Las Vegas was given its name by Spanish traders in the Antonio Armijo party in 1829. On route to Los Angeles along the Spanish Trail from Texas, the 60-man group veered from the normal route, camping about 100 miles northeast of present day Las Vegas. At the time, the Spaniards referred to the route as "jornada de muerte" or journey of death until a young scout named Rafael Rivera discovered the valley with its abundant wild grasses and plentiful water supply. At that time, some low areas of the Las Vegas Valley contained artesian springs that created extensive green areas in contrast to the surrounding desert, hence the name "Las Vegas", Spanish for "The Meadows".

It was not until famed explorer Captain John Fremont traveled into the Las Vegas Valley in 1844, that anyone other than Spanish explorers, missionaries and the Native Americans knew of the valley. In 1855, Brigham Young assigned 30 Mormon missionaries to the area to convert the Paiute Indian population. They soon built a fort that constituted the first non-Indian settlement in the region. The Paiutes rejected their teachings, occasionally raiding the fort until it was abandoned in 1857. Several years later, in 1864, the U.S. Army built Fort Baker there.

In 1885, the State Land Act offered land at $1.25 per acre and farming became the primary industry for the next 20 years, using the local springs to irrigate their crops. Further growth occurred when precious metals were discovered in the area, starting the mining industry in the late 19th century.

At the turn of the century, the springs were piped into the town providing a reliable source of fresh water. The valley soon became a resting stop, first for wagon trains and later for railroads. The railroad was completed in January, 1905, connecting Las Vegas to Los Angeles and Salt Lake City. The railroad would become the principal industry in Las Vegas for the next 25 years.

The railroad yards were located along what was then dusty Fremont Street. Today, Jackie Gaughan's Plaza Hotel, located at Main and Fremont streets in Downtown Las Vegas, stands on the site of the original Union Pacific Railroad depot. Freight and passenger trains still use the depot site at the hotel as a terminal -- the only railroad station in the world located inside a hotel-casino.

Las Vegas was officially founded on May 15, 1905 when 100 acres, in what would later become downtown, were auctioned off to ready buyers. In the beginning, Las Vegas was a part of Lincoln County until 1909 when it became the county seat for the newly established Clark County.