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Before 1905 plans were well underway to bring the Salt Lake to Los Angeles railroad through Las Vegas Valley. The location was ideal for a railroad depot because water was plentiful and the nearby mountains would be an excellent source for timber. Even before the rail lines were built, people began settling into the area, anticipating the business the railroad depot would bring. By 1905, Las Vegas was clearly becoming a town. The area to the east of the railroad tracks was designated as the official town site. Land was auctioned, and people from various backgrounds vied for a spot in the boomtown.

As the street that led to the depot, Fremont Street became the focus of the town.

In 1912, Fremont Street resembled a set for a Western movie, with its clapboard storefronts.

By Labor Day 1915, buildings sprouted further down the street.

Las Vegas was saved from the bust of most boomtowns by the construction of Hoover Dam. Even during the Depression, Fremont Street bustled.

After the dam was completed, Las Vegas continued to grow, with Fremont Street at its center.

In 1950, Fremont Street resembled any main street in the United States. Of course, the resemblance ended at night with the glow of neon lights.

In the 1970s, Fremont Street was still a vibrant entertainment center but it was quickly losing its significance as the center of Las Vegas.

By the 1980's most of the focus of the resort economy in Las Vegas shifted to The Strip, yet downtown Fremont Street remained. The old center of Las Vegas was now facing urban decline.