Historical marker proposal for downtown Las Vegas seeks funding Markers planned for the likes of John C. Fremont, Jim Bridger

A stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard downtown will eventually pay tribute to the history of the street names in the area.

Las Vegas plans to install 20 signs at 10 streets — two on adjacent corners of each street — with information on the people for whom the streets are named, including their cultural and historical significance.

The marker sites will be located between Hoover and Stewart avenues — a stretch that includes Fremont Street — according to documents to be reviewed at next week’s Centennial Commission meeting.

The office of cultural affairs is requesting $144,735 from the commission to fund the projects.

The people proposed to be featured on the signs include: John C. Fremont, Helen J. Stewart, Jim Bridger, Peter S. Ogden, William Clark, Herbert Hoover, Francisco Garces, Octavius Decatur Gass, Meriwether Lewis and Benjamin-Louis-Eulalie de Bonneville.

“I’m new to the valley and one of the things that came up is all the street names in downtown have some major historical significance,” said Ally Haynes-Hamblen, director of the city’s office of cultural affairs. “A lot of those stories, I kind of assumed who the person was, and it turned out I was completely wrong.”

With the area seeing high pedestrian traffic, officials believe it’s a good way to educate tourists and locals alike.

“We wanted a way that we could enhance the walking experience for residents and visitors downtown,” Haynes-Hamblen said. “A lot of those stories are fascinating, and we wanted to share them.”

The hope is to help promote the city’s ability to connect current resources with the past.

“Part of our application is some funding to work with historical consultants in the area to really help us unearth the history,” Haynes-Hamblen said. “We really want to do our due diligence and makes sure, once we put something permanent in the ground, that we’re 100 percent sure that the information is correct.”

If the funds are approved, the first phase would include research and creating the signs, and would be completed by the end of 2019. The second phase would include the installation of the signs.

Promotional material would be created for the signs including a tri-fold brochure with information and a map of the historical markers and a section on the city’s mobile app to allow for a virtual walking tour.

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