Cecil Lynch's Fortune Club at 22 Fremont Las Vegas, NV

22 Fremont

Las Vegas, NV

Cecil Lynch's Fortune Club

1958 to 1966

Cecil Lynch's Fortune Club at 22 Fremont St. was a slots only club.

It opened Feb 18, 1958 and closed Nov 16, 1966.

There was another "Fortune Club" located at 109 Fremont St. from 1953 to 1958 that had slots, blackjack and bingo.

That club was operated as a partnership with Cecil Lynch, Harry Gordon, and Robert Van Santen.

In December of 1957 Cecil Lynch and Harry Gordon began plans for a new club using the “Fortune” name that would be scheduled to open on New Years Eve of 1957. Van Santen protested the use of the name because he didn't want “Fortune” to be used by any other establishment in the downtown area. In the meantime Van Santen had changed his club's name to the Nevada Club. Lynch and Gordon's club became Cecil Lynch's Fortune Club.

This location was formerly the

Golden Slot Club and used the

same big slot machine front on the building. Cecil Lynch was also the operator of the Golden Slot Club having gained approval for a license for it on Nov. 22, 1957.

Like many other of the colorful neon signs in downtown Las Vegas, this amazing sign was the property of Young Electric Sign Company.

Due to the cost of the signs, it was more economical for the casino to "rent" their signs from the sign company. This also enabled the sign company to recycle the signs for use by the next business to take over the location. This can easily be seen in the change from the Golden Slot Club to Cecil Lynch's Fortune Club. It is essentially the same front with just a few changes.

However, this particular signage ended up in litigation at the Nevada Supreme Court. In October 1961, casino operator Cecil Lynch refused to pay

the rent for his Fortune Club sign because he said the sign company wouldn't repair the

handle on the slot machine sign.

The company contended the handle is not part of the sign.

At the time, Lynch owed $15,525 in rent for the sign. The court agreed with Lynch and said he did not owe the money because the sign company failed to repair their sign!

Cecil Lynch's Fortune Club at 22 Fremont St. was a slots only club.

The half block of Fremont Street from 20 to 32 Fremont has been home to quite a few important and recognizable businesses in the past. The little alley between the Las Vegas Club and the Golden Goose sign is part of the original layout of Las Vegas as surveyed in 1905.

Cecil Lynch's Fortune Club from the side looking down Fremont Street toward the Mint Tower taken ca. 1960.

The half block of Fremont Street from 20 to 32 Fremont has been home to quite a few important and recognizable businesses in the past. The little alley between the Las Vegas Club and the Golden Goose sign is part of the original layout of Las Vegas as surveyed in 1905. I took the picture below in October 2013 and the list shows some of the businesses that took up residence in this tiny patch over the years.

20 Fremont	22 Fremont	24 Fremont	*32 Fremont*
Las Vegas Coffee Shop and Bakery (ca. 1926) State Cafe' (ca. 1932-50) Buckley's (1952-1960) Starlite Sales (1961) Mecca Slots (1973) Golden Goose (1974-1980) Girls of Glitter Gulch (Closed 2016)	Bogg’s Bros Grocery (ca. 1926-1931) 21 Club (1931-1934) Barrel House (1934-1938) Las Vegas Barbecue (ca. 1944-1952) Copper Grill (1953-1954) Golden Slot (1955-1958) Cecil Lynch's Fortune Club (1958-1966) Goldie's (1966-1973) Mr. Reed's (1973-1980) Bob Stupak's Glitter Gulch (1980-1981) Girls of Glitter Gulch (Closed 2016)	Nevada Bakery (ca.1926-1931) Nevada Shoe Shop (ca. 1945- Dixie Waffle & Sandwich Shop Dixie Delicatessen (ca. 1950-1963) G & G Fremont (Closed 2016) ----------------- 26 Fremont Deluxe Barber (ca. 1932-1945) Mack Louis Bail Bonds (ca.1950) Jay Jewelry & Loan (ca.1952-1953) ----------------- 28 Fremont Blanding's Palace Market (ca. 1930-1932) Ethels Delicatessen (ca. 1934) Ethel’s Liquor Store (ca. 1937-45) Thrifty Liquors (ca. 1952) Downtown Liquors (ca.1953) ----------------- 30 Fremont Oak Hotel (ca. 1930-39) La Bonita Hotel (ca. 1944-1954)	Las Vegas Pharmacy (ca. 1930-1953) Silver Palace (1956-1964) Carousel (1965-1974) Gambler's Hall of Fame (1974-1976) Sundance West (1976-1980) Sassy Sally's (1981-1999) Cosmo’s Underground Italian Restaurant in the basement of Sassy Sally's Mermaid's (1999-2016) 32 Fremont is the corner of 1st St. & Fremont St. That corner has changed many times over the years. Click here to see some photos of that corner over the last 85 years.