Las Vegas Club (First Loation) 21-23 Fremont Las Vegas, NV

21-23 Fremont Street

Las Vegas Club

(First location)

1931 to 1949

The Las Vegas Club opened in 1939 at this location and moved to its present location at Fremont and Main in 1949

The Las Vegas Club opened in 1931 at 21-23 Fremont St.

and moved to its present location at 18 Fremont and Main in 1949

This is a listing from the 1939 Nevada phone book showing the location and phone number for the Las Vegas Club in 1939.

These chips from my personal collection are some of the original chips used at the Las Vegas Club.

The initials JKH refer to owner J. K. Houssels.

Here's an interesting example of how confusing it can be to research old business locations.

Take a look at this

full page ad from the

1945 Murphy's Las Vegas Classified Business Directory.

Can you find something in it that may not be accurate?

The graphic ad shows

the location at 28 Fremont St.

The inside listing shows

23 Fremont St.

We know from other sources and photos that 23 Fremont is accurate.

My guess is that the artist was concentrating on the quality of the drawing and mixed the address up with the phone number which was indeed 28!

Photo Credit: UNLV » University Libraries » Digital Collections

1931 Las Vegas resolution to limit new gambling licenses.

The reference to A T McCarter in the article to the left was for the Exchange Club.

A few weeks after the articicle above appeared limiting gambling

to existing establishments for the time being... a lawsuit was filed.

This is a transcription of an article that was in too poor a condition to be readable.

Nevada State Journal

May 28, 1931

A suit seeking to force the city of Las Vegas to issue a gambling license was heard today in the state Supreme Court.

The action was filed by Roy Grimes, D J McCauley, and R H Davenport, who seek to conduct a dice game in the Pavilion building at Lorenzi's Resort in Las Vgeas.

The three men declare the city officials of Las Vegas, by refusing them a permit, is guilty of discrimination under the state law.

Their application for the gambling license was filed with the city clerk April 7, (1931) and they assert that their application was in due form and that they possess the necessary qualifications prescribed by the laws of the state of Nevada and by the ordinances of the city for applicants for gaming licenses

The Las Vegas officials, in attempting to regulate gambling, March 30 (1931) passed an emergency ordinance with which became effective April 3. (1931) {Note: Gambling was legalized in Nevada on March 19, 1931}

Two days later and prior to the filing of petitioner's license, the city granted gambling licenses to the Boulder Club, Las Vegas Club, A. T. McCarter of the Exchange Club, and Stocker and Morgan at the Northern Club, and then adopted a resolution that no license would be granted in Las Vegas except of those places of business that had had gambling licenses during the previous quarter and that no further or new licenses would be considered until a zone Was established by them for the operation of gambling houses and the policy adopted by the board governing the issuances of new licenses.

April 17, (1931) the board rejected the application of Grimes, McCauley, and Davenport who thereupon applied to the Supreme Court for relief from what they class “unfair and unjust discrimination”.

The petitioners were represented before the Supreme Court by Charles Lee Horsey, while the action of the board of city commissioners of Las Vegas was upheld by F. A. Stephens, city attorney.

Negro Club Licensed

Several days later the board adopted a resolution fixing the policy of the board as contrary to the granting of further gambling licenses for the quarter save to those licensed during the previous three months but providing that members of the Ethiopian race might be granted licenses for the conduct of the game or games in a place catering exclusively to persons of the same race.

In the article below dated July 8, 1931 the applicants lost their battle for licensing at the Supreme Court of Nevada.

Roy Grimes loses his appeal for a gambling license in 1931

Two very old match covers from the first
location of the Las Vegas Club at 21-23 Fremont Street from 1931-1949 in downtown Las Vegas.