Las Vegas is a city in and the
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...
of
San Miguel County, New Mexico
San Miguel County is a county in the U.S. state of New Mexico. As of the 2010 census, the population was 29,393. Its county seat is Las Vegas.
San Miguel County comprises the Las Vegas Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in ...
, United States.
Once two separate municipalities (one a city and the other a town), both were named Las Vegas—West Las Vegas ("Old Town") and East Las Vegas ("New Town"); they are separated by the
Gallinas River and retain distinct characters and separate, rival school districts.
The population was 13,166 at the
2020 census.
Las Vegas is located south of
Raton, east of
Santa Fe, northeast of
Albuquerque
Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding i ...
, south of
Colorado Springs, Colorado, and south of
Denver
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the United ...
.
History
Las Vegas was established in 1835 after a group of settlers received a land grant from the
Mexican government. The town was laid out in the traditional Spanish Colonial style, with a central plaza surrounded by buildings which could serve as fortifications in case of attack. Las Vegas soon prospered as a stop on the
Santa Fe Trail. During the
Mexican–American War
The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Second Federal Republic of Mexico, Mexico f ...
in 1846,
Stephen W. Kearny delivered an address at the Plaza of Las Vegas claiming New Mexico for the United States. In 1847, the town was the site of the
Battle of Las Vegas, which was a part of the broader
Taos Revolt by local Hispanos and Pueblo peoples against United States forces. In 1877 Las Vegas College, the precursor to
Regis University, was founded in Las Vegas by a group of exiled Italian Jesuits. In 1887, Las Vegas College moved to
Denver
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the United ...
whereupon the name was changed.
The
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad arrived at Las Vegas from the North on July 4, 1879. To maintain control of development rights, it established a station and related development one mile (1.6 km) east of the Plaza, creating a separate, rival New Town, as occurred elsewhere in the Old West. The same competing development occurred in
Albuquerque
Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding i ...
, for instance. During the railroad era Las Vegas boomed, quickly becoming one of the largest cities in the American Southwest. Turn-of-the-century Las Vegas featured all the modern amenities, including an electric street railway, the "Duncan Opera House" at the northeast corner of 6th Street and Douglas Avenue, a
Carnegie library, the
Castañeda Hotel (a major
Harvey House), and the New Mexico Normal School (now
New Mexico Highlands University). Since the decline and restructuring of the railroad industry began in the 1950s, the city's population has remained relatively constant. Although the two towns have been combined, separate school districts have been maintained (
Las Vegas City Schools
Las Vegas City Schools is a school district based in Las Vegas, New Mexico, United States.
The district covers a area in northern San Miguel County.
Within the city of Las Vegas, the district serves areas located east of the Gallinas River. T ...
and
West Las Vegas School District
West Las Vegas Public Schools is a school district based in Las Vegas, New Mexico, United States.
The district covers a area in southern San Miguel County.
Within the city of Las Vegas, the district serves areas located west of the Gallinas R ...
).
The anti-colonist organization
Las Gorras Blancas
Las Gorras Blancas ( Spanish for "The White Caps") was a group active in the New Mexico Territory and American Southwest in the late 1880s and early 1890s, in response to Anglo-American squatters. Founded in April 1889 by brothers Juan Jose, Pab ...
was active in the area in the 1890s.
Cowboy Reunions
Beginning in 1915, the Las Vegas Cowboys' Reunions were held annually until 1931; then in 1939, the Cowboys' Reunions were re-established. Their slogan was, "Git Fer Vegas, Cowboy!" These reunions were organized by a group of ranching families and cowboys which soon became the Las Vegas Cowboys' Reunion Association. The Reunions celebrated ranching life, which began in northern
New Mexico
)
, population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano)
, seat = Santa Fe, New Mexico, Santa Fe
, LargestCity = Albuquerque, New Mexico, Albuquerque
, LargestMetro = Albuquerque metropolitan area, Tiguex
, Offi ...
in the early 1800s and continues into the 21st century. The annual affair included pie eating contests, barbecues, parades, banquets, balls, and "ranch rodeos." In the early years, celebrities—cowhands as well as big-name bands, movie stars like
Tom Mix
Thomas Edwin Mix (born Thomas Hezikiah Mix; January 6, 1880 – October 12, 1940) was an American film actor and the star of many early Western films between 1909 and 1935. He appeared in 291 films, all but nine of which were silent films. He ...
, and artists such as
Randall Davey—came to Las Vegas for this event. In later years, famous cowhands participated in the Cowboys' Reunion Rodeos. The Cowboys' Reunions reflected the occupations of the area and attracted huge crowds for their four days of events. In 1952, the Cowboys' Reunion Association invited the Rough Riders Association to join them at the annual rodeo.
Outlaws
The arrival of the railroad in 1879 brought with it businesses, development and new residents, both respectable and dubious. Murderers, robbers, thieves, gamblers, gunmen, swindlers,
vagrants
Vagrancy is the condition of homelessness without regular employment or income. Vagrants (also known as bums, vagabonds, rogues, tramps or drifters) usually live in poverty and support themselves by begging, scavenging, petty theft, tem ...
, and
tramp
A tramp is a long-term homeless person who travels from place to place as a vagrant, traditionally walking all year round.
Etymology
Tramp is derived from a Middle English verb meaning to "walk with heavy footsteps" (''cf.'' modern English '' ...
s poured in, transforming the eastern side of the settlement into a virtually lawless brawl. Among the notorious characters were such legends of the Old West as: dentist
Doc Holliday and his girlfriend
Big Nose Kate,
Dave Rudabaugh,
Jesse James
Jesse Woodson James (September 5, 1847April 3, 1882) was an American outlaw, bank and train robber, guerrilla and leader of the James–Younger Gang. Raised in the " Little Dixie" area of Western Missouri, James and his family maintained s ...
,
Billy the Kid
Billy the Kid (born Henry McCarty; September 17 or November 23, 1859July 14, 1881), also known by the pseudonym William H. Bonney, was an outlaw and gunfighter of the American Old West, who killed eight men before he was shot and killed at t ...
,
Wyatt Earp
Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp (March 19, 1848 – January 13, 1929) was an American lawman and gambler in the American West, including Dodge City, Deadwood, and Tombstone. Earp took part in the famous gunfight at the O.K. Corral, during which la ...
,
Mysterious Dave Mather,
Hoodoo Brown
Hyman G. Neill, better known as Hoodoo Brown, was the leader of the Dodge City Gang in Las Vegas, New Mexico in 1879 and early 1880. According to Harold Thatcher, curator of the Rough Rider Museum in Las Vegas, Hoodoo was "the baddest cowboy of the ...
, and Handsome Harry the Dancehall Rustler.
Historian
Ralph Emerson Twitchell once claimed regarding the Old West, "Without exception there was no town which harbored a more disreputable gang of desperadoes and outlaws than did Las Vegas."
Geography
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy
An economy is an area of th ...
, the city has a total area of , all land.
Climate
Las Vegas has a
cold semi-arid climate (
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...
: BSk).
Demographics
As of the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...
of 2000, there were 14,565 people, 5,588 households, and 3,559 families residing in the city. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...
was 1,938.2 people per square mile (748.8/km
2). There were 6,366 housing units at an average density of 847.1 per square mile (327.3/km
2). The racial makeup of the city was 54.21%
White
White is the lightness, lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully diffuse reflection, reflect and scattering, scatter all the ...
, 0.99%
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...
, 1.96%
Native American, 0.61%
Asian, 0.10%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of Ocea ...
, 37.19% from
other races, and 4.95% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...
people of any race were 82.94% of the population.
As noted in the chart to the right, the population of Las Vegas peaked at 14,753 in 1990. By 2019, the estimated population had decreased 12.43% to 12,919.
There were 5,588 households, out of which 33.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.0% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 21.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.3% were non-families. 30.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.08.
In the city the population was spread out, with 26.4% under the age of 18, 13.3% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 21.2% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.2 males.
The median income in 2019 for a household in the city was $26,561 as compared to the New Mexico median income of $49,754 and the national median of $62,843. The median income for a family in Las Vegas was $29,797. Males had a median income of $26,319 versus $21,731 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the city was $20.080 as compared to $34,103 nationally as noted in the 2019 Census estimate. In the past, 24.3% of families and 27.8% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 35.7% of those under age 18 and 20.1% of those age 65 or over. The most recent figures (2019) as provided by the U. S. Census Bureau estimate the total number of persons (all ages) at or below the poverty line has increased to 35.6%. This is significantly higher than the national average of 10.5% and the State average of 18.2%.
Libraries and museums
New Mexico Highlands University, founded 1893, is home to the Thomas C. Donnelly Library. It supports the teaching, research and community activities of New Mexico Highlands University. It acquires, organizes, preserves and provides access to pertinent information and scholarly materials for curricular needs, intellectual pursuits and personal enrichment of its clientele. It promotes programs and services that emphasize the diversity of the university's multicultural community and heritage. An addition increased the square footage from 23,700 to 53,500 and now holds a book collection of almost 200,000 volumes.
Las Vegas' Carnegie Library, established in 1904, is the only surviving Carnegie Library in New Mexico. Built from a $10,000 donation from philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, its Neo-Classical Revival architecture resembles Thomas Jefferson's Monticello. The library sits in the middle of a park that occupies an entire city block, bordered by Victorian-style homes and buildings.
The City of Las Vegas Museum & Rough Rider Memorial on Grand Avenue, dedicated in 1940, was first established by the decision of Theodore Roosevelt's
Rough Riders regiment (the first Volunteer Cavalry Regiment of the Spanish–American War), who named Las Vegas its official reunion home. Their first reunion was held in Las Vegas, June 1899.
The museum, free and open to the public, houses a memorial collection of artifacts, archives and photographs from the Rough Riders and mementos in relation to the 1898 Cuban Campaign of the Spanish–American War, with information on over 200 members of the original regiment, RRR Association documents, etc. The museum illuminates the history of Las Vegas, its connection to the Rough Riders, the Santa Fe Trail and the development of New Mexico. It features collections of local Native American pottery, household items, costumes, ranching and farming equipment, agricultural and mercantile operations, and home life.
Housed in a 1940
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration (WPA; renamed in 1939 as the Work Projects Administration) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to carry out public works projects, in ...
-funded building, the museum is built of stone, with Pueblo Revival nuances.
Architecture
Las Vegas has numerous historic structures (mostly railroad-era houses and commercial buildings), with over 900 listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artist ...
. Although many buildings are in varying states of deterioration, others have been restored or are awaiting restoration. Some of the city's notable buildings include:
* Dr. H.J. Mueller House, now a Bed and Breakfast called Crow's Nest Bed and Breakfast. An 1881 example of Victorian eclecticism with unusual octagonal tower
*
Plaza Hotel
The Plaza Hotel (also known as The Plaza) is a luxury hotel and condominium apartment building in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is located on the western side of Grand Army Plaza, after which it is named, just west of Fifth Avenue ...
, 1881, site of the first reunion of
Teddy Roosevelt's
Rough Riders in 1899
* Old City Hall, New Mexico's first municipal building, completed in 1892
* Louis Fort House,
Queen Anne house on Carnegie Park, built in 1895
* Masonic Temple,
Richardsonian Romanesque
Richardsonian Romanesque is a style of Romanesque Revival architecture named after the American architect Henry Hobson Richardson (1838–1886). The revival style incorporates 11th and 12th century southern French, Spanish, and Italian Romanesq ...
building erected in 1895
*
Castañeda Hotel, mission-style Harvey House built in 1898
* Carnegie Library, built in 1903 at the center of Carnegie Park and modeled after
Monticello
Education
Public schools
The City of Las Vegas is served by two public school districts.
*
Las Vegas City Schools
Las Vegas City Schools is a school district based in Las Vegas, New Mexico, United States.
The district covers a area in northern San Miguel County.
Within the city of Las Vegas, the district serves areas located east of the Gallinas River. T ...
serves the east side of Las Vegas.
*
West Las Vegas School District
West Las Vegas Public Schools is a school district based in Las Vegas, New Mexico, United States.
The district covers a area in southern San Miguel County.
Within the city of Las Vegas, the district serves areas located west of the Gallinas R ...
serves the west side of Las Vegas.
The City of Las Vegas has two major high schools:
*
Robertson High School
Robertson High School (RHS) is a public senior high school in Las Vegas, New Mexico, United States. The school is part of the Las Vegas City Schools District in former East Las Vegas. The building dates from about 1945, when it was known as Las ...
*
West Las Vegas High School
West Las Vegas High School (WLVHS) is a public senior high school in Las Vegas, New Mexico and part of the West Las Vegas Schools District. Founded in 1947, it is the oldest high school in the city.
The mascot of WLVHS is the Don, and the s ...
Colleges
Las Vegas is the home of
New Mexico Highlands University, an important university in New Mexico especially for teacher training. Highlands has long had an excellent science, drama, art, and foreign language faculty. The art department was nationally renowned in the 1950s to 1970s and beyond. Also nearby, north of Las Vegas, is
Luna Community College. The
United World College in nearby
Montezuma, New Mexico is a two-year international high school and one of the venues used by the
International Baccalaureate Program for teacher training in the United States.
Transportation
Railway
*
Las Vegas Amtrak Station is a stop on the ''
Southwest Chief'' route.
Airport
*
Las Vegas Municipal Airport serves single engine planes, small commercial jets, and helicopters.
Major highways
*
Interstate 25
Interstate 25 (I-25) is a major Interstate Highway in the western United States. It is primarily a north–south highway, serving as the main route through New Mexico, Colorado, and Wyoming. I-25 stretches from I-10 at Las Cruces, New Mex ...
*
Interstate 40 (55 miles to the south via
U.S. Route 84)
Bus service
* None
Films and television
Movies and television shows filmed in and around Las Vegas include:
* Many silent
Western films were made in and around Las Vegas, especially in the years 1913–1915, including several that starred
Tom Mix
Thomas Edwin Mix (born Thomas Hezikiah Mix; January 6, 1880 – October 12, 1940) was an American film actor and the star of many early Western films between 1909 and 1935. He appeared in 291 films, all but nine of which were silent films. He ...
.
* The 1962–1963
NBC television
Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication Media (communication), medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of Transmission (telecommunications), television tra ...
western
series ''
Empire
An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...
'' and its second-season version entitled ''
Redigo'' were filmed in
Santa Fe and near
Storrie Lake
Storrie is a census-designated place (CDP) in Plumas County, California and about 20 miles northeast of Lake Oroville. As of the 2010 Census, the CDP had a population of four.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP ...
in Las Vegas.
* In the 1969 movie ''
Easy Rider'', Las Vegas, New Mexico, is the town where the two bikers ride behind a parade, are arrested for "parading without a permit," and meet
Jack Nicholson's character in jail. The name of the town can be viewed in the background in one scene during this part of the movie.
* The town was the filming location for parts of the 1978 movie ''
Convoy
A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support and can help maintain cohesion within a unit. It may also be use ...
'', a film about truck drivers inspired by the 1975
song of the same name.
* Las Vegas stood in for the fictional
Calumet,
Colorado
Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the wes ...
in
John Milius' 1984 film ''
Red Dawn''. As of 2022, many of the buildings and structures seen in the film remained.
* Parts of the 1994 film ''
Speechless'', with
Geena Davis and
Michael Keaton, about a fictional New Mexico senatorial campaign, were filmed in Las Vegas.
* Most of the 1994 film ''
Wyatt Earp
Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp (March 19, 1848 – January 13, 1929) was an American lawman and gambler in the American West, including Dodge City, Deadwood, and Tombstone. Earp took part in the famous gunfight at the O.K. Corral, during which la ...
'', with
Kevin Costner
Kevin Michael Costner (born January 18, 1955) is an American actor, producer, film director and musician. He has received various accolades, including two Academy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and two Screen Actors ...
was filmed in Las Vegas, though it was set in
Kansas
Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to ...
.
* Several scenes in the 1998 film ''
John Carpenter's Vampires
''Vampires'' (also known as ''John Carpenter's Vampires'') is a 1998 American independent neo-Western action horror film directed and scored by John Carpenter and starring James Woods. It was adapted from the novel ''Vampire$'' by John Steakley. ...
'' were filmed on the plaza.
* ''
The Hi-Lo Country'' and ''
All the Pretty Horses'', released in 1998 and 2000 respectively, were almost entirely shot here.
* In the 2001 documentary ''
Freedom Downtime'', a cross-country road trip to
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vega ...
, ends up in Las Vegas, New Mexico, by mistake.
* The 2003 film ''
Blind Horizon''
* In 2006, the film ''
Fanboys'' used Las Vegas as one of its film locations. The film is about a dying ''
Star Wars'' fan and was released in 2009.
* Portions of the 2006 movie ''
The Astronaut Farmer
''The Astronaut Farmer'' is a 2006 American drama film directed by Michael Polish, who co-wrote the screenplay with his brother Mark. The film stars Billy Bob Thornton, Virginia Madsen, Bruce Dern and Max Thieriot. The plot is about a Texas ranch ...
'' were filmed here.
* The 2007 film ''
Wild Hogs'' starring
John Travolta included scenes filmed around Las Vegas.
* Most of the 2007
Coen brothers
Joel Daniel Coen (born November 29, 1954) and Ethan Jesse Coen (born September 21, 1957),State of Minnesota. ''Minnesota Birth Index, 1935–2002''. Minnesota Department of Health. collectively known as the Coen brothers (), are American film ...
' ''
No Country for Old Men'' was filmed here.
* The 2008 music video ''
Beer for My Horses'' starring
Toby Keith
Toby Keith Covel (born July 8, 1961), known professionally as Toby Keith, is an American country music singer, songwriter, actor, and record producer. He released his first four studio albums—1993's ''Toby Keith'', 1994's ''Boomtown'', 1996' ...
and
Rodney Carrington
Rodney Scott Carrington (born October 19, 1968) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, country music artist and songwriter. He has released six major-label studio albums and a greatest hits package, on Mercury Records and Capitol Records. His c ...
was filmed in and around Las Vegas.
* The 2009 thriller ''
Not Forgotten'' was shot in Las Vegas for incentive reasons.
* The 2010 film ''
Due Date'' starring
Robert Downey Jr. and
Zach Galifianakis
Zachary Knight Galifianakis (born October 1, 1969) is an American actor and comedian. He appeared in '' Comedy Central Presents'' special and presented his show '' Late World with Zach'' on VH1.
Galifianakis has starred in films including ''T ...
was partly filmed in Las Vegas, and was used as a fake border crossing into Mexico.
* Scenes for the 2011 film ''
Paul'' starring
Simon Pegg and
Nick Frost with
Kristen Wiig,
Jason Bateman,
Bill Hader,
Seth Rogen,
Joe Lo Truglio and
Sigourney Weaver, were filmed in and around Las Vegas.
* The 2012
A&E TV series ''
Longmire'' starring
Robert Taylor and
Katee Sackhoff
Katee Sackhoff (born April 8, 1980) is an American actress known for playing Lieutenant Kara "Starbuck" Thrace on the Sci Fi Channel's television program '' Battlestar Galactica'' (2004–2009), Niko Breckenridge on the Netflix series '' Anothe ...
and set in
Wyoming
Wyoming () is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the southwest, and Colorado to the sou ...
was filmed in Las Vegas.
* The TV series ''
House of Cards'' filmed in Las Vegas in November 2014 for two weeks. The footage was used in the third-season finale.
*The TV series ''
Good Luck Charlie'' aired episode "
Weekend in Vegas" in which one of the main characters travels to Las Vegas with her best friend and her family, thinking they were going to the city of the same name in Nevada.
*The ''
Criminal Minds
''Criminal Minds'' is an American police procedural crime drama television series created and produced by Jeff Davis. The series premiered on CBS on September 22, 2005, and originally concluded on February 19, 2020; it was revived in 2022. It ...
'' season 11 episode "Outlaw" takes place in Las Vegas, New Mexico.
Media
Las Vegas is served by an award-winning bi-weekly newspaper, the ''
Las Vegas Optic''. It is published on Wednesday and Friday.
The Fort Union
Drive-in theater is located on 7th Street in Las Vegas.
The Indigo Theater is located at 146 Bridge Street in Las Vegas.
Notable people
*
Antonia Apodaca
Antonia Apodaca (November 1, 1923 – January 25, 2020) was an American musician and songwriter known for her performances of traditional New Mexico music. She came to wider prominence through her performances in the ''La Música de los Viejitos ...
(1923-2020), musician
*
Paula Angel (1842–1861), murderer, only woman to be executed in post-colonial New Mexico
*
S. Omar Barker (1894–1985), oft-recited cowboy poet; born in a log cabin in New Mexico, where he lived his entire life as a rancher, legislator, WW1 veteran, teacher and writer
*
Margaret Herrera Chávez (1912–1992), painter
*
Ann Nolan Clark (1896–1995), teacher in public schools and reservations, writer of children's multicultural books
*
Teresa Leger Fernandez (born 1959), attorney, member of the
U.S. House of Representatives (current)
*
Wally Funk (born 1939), aviator, astronaut, and Goodwill Ambassador
*
Fabiola Cabeza de Baca Gilbert
Fabiola Cabeza de Baca Gilbert (May 16, 1894 – October 14, 1991) was an American educator, nutritionist, activist and writer. Cabeza de Baca is also known as the inventor of the U-shaped fried taco shell. She was also the first known published a ...
(1894–1991), educator, nutritionist, activist, writer, inventor of the u-shaped fried taco shell
*
Pelham D. Glassford
Pelham Davis Glassford (August 8, 1883 – August 9, 1959) was a United States Army officer who attained the rank of brigadier general during World War I. He later served as Superintendent of the District of Columbia Police Department, and was i ...
(1883–1959), U.S. Army brigadier general
*
Eddie Guerrero (1967–2005), professional wrestler for
WWE, wrestled for New Mexico Highlands University
*
Edgar Lee Hewett (1865-1946), archaeologist and anthropologist, founder of the
Museum of New Mexico The Museum of New Mexico is a collection of museums, historic sites, and archaeological services governed by the State of New Mexico. It currently consists of six divisions : the Palace of the Governors state history museum, the New Mexico Museum ...
and first president of the New Mexico Normal School (now New Mexico Highlands University)
*
Mari-Luci Jaramillo
Mari-Luci Jaramillo (June 19, 1928 – November 20, 2019) was an American educator and diplomat who served as U.S. Ambassador to Honduras from 1977 to 1980. Upon her confirmation, Jaramillo became the first Mexican-American woman to serve as an ...
(1928–2019), educator and
U.S. Ambassador to Honduras
The following is a list of United States ambassadors, or other chiefs of mission, to Honduras. The title given by the United States State Department to this position is currently ''Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary.''
See also
* H ...
under
Jimmy Carter
James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 76th governor of Georgia from 19 ...
*
Andrieus A. Jones
Andrieus Aristieus Jones (May 16, 1862December 20, 1927) was an American politician from New Mexico who represented the state in the United States Senate from 1917 until his death in 1927.
Early life and education
Jones was born in Obion County, ...
(1862–1927), school principal and attorney, mayor of Las Vegas (1893–1894),
United States Senator
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and p ...
(1917–1927)
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Margaret Larkin (1899–1967), writer and musician; born in Las Vegas
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Ray Leger (1925–2009), educator and member of the
New Mexico Senate
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Pola Lopez
Pola Lopez (born 1954) is a painter and muralist known for her abstract, southwestern-inspired artworks.
Biography
Pola Lopez was born on April 7, 1954 in Las Vegas, New Mexico, located in the county of San Miguel. Lopez had not been taught the ...
(born 1954), artist
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George J. Maloof Sr. (1923–1980), heir and businessman; born in Las Vegas
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Frank Olmstead
Frank Olmstead (March 3, 1923 – January 28, 2004) was an American politician and accountant who served as the 18th Auditor of New Mexico from 1971 to 1974.
Early life and education
Olmstead was born in Cimarron, New Mexico, and attended Max ...
(1923–2004), mayor of Las Vegas and 18th
Auditor of New Mexico
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Patrick Swayze (1952–2009), actor, dancer and singer-songwriter; owned a ranch on the
Gallinas River near Las Vegas
References
External links
City websiteChamber of Commerce
{{Authority control
Cities in New Mexico
Cities in San Miguel County, New Mexico
Santa Fe Trail
County seats in New Mexico
Populated places established in 1835
1835 establishments in Mexico