Mesquite, Nevada History Of This Border Gambling Town
Mesquite’s modern history begins in the late 19th century. A group of Mormon pioneers began settling in the area starting around 1880, calling the place Mesquite Flats. Prior to that, it was little more than an area that was passed through on the Old Spanish Trail along the Virgin River heading towards California.
Those original settlers had their settlement essentially wiped out when their irrigation networks were destroyed by a flood just a few years after settling. The effect was devastating and the pioneers abandoned the area.
In 1887, a single family (though a family of one husband, five wives, and 39 children) made a go of it. After living there for four years they, too, gave up and left the region. But just a few years later in 1894, a group of six families settled in the area, and this time the settlement was as success. After rebuilding the old irrigation canals that had been destroyed in the flood, the town began to attract more settlers setting up permanent residence.
Initially, the main force driving the Mesquite economy was raisins. As the automobile became more common, resulting in the passing through of many tourists on their way to other destinations, motels and hotels began cropping up to allow weary travelers a place to rest. Booming Las Vegas soon became Mesquite’s biggest customer as the town’s landscape became dominated by dairies supplying the demand for milk, eggs, and the like.
The construction of I-15 through Mesquite brought big changes. In the 1970’s, Peppermill Casino, which would later be called the Oasis, set up shop. But it wasn’t until the 1980’s that the city finally incorporated. After 100 years, the small border town between Utah and Nevada was meeting with real success as more casinos opened and its population, mostly retirees, began to grow.
The 1990’s saw growth in the gambling industry for the small city and it was marketed as an alternative to the bright lights and busy streets of Las Vegas. Mesquite didn’t have the wild shows, but the gambling was more laid back. Property values were shooting ever upward.
Today the Oasis, the town’s first casino, has all but shut down due to hard economic times. This put several hundred employees out of work. Many homes went up for sale as residents began looking for work elsewhere.
But don’t count this tough little border town out. It survived a flood over 100 years ago. If you’re the gambling type — and if you’re interested in Mesquite then you probably are — I’d recommend putting your money on a strong comeback. It might be as close to a sure bet as you’ll ever see in a gambling town.
