Dressed in a cowboy hat and vintage clothes, Mayor Oscar Goodman kicked off a mock auction by taking on the persona of former Senator William Clark of Montana, who founded a railroad depot where the city now lies. On May 15, 1905, an auction was held to bid on 110 acres, or 1,200 lots, to build the town.

Goodman unveiled the first of 21 historical markers that will dot the city to mark the centennial. A year after the 1905 auction, the city installed its first street lights, two hotels opened and the first carload of distilled whiskey was shipped to Nevada.

The city’s nascent tourism business had begun. In the 100 years that followed, people have flocked to Las Vegas for the sunny weather and job opportunities, turning a dusty railroad town into one of the fastest growing cities in the country.