las Vegas’’ in his expedition journal; 
Whereas the first settlement in the Las Vegas valley by West-
erners was a fortified mission colonized by members of 
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mor-
mons), which was abandoned by the Mormons after a few 
years; 
Whereas pioneer Octavius Decatur Gass occupied the aban-
doned settlement and established a working ranch on the 
site; 
Whereas in 1902, Helen Stewart, a subsequent owner of the 
Gass ranch, sold 1,840 acres of the ranch to the San 
Pedro, Los Angeles, and Salt Lake Railroad Company, 
owned by Senator William Clark of Montana; 
Whereas on May 15, 1905, the railroad company auctioned 
off parcels of land from the old Gass ranch and a town 
site was created named ‘‘Las Vegas’’; 
Whereas over the last century, Las Vegas has become the en-
tertainment capital of the world, with world class hotels, 
gaming, entertainment, and outdoor activities for visitors 
of all ages; 
Whereas in Las Vegas, millions of people have been enter-
tained by legendary performers such as Elvis Presley, 
Liberace, the ‘‘Rat Pack’’ (Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, 
Peter Lawford, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Joey Bishop), 
Wayne Newton, Jerry Lewis, Siegfried and Roy, Celine 
Dion, and many more;
•HCON 105 IH 
Whereas in the 1990s, the population of Las Vegas boomed, 
making it the fastest growing metropolitan area in the 
country; 
Whereas in 2004, a record-setting 40 million tourists visited 
Las Vegas to enjoy the city and the entertainment, as 
well as nearby attractions, such as Red Rock Canyon, 
Lake Mead, and the Hoover Dam; 
Whereas Las Vegas is known as the ‘‘Quintessential Amer-
ican City’’ because of its economic opportunity and the 
optimistic attitude of the people; 
Whereas on May 15, 2005, and throughout all of 2005, Las 
Vegas is hosting a Centennial Celebration in honor of the 
100th anniversary of the founding of the city; 
Whereas Las Vegas visitors and residents will join in the 
Centennial Celebration by participating in a variety of 
commemorative events, activities, and projects, including 
a centennial time capsule, an attempt to bake the world’s 
largest birthday cake, a return of Helldorado Days (a 
Las Vegas tradition honoring the roots of the city in the 
Wild West), and a wedding ceremony with 100 couples; 
and 
Whereas the purposes of the Centennial Celebration are to 
commemorate and celebrate the anniversary of the found-
ing of Las Vegas, to educate people about the history and 
culture of the city, and to leave a legacy for future gen-
erations with regard to the centennial: Now, therefore, be 
it
•HCON 105 IH 
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
concurring), That the Congress recognizes the 100th anni-
versary of the founding of Las Vegas, Nevada. 
Æ