John C Fremont (pt. 1 Introduction of a Path Finder)

General John C Femont

John Charles Frémont was born in Savannah, Georgia, January 21, 1813.

His ancestry is disputed by historians. In a biography of Andrew Jackson, written by H.W. Brands and published in 2005, the writer claims that Fremont was the son of Anne and Charles Fremon, and that Fremont added the accented “e” and the “t” to his name later in life. But, according to the 1902 genealogy of the Frémont family, he was the son of Anne Beverley Whiting, a prominent Virginia society woman, who after his birth, married Louis-René Frémont, a penniless French refugee, in Norfolk on May 14, 1807. This Louis-René Frémont was the son of a Québec City merchant, Jean-Louis Frémont, who was himself the immigrant son of Charles-Louis Frémont from Saint Germain en Laye near Paris. Most historians do agree however, that he was born illegitimate, and it was a social stigma at that time which he had to overcome before he could be accept into the social class he aspired to. It is also clamed that after the Fremont’s father died, his mother moved her family to Charleston.

In 1828, after a year’s special preparation, young Fremont entered the junior class of the college of Charleston. Here he displayed a remarkable aptitude for learning and excelled, especially in mathematics, but his irregular attendance and disregard of college discipline led to his expulsion from the institution, but still granted him a degree in 1836. In 1833 he was appointed teacher of mathematics on board the sloop of war “Natchez”, and soon after embarked on a cruise along the South American coast which lasted for about two and a half years. Soon after the sloop returned to Charleston, the United States Navy appointed him professor of mathematics, but he instead chose to serve as assistant engineer of a survey undertaken chiefly for the purpose of finding a pass through the mountains for a proposed railway from Charleston to Cincinnati. In July 1838 he was appointed second lieutenant of Topographical Engineers in the United States Army, and for the next three years he was assistant to the French explorer, Jean Nicholas Nicollet (1786-1843), employed by the war department to survey and map a large part of the country lying between the upper waters of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers.

Senator Benton Jessie Benton Fremont

In 1841 Frémont surveyed, for the government, the lower course of the Des Moines river. Upon his return to Washington to file his report with the war department, the then 28 year old Fremont meets the radiantly beautiful 17 year old Jessie, the daughter of a powerful Missouri Senator, Thomas Hart Benton, at several long westward expansion interviews at the senator’s home, and despite the strong opposition of her father, they eloped on October 19, of that year. Although this was a great upset for Benton, he felt that he needed Fremont mapping ability to satisfy his political and financial goals, and as the Democratic Party leader, he used his great influence with the government, so that Fremont was enabled to accomplish within the next few years the exploration of much of the territory between the Mississippi Valley and the Pacific Ocean.

During the summer of 1842, Frémont met the American frontiersman, Kit Carson, on a Missouri River steamboat in St. Louis, Missouri. Frémont was preparing to lead his first expedition and was looking for a guide to take him to South Pass. The two men made acquaintance, and as he had spent much time in the area, Carson offered his services. The five-month journey, made with 25 men, was a success, and Fremont’s report was published by the U.S. Congress. This famous Frémont report was said to have “touched off a wave of wagon caravans filled with hopeful emigrants” heading west.

From 1842 to 1846, Frémont and his guide Carson led expedition parties on the Oregon Trail and into the Sierra Nevada. During his expeditions in the Sierra Nevada, it is generally acknowledged that Frémont became the first European American to view Lake Tahoe. He is also credited with determining that the Great Basin had no outlet to the sea. He also mapped volcanoes such as Mount St. Helens.

In May 1843, Fremont’s second expedition was to map the area between the Rockies and the Pacific Ocean. The expedition was well-equipped and especially well-armed. The men carried breechloading rifles — though the Army would retain muzzleloaders for another 25 years.

They also dragged along a small howitzer — the “Fremont Cannon” of Nevada lore — which nearly ended the expedition before it started. The Topographical Corps didn’t need any confrontations with Mexican military in California or the British in Oregon. It sent Fremont a letter demanding he return to Washington and explain why he was taking a cannon on a peaceful, scientific expedition. Fremont’s wife intercepted the letter and, instead of forwarding it, sent him a message that he had better head west without further preparation.

The term “plausible deniability” would not come into common use for another 130 years or so, but Washington-reared Jessie Fremont understood the concept.

Fremont pushed through what is now Utah and into Oregon. Then he turned south seeking three important geographical features described by earlier explorers — the Rio Buenaventura, Klamath Lake and Mary’s Lake. He found Klamath Lake in short order but the other two, it turned out, do not exist.

By January 1844, Fremont abandoned the howitzer in heavy snowdrifts in Northern Nevada. History buffs and treasure hunters have been looking for it ever since. A copy was made and is a revolving trophy for football games between UNLV and UNR.

The expedition beat its way across the Sierra Nevada to Sutter’s Fort, arriving with only 33 of the 67 horses and mules that started the trek. Fremont then headed south to strike the Spanish Trail toward Santa Fe.

Fremont described the march in his memoirs:

“Our cavalcade made a strange and grotesque appearance, and it was impossible to avoid reflecting upon our position and composition in this remote solitude. Within two degrees of the Pacific Ocean; already far south of the latitude of Monterey; and still forced on south by a desert on one hand, and a mountain range on the other; guided by a civilized Indian, attended by two wild ones from the Sierra; a Chinook from the Columbia; and our own mixture of American, French, German — all armed; four or five languages heard at once; above a hundred horses and mules, half wild; American, Spanish, and Indian dresses and equipments intermingle; — such was our composition. Our march was a sort of procession. Scouts ahead, and on the flanks; a front and rear division; the pack animals, baggage, and horned cattle in the centre; and the whole stretching a quarter of a mile along our dreary path. In this form we journey; looking more like we belonged to Asia than to the United States of America.”

They made their way down the Mojave River, which runs only intermittently, and the cattle were growing weak from want of water and grazing. On April 24, Fremont stopped to slaughter three and dry the meat.

“In the afternoon we were surprised by the sudden appearance in the camp of two Mexicans — a man and a boy. The name of the man was Andreas Fuentes; and that of the boy (a handsome lad, 11 years old) Pablo Hernandez. They belonged to a party consisting of six persons, the remaining four being the wife of Fuentes, the father and mother of Pablo, and Santiago Giacome, a resident of New Mexico.”

The group had been herding horses from Los Angeles toward Santa Fe when it was attacked by perhaps 100 Indians, said the fugitives. “The Indians charged down into their camp, shouting as they advanced, and discharging flights of arrows … Fuentes drove the animals over and through the assailants, in spite of their arrows; and, abandoning the rest to their fate, carried them off at speed across the plain.”

Eventually, they left their horses to water at Agua de Tomaso and continued until they came upon Fremont.

Fuentes guided Fremont back over his own trail.

On April 25 Fremont’s men reached Agua de Tomaso, but the herd had been driven away. Fuentes, Carson and another scout, Alexander Godey set off in pursuit, but Fuentes turned back because his horse went lame.

“In the afternoon of the next day, a war-whoop was heard, such as Indians make when returning from a victorious enterprise; and soon Carson and Godey appeared, driving before them a band of horses, recognized by Fuentes to be part of those they had lost. Two bloody scalps, dangling from the end of Godey’s gun, announced that they had overtaken the Indians as well as the horses.”

On April 29, Fremont’s group reached the spring where Fuentes’ party had been attacked — near today’s Tecopa, on the California-Nevada border.

“The dead silence of the place was ominous,” wrote Fremont, “and galloping rapidly up, we found only the corpses of the two men; everything else was gone. They were naked, mutilated, and pierced with arrows … Of the women no trace could be found, and it was evident they had been carried off captive. A little lap-dog, which had belonged to Pablo’s mother, remained with the dead bodies, and was frantic with joy at seeing Pablo; he, poor child, was frantic with grief, and filled the air with lamentations for his father and mother. Mi padre! mi madre! was his incessant cry.”

Pablo Hernandez was adopted by Benton’s family and became a good scholar, but upon reaching adulthood returned to Mexico. The last Fremont heard of him — a report he could not verify — was that he had moved to California and become an outlaw. Fuentes became a good explorer and would accompany Fremont on another expedition.

Now that Fremont was far off the main route to New Mexico, Fuentes became his guide along the alternate. On May 1, they encamped at a spring in the mountains — probably today’s Mountain Spring. They made but 12 miles the next day, camping, probably, in the region of Blue Diamond or Oak Creek Canyon.

And on May 3: “After a day’s journey of 18 miles, in a northeasterly direction, we encamped in the midst of another very large basin, at a camping ground called Las Vegas — a term which the Spaniards use to signify fertile or marshy plains, in contradistinction to llanos, which they apply to dry and sterile plains. Two narrow streams of clear water, four or five feet deep, gush suddenly with a quick current, from two singularly large springs; these, and other waters of the basin, pass out in a gap to the eastward. The taste of the water is good, but rather too warm to be agreeable; the temperature being 71 in the one and 73 in the other. They, however, afford a delightful bathing place.”

It was all Fremont would write about the location that would become Sin City.

His departure route, to the northeast, was difficult and dangerous. “Skeletons of horses … between 50 and 60 miles without a drop of water,” he noted. “We ate occasionally the (barrel cactus) and moistened our mouths with the acid of the sour dock.”

On the Muddy River, Paiutes spotted Fremont, suspected he was raiding for slaves, and made a show of force. “They were barefooted and nearly naked; their hair gathered up in a knot behind, and with his bow, each man carried a quiver with thirty or forty arrows partially drawn out. Besides these, each held in his hand two or three arrows for instant service. Their arrows are barbed with a very clear translucent stone, a species of opal, nearly as hard as the diamond; and shot from their long bow, are almost as effective as a gunshot,” he wrote. Fremont negotiated peace here, but on the Virgin River, a day’s march further northeast, one man fell behind and was never seen again. Those who tracked him found signs of struggle and death.

Yet for all its dangers, the route through Las Vegas became well traveled, simply because it became well-known. Congress printed 20,000 copies of Fremont’s 1845 report of this trip and its map. “This meant anybody who wanted one could have it,” said Warren. “It became so important that if a group of emigrants did NOT have one, that fact would be mentioned in diaries.”

(continued in Part 2)

Before Vegas was put on a Map

This blog entry will attempt to give you a viewpoint of what vegas was like, before John C. Fremont, “The Great Pathfinder,” rode though here with Kit Carson and placed Las Vegas on a map for pioneers to use on their travels west. A copy of Fremont’s map can be found here:
http://digital.library.unlv.edu/cgi-bin/viewer.exe?CISOROOT=/LV_Maps&CISOPTR=419&CISOMODE=grid

Somewhere around 10 thousand years ago, but no one can be certain of the time, Paleo-Indians first visited the Las Vegas valley. They lived as nomads, traveling and camping in different locations. These people left behind petroglyphs that help us tell our early history.

Prehistoric Southern Nevada was a virtual marsh of abundant water and vegetation.

As eons passed, the marsh receded. Rivers disappeared beneath the surface. The once teeming wetlands evolved into a parched, arid landscape that supported only the hardiest of plants and animals. Water trapped underground in the complicated geologic formations of the Las Vegas Valley sporadically surfaced to nourish luxuriant plants, creating an oasis in the desert as the life- giving water flowed to the Colorado River.

Construction workers in 1993 discovered the remains of a Columbian mammoth that roamed the area during prehistoric times. Paleontologists estimate the bones to be 8,000 to 15,000 years old. Hidden for centuries from all but native Americans, the Las Vegas Valley oasis was protected from discovery by the surrounding harsh and unforgiving Mojave Desert.

A display of the Columbian mammoth can be found at the Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas.

Then about 2 thousand years ago, the Anasazi Indians move into southern Nevada and live along the Muddy and Virgin rivers. The “Lost City” are ruins of the Anasazi community that can be found in Overton, Nevada, northwest of Las Vegas. The Pauite people also explored the Las Vegas area.

The Pauite are still living in Las Vegas and have a reservation near downtown due to the contribution of ranch land by Helen Stewart.

Las Vegas Paiute Tribe -Native American Indian Tribes
Map of 1 Paiute Dr, Las Vegas, NV 89106

In 1829, a young scout named Rafael Rivera is the first person of European ancestry to look upon the valley. His discovery of a valley with abundant wild grasses growing and a plentiful water supply reduces the journey by several days. The valley is named Las Vegas, Spanish for “The Meadows.”

In 1844, John C. Fremont, along with frontiersman Kit Carson, arrived in Las Vegas and kept a journal describing two springs he found. His enthusiastic reports created wide interest in Western scenery and Western concerns. Congress made 20000 copies of the map above and it was used by many pioneers during the gold rush of 1849.

Next historical blog entry will be on John C. Fremont.

Have fun and be safe. : ) Mark

Introduction to My Las Vegas Histroy Blogs

Hello Everyone,

As I have already indicated in this blog, I’m a Las Vegas History buff. I have already read a good amount of books here already, but still have a great amount left. I don’t proclaim to always get things right the first time, but will quickly make a correction when it is necessary. I expect to gather most of the information found here online, but I will also add some that I find in the library and papers as well.

One of the best sources of historical documents is located at the UNLV libuary and at their online web site:

University Libraries, UNLV, 4505 Maryland Parkway Box 457001, Las Vegas, NV 89154-7001, (702) 895-2286
http://www.library.unlv.edu/nvlasvegas/

Another very good place for historical research here is the Clark Country Libuary:

Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas, NV 89119, (702) 507-3400
http://www.lvccld.org/library/info_guides/guide.cfm?guideID=30

Both of these locations are very close to the strip, are worth checking out if you’re as curious as I am about how Las Vegas has become what it is today.

I hope to make this one of the best sources for LV History found anywhere on the net, so feel free to make comments. I hope you truly enjoy what you find here.

My feeling is that if you wish to leave your mark in the world, you should live your life to the best of you’re ability, and with some luck, history will remember you favorably for your contributions and achievements. And so with out further ado, our journey through time begins.

Have fun and be safe. : ) Mark

My Current Shift at Checker

As of today I work from 0630 to 1815, that 6:30 a.m. to 6:15 p.m. Thursday to Monday. This is call a madatory 12 hour shift. I have an unrestrected computer cab. This means that I can pickup at the airport, strip and downtown where the restricted cabs can not, and I’m dispatched via a computer. Most shifts are 12 hours, but many shifts at YCS are such that the driver is not required to work more than 10 hours as stipulated by the union contract. The current contract was negotiated through the ITPEU and can be contacted at LasVegasITPE@aol.com. They also have a web site at: http://www.itpeu.org/

Have fun and be safe. Mark

Vegas Conventions in Jan 2007

From http://www.pcap.com/lvconv.htm

J A N U A R Y 2008

Dates – Organization – Location(s) – # Attendees

• Jan 02-Jan 05 – AWR Sports LLC – Mirage – 500
• Jan 02-Jan 05 – State Industrial Products – Monte Carlo Hotel & Casino – 50
• Jan 03-Jan 06 – Biopro Technology – Green Valley Ranch Resort & Spa – 450
• Jan 04-Jan 05 – Pacific Coast Horse Shows Association – South Point Casino Hotel & Spa – 300
• Jan 04-Jan 06 – National Everclean Services, Inc. – Luxor Hotel & Casino – 60
• Jan 04-Jan 11 – Peerless Industries, Inc. – MGM Grand Hotel & Casino – 23
• Jan 06-Jan 12 – Foxhollow Technologies – Green Valley Ranch Resort & Spa – 308
• Jan 07-Jan 10 – Home Entertainment Show – St. Tropez All Suite Hotel – 4,600
• Jan 07-Jan 10 – International CES (Consumer Electronics Show) – Las Vegas Convention Center,Sands Expo Center – 148,000
• Jan 09-Jan 11 – Willow Creek Association – JW Marriott Las Vegas – 50
• Jan 09-Jan 12 – Adult Entertainment Expo – Sands Expo Center – 37,000
• Jan 09-Jan 12 – Western CPE – Atrium Suites Hotel – 100
• Jan 09-Jan 13 – National Contract Management Association – Riviera Hotel & Casino – 70
• Jan 10-Jan 11 – Uniform & Textile Service Association – Ballys Las Vegas – 60
• Jan 10-Jan 13 – Karl Parker Seminar, Inc. – Riviera Hotel & Casino – 750
• Jan 11-Jan 13 – National Athletic Trainers Association – Las Vegas Hilton – 4,000
• Jan 12-Jan 13 – American College Of Addictionology & Compulsive Disorders – Imperial Palace Hotel & Casino – 50
• Jan 12-Jan 16 – International Association Of Duncan Certified Ceramic Teachers (IADCCT) – Riviera Hotel & Casino – 150
• Jan 13-Jan 15 – Learning Resources International – Gold Coast Hotel & Casino – 175
• Jan 13-Jan 15 – SAP Global Marketing/SAP Field Kick-Off – Venetian – 6,500
• Jan 13-Jan 16 – Dairy Queen Operators Association – Golden Nugget – 100
• Jan 13-Jan 18 – Jedec Solid State Technology Association – Flamingo Las Vegas – 230
• Jan 13-Jan 18 – Zynx, Inc. – Las Vegas Hilton – 55
• Jan 14-Jan 18 – Promotional Products Association International – Mandalay Bay Convention Center – 24,500
• Jan 15-Jan 16 – Brokers International Ltd – Monte Carlo Hotel & Casino – 400
• Jan 15-Jan 17 – MC Sign Company – Monte Carlo Hotel & Casino – 18
• Jan 15-Jan 17 – National Network Of Embroidery Professionals – Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino – 2,000
• Jan 15-Jan 19 – Imperva, Inc. – Palms Casino Resort – 75
• Jan 16-Jan 18 – California Public Employers/Employee Health Care Coalition (CPEEHCC) – Flamingo Las Vegas – 350
• Jan 16-Jan 18 – Energy Communities Alliance – Mirage – 35
• Jan 16-Jan 19 – American Bar Association – Loews Lake Las Vegas Resort – 1,500
• Jan 16-Jan 19 – Geothermal Energy Association – Ballys Las Vegas – 150
• Jan 17-Jan 18 – Management Summit – Green Valley Ranch Resort & Spa – 225
• Jan 17-Jan 19 – Multi-State Salinity Coalition – South Point Casino Hotel & Spa – 200
• Jan 17-Jan 19 – National Fellowship Of Raceway Ministries – Comfort Inn – 200
• Jan 17-Jan 21 – ADM Investor Services, Inc. – Harrahs Las Vegas Hotel & Casino – 175
• Jan 18-Jan 19 – American Urological Association, Inc. – Green Valley Ranch Resort & Spa – 100
• Jan 18-Jan 21 – Stained Glass Overlay, Inc. – Atrium Suites Hotel – 100
• Jan 20-Jan 22 – Professional Bowlers Association – Red Rock Resort Spa & Casino – 200
• Jan 20-Jan 25 – Hotel Brokers International – Flamingo Las Vegas – 50
• Jan 21-Jan 22 – Western Beauty Rep Association – Las Vegas Hilton – 900
• Jan 21-Jan 23 – Association Of Lutheran Development Executives – Excalibur Hotel & Casino – 50
• Jan 21-Jan 24 – World Research Group – Caesars Palace – 100
• Jan 22-Jan 23 – Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week (HDAW) – Mirage – 1,900
• Jan 22-Jan 24 – Coordinating Research Council – Hampton Inn Tropicana – 26
• Jan 22-Jan 25 – Maes, Inc. – Riviera Hotel & Casino – 1,000
• Jan 22-Jan 25 – World Of Concrete Exposition – Las Vegas Convention Center – 85,000
• Jan 22-Jan 28 – National Newspaper Publishers Association – Luxor Hotel & Casino – 180
• Jan 23-Jan 25 – Early Warning Services – Monte Carlo Hotel & Casino – 30
• Jan 23-Jan 25 – Regulatory Affairs Professionals Society (RAPS) – Ballys Las Vegas – 60
• Jan 23-Jan 25 – World Research Group – Golden Nugget – 75
• Jan 23-Jan 26 – Area Health Education Center Of Southern Nevada – Atrium Suites Hotel – 85
• Jan 23-Jan 27 – American Board Of Hypnotherapy – Alexis Park Resort And Spa – 40
• Jan 23-Jan 27 – Professional Bowlers Association – Red Rock Resort Spa & Casino – 200
• Jan 24-Jan 26 – Bankers Life & Casualty Company – Bellagio – 240
• Jan 24-Jan 26 – Verlo Mattress Factory Stores – Las Vegas Hilton – 60
• Jan 24-Jan 27 – California Council Of Testing And Inspection Agencies (CCTIA) – Treasure Island (TI) Las Vegas – 50
• Jan 24-Jan 27 – Commission Express – Westin Casuarina Hotel & Spa – 80
• Jan 24-Jan 28 – Alpaca Owners And Breeders Association – Sams Town Hotel And Gambling Hall – 700
• Jan 24-Jan 31 – Association For Continuing Legal Education – Green Valley Ranch Resort & Spa – 300
• Jan 25-Jan 26 – 29th Annual Community Association Law Seminar – Venetian – 425
• Jan 25-Jan 27 – International Coin & Stamp Collectors Society – Sahara Hotel & Casino – 1,100
• Jan 25-Jan 27 – International Hot Boat Association (IHBA) – Sams Town Hotel And Gambling Hall – 300
• Jan 25-Jan 27 – Red Hat Society, Inc. – Harrahs Las Vegas Hotel & Casino – 300
• Jan 25-Jan 28 – American Baptist Churches USA – Alexis Park Resort And Spa – 12
• Jan 25-Jan 28 – American Sheep Industry Association – Riviera Hotel & Casino – 310
• Jan 25-Feb 02 – Guardian Building Products Group (BMA) – Paris Las Vegas – 4,000
• Jan 27-Jan 29 – Academy Of Financial Divorce Practitioners – Flamingo Las Vegas – 50
• Jan 27-Jan 30 – Renk Seed Company – Ballys Las Vegas – 100
• Jan 27-Jan 30 – West Coast Art And Frame Show – Las Vegas Hilton – 5,000
• Jan 27-Jan 31 – World Research Group – Golden Nugget – 80
• Jan 27-Feb 01 – National Redesign Institute – Monte Carlo Hotel & Casino – 65
• Jan 27-Feb 01 – Reliability & Maintainability Symposium (RAMS) – Palace Station Hotel-Casino – 600
• Jan 28-Jan 30 – Nevada Independent Insurance Agents – Gold Coast Hotel & Casino – 130
• Jan 28-Jan 30 – Strategy Institute – Mirage – 160
• Jan 28-Jan 30 – World Research Group – Platinum Hotel And Spa – 75
• Jan 28-Jan 31 – National Association Of Television Program Executives – Mandalay Bay Convention Center – 8,000
• Jan 29-Jan 30 – Let’s Play Hockey International Expo – South Point Casino Hotel & Spa – 7,500
• Jan 29-Jan 31 – Cbi Research, Inc., The – Westin Casuarina Hotel & Spa – 135
• Jan 29-Jan 31 – Cottage Industry Miniature Trade Association – Orleans Hotel & Casino – 1,200
• Jan 29-Feb 01 – SIA Snowsports Tradeshow – Mandalay Bay Convention Center – 17,000
• Jan 30-Feb 01 – Nevada Independent Insurance Agents – Gold Coast Hotel & Casino – 135
• Jan 30-Feb 01 – Surfaces – Sands Expo Center – 40,000
• Jan 31-Feb 02 – Memorytrends Trade Show (Co-Located With Photo Marketing Association International) – Las Vegas Convention Center – N/A
• Jan 31-Feb 02 – Photo Marketing Association International – Las Vegas Convention Center – 36,200

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Vegas Conventions in Dec 2007

From http://www.pcap.com/lvconv.htm

D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 7

Dates – Organization – Location(s) – # Attendees

• Nov 27-Dec 07 – Pinkerton Government Services – Las Vegas Hilton – 80
• Nov 29-Dec 06 – American Hardware Manufacturers Association – Wynn Las Vegas – 20
• Nov 30-Dec 08 – Western CPE – Flamingo Las Vegas – 200
• Dec 01-Dec 04 – Northwest Association Of Accredited Schools – Tuscany Suites & Casino – 45
• Dec 01-Dec 08 – Institute Of Internal Auditors – Rio All-Suite Casino Resort – 125
• Dec 01-Dec 08 – Miss Rodeo America – Orleans Hotel & Casino – 600
• Dec 02-Dec 04 – Network Of Entrepreneurs Selling Travel – Mandalay Bay Convention Center – 500
• Dec 02-Dec 04 – Travel Institute, The – Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino – 21
• Dec 02-Dec 05 – International Film Festival Summit (IFFS) – Loews Lake Las Vegas Resort – 350
• Dec 02-Dec 05 – Management Concepts – Atrium Suites Hotel – 30
• Dec 02-Dec 05 – National Center For Victims Of Crime – Riviera Hotel & Casino – 110
• Dec 02-Dec 07 – National American Indian Housing Council – Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino – 400
• Dec 02-Dec 08 – College Of Executive Coaching – Westin Casuarina Hotel & Spa – 25
• Dec 02-Dec 10 – American Academy Of Anti-Aging Medicine – Venetian – 5,000
• Dec 03-Dec 04 – J. Dalton Institute – Tropicana Inn – 20
• Dec 03-Dec 05 – Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. – MGM Grand Hotel & Casino – 30
• Dec 03-Dec 05 – Wayne State University School Of Medicine – Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino – 250
• Dec 03-Dec 06 – American Society Of Health-System Pharmacists – Sands Expo Center – 25,000
• Dec 03-Dec 06 – National American Indian Housing Council – Admission And Occupancy – Amerisuites – 25
• Dec 03-Dec 06 – Travel Institute, The – Mandalay Bay Convention Center – 600
• Dec 03-Dec 07 – Agricultural Retailers Association – Rio All-Suite Casino Resort – 500
• Dec 03-Dec 08 – Dangerous Goods International (DGI) Training Center – Embassy Suites Airport – 45
• Dec 04-Dec 04 – State Bar Of Nevada – Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino – 25
• Dec 04-Dec 05 – Isuppli Corporation – Hard Rock Hotel & Casino – 300
• Dec 04-Dec 06 – Colorado Dude & Guest Ranch Association – Embassy Suites Convention Center – 60
• Dec 04-Dec 06 – Law Seminars International – Excalibur Hotel & Casino – 80
• Dec 04-Dec 06 – Nationwide Insurance Company – Alexis Park Resort And Spa – 45
• Dec 04-Dec 07 – Leon Muhammad International – Tropicana Resort & Casino – 40
• Dec 05-Dec 05 – State Bar Of Nevada – Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino – 25
• Dec 05-Dec 06 – Damage Prevention & Subsurface Conference & Expo – Las Vegas Hilton – 500
• Dec 05-Dec 06 – Webmasterworld, Inc. – Las Vegas Convention Center – 2,000
• Dec 05-Dec 07 – Flexographic Technical Association – Luxor Hotel & Casino – 20
• Dec 05-Dec 07 – Management Concepts – Atrium Suites Hotel – 20
• Dec 05-Dec 07 – World Research Group – MGM Grand Hotel & Casino – 60
• Dec 05-Dec 08 – CPA Mortgage Services, LLC – New York-New York Hotel & Casino – 50
• Dec 05-Dec 09 – Single Action Shooting Society – Riviera Hotel & Casino – 1,100
• Dec 06-Dec 06 – State Bar Of Nevada – Golden Nugget – 25
• Dec 06-Dec 07 – Allregs-Mortgage Management Conference – Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino – 30
• Dec 06-Dec 07 – Concord Dental Seminars – Rio All-Suite Casino Resort – 125
• Dec 06-Dec 07 – QHR – Venetian – 75
• Dec 06-Dec 08 – Duke Clinical Research Institute – Venetian – 90
• Dec 06-Dec 09 – Designplast, Inc. – Paris Las Vegas – 62
• Dec 06-Dec 09 – Rhein Schmidt Tile & Marble – Imperial Palace Hotel & Casino – 80
• Dec 06-Dec 09 – Signature Travel Network – Mandalay Bay Convention Center – 600
• Dec 06-Dec 09 – Spread Trade Systems – Renaissance Las Vegas Hotel – 225
• Dec 06-Dec 10 – Society Of Actuaries – Westin Casuarina Hotel & Spa – 45
• Dec 06-Dec 15 – NFR Cowboy Christmas Gift Show – Las Vegas Convention Center – 20,000
• Dec 07-Dec 07 – State Bar Of Nevada – Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino – 25
• Dec 07-Dec 10 – Travel Impressions – Caesars Palace – 300
• Dec 08-Dec 09 – American College Of Addictionology & Compulsive Disorders – Imperial Palace Hotel & Casino – 50
• Dec 08-Dec 09 – Real Estate Disposition Corporation (REDC) – Plaza Hotel & Casino – 1,000
• Dec 08-Dec 11 – Schylling Toys – Mirage – 90
• Dec 09-Dec 13 – Advanced Learning Institute – Westin Casuarina Hotel & Spa – 70
• Dec 09-Dec 13 – Association Of Computer-Based Systems For Career Informs – Las Vegas Marriott Suites – 45
• Dec 10-Dec 12 – Expo! Expo! IAEM’s Annual Meeting & Exhibition – Las Vegas Convention Center,Mandalay Bay Convention Center – 2,800
• Dec 10-Dec 12 – John E Reid & Associates, Inc. – Harrahs Las Vegas Hotel & Casino – 75
• Dec 10-Dec 12 – National Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association – Riviera Hotel & Casino – 200
• Dec 10-Dec 14 – Energy Employment – Renaissance Las Vegas Hotel – 35
• Dec 10-Dec 14 – Mindsharp – Hampton Inn Tropicana – 100
• Dec 10-Dec 14 – Society For Cardiovascular Angiography And Interventions – Mirage – 230
• Dec 10-Dec 14 – U. S. Department Of Labor – Renaissance Las Vegas Hotel – 35
• Dec 11-Dec 13 – Manufacturers’ Agents National Association – JW Marriott Las Vegas – 10
• Dec 11-Dec 14 – Ameristar Casinos – Renaissance Las Vegas Hotel – 20
• Dec 11-Dec 14 – Sierra Atlantic – MGM Grand Hotel & Casino – 50
• Dec 12-Dec 14 – Colorado River Water Users Association – Caesars Palace – 1,000
• Dec 12-Dec 14 – University Learning Systems – Excalibur Hotel & Casino – 100
• Dec 13-Dec 13 – State Bar Of Nevada – Unlv – 50
• Dec 13-Dec 15 – Association For Career & Technical Education – Las Vegas Convention Center – 5,000
• Dec 13-Dec 16 – R.W. Durham & Company – Bellagio – 90
• Dec 13-Dec 17 – International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium (ISC2) – Hampton Inn Tropicana – 10
• Dec 14-Dec 14 – State Bar Of Nevada – Rio All-Suite Casino Resort – 25
• Dec 15-Dec 16 – Control Solutions International, Inc. – Westin Casuarina Hotel & Spa – 175
• Dec 17-Dec 20 – American Public Works Association – Atrium Suites Hotel – 50
• Dec 20-Dec 20 – State Bar Of Nevada – Ballys Las Vegas – 25
• Dec 21-Dec 24 – Dodds Athletic Tours – Rio All-Suite Casino Resort – 100
• Dec 26-Dec 29 – S. Douglass Consulting – Reducing Health Disparities Through Cultural Competent Nursing Education – Hampton Inn Tropicana – 30

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A more about me introduction

I’ve lived in and been to many places around the world. After 22 years of active service in the US Navy, my father retired to live in Wisconsin. Oddly enough, I left my family in Wisconsin to finished High School in Indiana while staying with an uncle. Next, I joined the Navy and spent 6 years on active duty before having a 20 year career in Silicon Valley California (Mountain View). As a result, I’ve worked for a few large companies, such as Ford Aerospace (Space Systems Loral), The Wall Street Journal, and Sun Microsystems. After becoming a dot com casualty, I drove an over the road tractor/trailer for Swift Transportation for about 8 months. And then I moved here to become a Las Vegas Taxicab driver just over four years ago.

Most people think that I’m too nice, but I’m smart enough to know when I’m being taken advantage of. I’ll gladly be a very good friend, if allowed, but I’m not as generous as I once was to just any untrustworthy person.

Being a local history buff, I’m much happier chatting about the Las Vegas Culture, rather than my own history.

Joined OkCupid hoping for a few more friends/dates

Hello everyone,

I’ve been hoping for a few more dates ever since I joined MySpace. As it seems the norm (4 years of single life in Vegas), I’m having little success, so I’ve opted to try a couple of free sites. OkCupid and PlentyOfFish.

I’ve also became a member of Omnidate in which people can date in a virtual cafe as avatars. My thought on this is that it is much more fun than the IMs or Chat Rooms, and it may help with a dating phobic person.

I love to do a meet and greet as a first date, which means I buy lunch, coffee, or a happy hour drink at the public place of the potential friend’s choice. I always treat this type of date just as I would meeting anyone for the first time, including a simple “Glad to meet you” hand shake. I’m truly just a very nice guy, seeking a few good friends, so you shouldn’t expect a whole lot more than a very comfortable meeting with someone who wishes to be a true friend.

I would very much like to find someone this month to share my Mama Mia or Hilton Game Show comps with. I truly can’t see where the problem is, but I’m sure that I find someone who’s willing to be my activity partner eventually.

Anyway, the OkCupid site is very interesting as they have test to determine how well you match someone’s personality or how much you’re compatible to them. I think that it may greatly indicate what sort of person I am. I hope that this will help me with possible finding a few more dates, more truly great friends, and possibly a really great girl friend.

Even if you don’t check out this site, please feel free to comment on my effort.

Have fun and be safe. Mark

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