In what ways would you characterize Las Vegas as a 'western' city Essay

In what ways would you characterize Las Vegas as a 'western' city - Essay Example We can also look at the world â€Å"western† as it refers to the locations of Las Vegas as in the western portion of the United States and referring to the western part of Nevada. Finally, we can characterize the word â€Å"western† as linked to the Old West, with a rich history of how Las Vegas began. This essay will attempt to characterize all three concepts of the word â€Å"western† and how it applies to the city of Las Vegas both now and linked to its broad history. The term â€Å"western culture† is used as a reference to a background of social normality’s, ethical values, traditional customs, religious beliefs, accepted political systems, and identified artifacts and technologies. The term has generally come to apply to countries whose history is strongly marked by Western European immigration or settlement, such as the settlement of the Americas. This can be applied to and characterized to Las Vegas as the settlers moved West in the Americas to settle new lands. The first settlers to enter the land now called Las Vegas were the Mormons. They traveled from Salt Lake City to Las Vegas mainly to protect the Los Angeles to Salt Lake City mail route in 1855. The first settlement consisted of a square building of sun-dried bricks, clay and grass called adobe. The Mormons planted fruit trees, planted gardens and mined lead for bullets from the mountains. Unfortunately, the settlement was abandoned in 1858 mainly due to Indian raids. A portion of the Mormon Fort still stands in Las Vegas near Las Vegas Boulevard North and Washington Avenue. Members of the Church of Christ of the Later Day Saints dedicated a Mormon Temple in Las Vegas in 1989, which is visible to the east of the city. The Mormon religion has been a very big influence in the historic roots of Las Vegas and its early beginnings. This characterizes the religious western influences that still remain. Las Vegas was discovered by accident by Rafael Rivera and the exa ct date is unknown. Rivera was a very experienced scout who rode west in search of water. He ventured into the unexplored desert, and by accident discovered Las Vegas Spring. Given the name â€Å"the Meadows† in Spanish, it was an abundant area of marshlands and vegetation. This discovery was able to shorten the trail from Los Angeles, and lent a positive aspect to hasten the rush west for California gold. Just 14 short years after Rivera’s discovery, John C. Fremont led an overland expedition to Las Vegas Springs in 1844. His name is present today in the city of Las Vegas with the Fremont Hotel-Casino and Fremont Street; the main thoroughfare in the heart of the city, another link to the western influences that began in Las Vegas. Any connection to the western world started with the mail routes and the pony express. In 1863 an Ohian named Octavius Decatur Gass began buying land and ranching it. He fell into financial disaster and mortgaged his land to Archibald Stewar t. The ranch did really well for around five years, but Stewart died and his widow Helen was left to run the ranch. She worked the ranch with hired hands and provided a stopping point for travelers and provided postal services for the area. And today the name Gass is honored with a street name in Las Vegas. Railroad developers determined that the water-rich