Boulder City Magazine is a monthly publication full of information about Boulder City and Southern Nevada. Boulder City Magazine features the Boulder City Home Guide, a real estate guide to Boulder City and Southern Nevada.

Short Stories

Railroad Pass Hotel & Casino -
A Brief History of Truths & Legends

by Don Brown, Sr.

The Union Pacific Railroad completed the tracks between Las Vegas and Boulder City in February of 1931. Six months later to the day, Railroad Pass Club, later renamed Railroad Pass Hotel & Casino ("the Pass"), opened its doors to the public. In celebration of the casino's history, a Founder's Day Bash is planned from August 12 through August 14, 2005. To set the stage for the big celebration, here's a little "Pass" history.







Upon opening on August 1, 1931, the Pass was an answer to the prayers of many of those who worked on the Hoover Dam project. Working on Hoover Dam in the government reservation of Boulder City took a terrible toll on many of the working men. When the Pass opened, it gave the residents of Boulder City, including the men working on Hoover Dam, a place to unwind. Boulder City was a family town that didn't allow prostitution, gambling or alcohol. Las Vegas was only 12 miles away, but in 1931, it took all day to get there!

The Pass continued to thrive over the years until the Hoover Dam project was completed. The population of Boulder City plummeted as the working men left to find other work around the country. Consequently, the Pass hit some very hard times. These hard times would last until December 7, 1941, when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Coinciding with the onset of the war, the government quickly built Army Camp Williston in Boulder City, which brought many residents to the area. Unfortunately, the boom was short-lived. When World War II ended, Army Camp Williston closed, and troubled times would hit the Pass once again.

The Pass was handed from owner to owner during the next 30 years, and during that time, it enjoyed moderate success. That all changed when it was purchased by a Chicago restaurateur, Robert Verchota, in 1975. Verchota closed the Pass for a month long renovation in July of 1975. The newly christened Railroad Pass Casino and Supper Club reopened 44 years from the day of the original grand opening on August 1, 1975.

In 1995, Circus Circus Enterprises, creator of the world famous Circus Circus Hotel and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip, purchased the Railroad Pass. In 1999, Circus Circus changed its name to Mandalay Resort Group. Mandalay Resort Group, including the Pass, was acquired by MGM MIRAGE in April 2005.

The Pass has had a colorful 74-year history. It started out as a watering hole where you could go and have a great time, and continues with that tradition today. The Railroad Pass carries with it a long history of legends. This includes "the mystery of the safes". In 1932, the Union Pacific Railroad built a vault around two safes at the Pass which held payroll for the Union Pacific Railroad. The vault still remains in place today. Could there be money or some other valuables in the safes? Someone must know, but they have not come forward.

Other legends include the police catching up to a group of bank robbers at the Pass. Everyone knows that in the Wild West criminals are often headed off "at the pass". Last but not least are the legends of ghosts. These legends can be explained away easily. Every time you go somewhere you truly love, you leave a piece of yourself. It works that way with your favorite vacation spots, casinos, concert halls and restaurants. The Railroad Pass Hotel & Casino is all of these things. So if you love the Pass as much as I do, there might be a piece of you there already. If not, isn't it time to make the Pass one of your new haunts?



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