El Rancho Vegas: Difference between revisions
BoldSolitude (talk | contribs) added more information and inline citations |
BoldSolitude (talk | contribs) moved el rancho casino which is a separate intity from el rancho vegas to el rancho casino article and added redirect here. casinos operated decades apart from each other but are still confused by som |
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==Other uses of this name== |
==Other uses of this name== |
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{{main|El Rancho Casino}} |
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| casino = El Rancho |
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The [[El Rancho Casino]] was a casino operating from 1982 to 1992 often confused with El Rancho Vegas. |
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| image = Elrancho01.jpg |
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| image_caption = El Rancho closing 1992 |
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| date_opened = August 1982 |
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| names_pre = ''Thunderbird''<br />''Silverbird'' |
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| date_closed = 1992 |
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| casino_type = Land |
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The [[El Rancho Casino]] was originally the [[Thunderbird (resort)|Thunderbird]] that opened in September 1948. In 1976 it was renamed the Silverbird. In August of 1982 it was renamed Ed Torres' El Rancho. Ed Torres' had close ties with some of the organized crimes most notorious characters according to the Gaming Control Board and law enforcement officers. However, this di not restrict him from owning a gaming license.<ref name=lvs1>{{cite web |url=http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/1999/Dec-01-Wed-1999/news/12461936.html|title= Ghosts of El Rancho |accessdate=2008-11-28 |work= |publisher= Las Vegas Review Journal|date=December-1-1999 }}</ref> At it's closing it was intended to be redeveloped as El Rancho's Countryland USA which called for two, 20-story cowboy boot-shaped hotel towers.<ref name=lvs2>{{cite web |url=http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/1999/jun/07/sale-possible-of-old-el-rancho-on-the-strip/|title= Sale possible of old El Rancho on the strip|accessdate=2008-11-26 |work=[[Las_Vegas_Sun]] |publisher= Las Vegas Sun|date=June-7-1999 }}</ref> That never came ti fruition and the property was sold to Las Vegas Entertainment Network Inc. They failed to reopen it and sold it to International Thoroughbred Breeders Corp.<ref name=lvs1> Other plans for the site have included a project slated as Starship Orion. It was going to be a Star Wars-like casino-resort.<ref name=lvs1> After many of the proposed projects for the property fell through or not approved then it was imploded in 2000. Finally, in 2001, part of the vacant lot was purchased by the [[Hilton Hotels Corporation]] to build a timeshare, which opened in 2004. |
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==External links== |
==External links== |
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*[http://gaming.unlv.edu/ElRanchoVegas/story.html The El Rancho Vegas Story] |
*[http://gaming.unlv.edu/ElRanchoVegas/story.html The El Rancho Vegas Story] |
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*[http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/1999/Dec-01-Wed-1999/news/12461936.html The El Rancho is Haunted] |
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*http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/1999/jun/07/sale-possible-of-old-el-rancho-on-the-strip/ |
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*http://www.insidervlv.com/casinosclosed.html |
*http://www.insidervlv.com/casinosclosed.html |
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Revision as of 18:10, 28 November 2008
| El Rancho | |
|---|---|
| File:El Rancho at Night.jpg El Rancho Vegas, Highway 91 | |
| Address | 2500 Las Vegas Boulevard, Las Vegas, Nevada 89109 |
| Opening date | April 3, 1941 |
| Closing date | 1960 |
| Casino type | Land |
El Rancho Vegas was the very first hotel on the Las Vegas Strip (US 91). It was located at 2500 Las Vegas Boulevard, at the southwest corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Sahara,[1] and opened on April 3, 1941. Up until 1942, it was the largest hotel in Las Vegas with 110 rooms. The hotel was destroyed by fire in 1960. In 1982 the former Thunderbird Hotel was rebranded "El Rancho." Two hotels using the name "El Rancho" has created some confusion.
History
When Thomas Hull opened the El Rancho on April 3, 1941, it was part of his "El Rancho" chain, including similar hotels in Sacramento, California, and Bakersfield, California. El Rancho Vegas was the first resort on what would become the Las Vegas Strip. It was designed by architect Wayne McAllister and offered horseback riding, a large swimming pool and top shows in the "Round Up Room" (Later the "Opera House" theater). In December 1944, William Wilkerson leased the El Rancho Vegas from then owner Joe Drown for six months. Wilkerson paid Drown $50,000 for the six month lease. Wilkerson would later go on to build The Flamingo Hotel. The resort went through several changes of ownership before Beldon Katleman, who received a share of ownership upon the untimely death of his uncle, Jake Katleman, in 1950, bought out the remaining shareholders and became the proprietor of record.[1]
The legendary stripper Candy Barr was headlining at El Rancho Vegas in 1959 when she was arrested by the FBI after her appeal on a marijuana conviction originating in Texas, and prison sentence, was rejected by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Harry James and Betty Grable were performing a late show on stage when the hotel was destroyed by a fire on June 17, 1960. [2]
Despite vows to rebuild the El Rancho Vegas after the fire, the plans never materialized. In 1970, billionaire Howard Hughes purchased 60 acres (243,000 m²) of the land. In 1978, the remnants of the old resort were demolished. The site is currently a vacant lot.
Other uses of this name
The El Rancho Casino was a casino operating from 1982 to 1992 often confused with El Rancho Vegas.
External links
References
- ^ "MGM Mirage purchase includes El Rancho site". Las Vegas Review-Journal. p. 3B.
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