When was the first reference made to Las Vegas as Sin City?
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To many, Sin City is obvious, but to those who live in Las Vegas, it's insulting. The area has vast parks and recreation offerings, with more than 20 official wilderness areas and attractions like the Valley of Fire State Park and Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.
The first reference to Las Vegas as Sin City was in the 1963 book “Las Vegas, City of Sin?” by then-casino executives Pat Howell and Dick Taylor. The term was used early in 1900s, before Clark County was formed. Sin city was an adult playground with gambling, showgirls and alcohol. It was also an area where prostitution flourished. The Arizona Club built a second floor over its saloon where prostitutes rented rooms and entertained clients. Businesses in blocks flouted laws, operating illegal casinos and serving booze through Prohibition.
Block 16, North First Street between Ogden and Stewart Avenues, was the only area in the Las Vegas Townsite, outside of hotels, where liquor could be sold starting in 1905. The Arizona Club was located there. It was followed by prostitution. World War II brought an Army Gunnery School, later Nellis Air Force Base. Prostitution on Block 16 was ordered to end in 1942.
