Don Laughlin
Encyclopedia
Donald J. Laughlin is a gambling entrepreneur, hotelier and rancher for whom the town of Laughlin
, Nevada
, is named.
A native of Owatonna
, Minnesota
, Laughlin worked winters during his youth as a fur trapper. He took the profits and used them to purchase slot machine
s for installation in hunting lodges. The young businessman was making $500 a week when his school principal gave him an ultimatum: get out of slots or get out of school. Since he was making more than three times what the principal was, he got out of school.
Laughlin moved to Las Vegas
, Nevada
, in the late 1950s and purchased his first casino, the "101 Club." By 1964, Laughlin had sold the 101 Club. That same year, Laughlin was flying his private plane over the California/Arizona/Nevada tri-state area near the Colorado River
. Growth in the area, specifically in Bullhead City
, Arizona
, Kingman
, Arizona
, and Needles
, California
, was spurred by the construction of nearby Davis Dam
, completed in 1951. The area was also a major stop along Route 66
. It was during that flight that Laughlin envisioned the potential of the area as a resort destination. Soon after, he purchased a shuttered, eight-room riverfront motel on 6.5 acres (26,000 m²) for US$250,000. Though the landowner had several offers, he decided to sell the property to Laughlin because of his previous casino background.
In less than two years the Riverside Resort was entertaining guests not only with gambling but with all-you-can-eat chicken dinners for 98 cents. Play at the casino was on twelve slot machines and two live gaming tables. Accommodations at the Riverside were available in only four of the motel's eight rooms; Laughlin's family occupied the remaining four.
The city of Laughlin is believed to have received its name when a U.S. Postal Service inspector asked Laughlin to give a name to the area post office in order to receive mail. Laughlin suggested the name "Riverside and Casino," but the postal inspector in turn suggested "Laughlin" because of their common Irish heritage.
In 1972, the property, now known as the Riverside Resort Hotel & Casino
, underwent a major expansion with the addition of 48 new rooms. In 1975, 52 more rooms were added. Construction of a 14-story hotel/casino tower in 1983 added 253 rooms and in 1986, a second 14-floor tower added 307 more rooms and an automotive museum. With free admission to the public, the Riverside's extensive collection is an offshoot of the famous Harrah's collection. One longtime exhibit, a 1969 Chevrolet Camaro
nicknamed "Big Red" and specially prepared for road racing, has been returned to service and was the cover story of the May, 2005 edition of Hot Rod Magazine
. The largest expansion came in 1994 with the addition of 800 more rooms for a total of 1404 rooms. A bowling center, the only one in Laughlin, was constructed in 1999. Laughlin also helped finance the construction of a bridge over the Colorado between the northern tips of both Bullhead City and Laughlin as well as the expansion of Bullhead City's airport to enable it to accept airliners.
Laughlin spends his time shuttling in his private helicopter between his penthouse suite atop the Riverside and his cattle ranch in nearby Kingman. He also uses his helicopter in travels back to his hometown of Owatonna, Minnesota, for the Steele County Free Fair, parking it in a vacant lot behind the Owatonna Country Inn & Suites before it was replaced by a cinema's parking lot. A self-confessed workaholic
, Laughlin generally conducts the day-to-day affairs of running his businesses in the evening hours. Despite his fortune and fame, Laughlin is a very open individual towards his guests and can be seen frequenting the casino floor at night and chatting with them.
Laughlin, Nevada
Laughlin is a census-designated place in Clark County, Nevada, United States, and a port located on the Colorado River. Laughlin is south of Las Vegas, located in the far southern tip of Nevada. It is best known for its gaming, entertainment, and water recreation. As of the 2010 census, the...
, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
, is named.
A native of Owatonna
Owatonna, Minnesota
Owatonna is a city in Steele County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 25,599 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Steele County. Owatonna is home to the Steele County Fairgrounds, which hosts the Steele County Free Fair in August....
, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, Laughlin worked winters during his youth as a fur trapper. He took the profits and used them to purchase slot machine
Slot machine
A slot machine , informally fruit machine , the slots , poker machine or "pokies" or simply slot is a casino gambling machine with three or more reels which spin when a button is pushed...
s for installation in hunting lodges. The young businessman was making $500 a week when his school principal gave him an ultimatum: get out of slots or get out of school. Since he was making more than three times what the principal was, he got out of school.
Laughlin moved to Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
, in the late 1950s and purchased his first casino, the "101 Club." By 1964, Laughlin had sold the 101 Club. That same year, Laughlin was flying his private plane over the California/Arizona/Nevada tri-state area near the Colorado River
Colorado River
The Colorado River , is a river in the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, approximately long, draining a part of the arid regions on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. The watershed of the Colorado River covers in parts of seven U.S. states and two Mexican states...
. Growth in the area, specifically in Bullhead City
Bullhead City, Arizona
Bullhead City is a city located on the Colorado River in Mohave County, Arizona, USA, roughly south of Las Vegas, Nevada, and directly across the Colorado River from Laughlin, Nevada, whose casinos and ancillary services supply much of the employment for Bullhead City...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, Kingman
Kingman, Arizona
Kingman is located in a desert climate on the edge of the Mojave Desert, but its higher elevation and location between the Colorado Plateau and the Lower Colorado River Valley tempers summer high temperatures and contributes to winter cold and rare snowfall. Summer daytime highs reach above 90 °F ...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, and Needles
Needles, California
Needles is a city located in the Mojave Desert on the western banks of the Colorado River in San Bernardino County, California. It is located in the Mohave Valley, which straddles the California–Arizona border. The city is accessible via Interstate 40 and U.S. Route 95...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, was spurred by the construction of nearby Davis Dam
Davis Dam
Davis Dam is a dam on the Colorado River about downstream from Hoover Dam. It stretches across the border between Arizona and Nevada. Originally called Bullhead Dam, Davis Dam was renamed after Arthur Powell Davis, who was the director of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation from 1914 to 1932...
, completed in 1951. The area was also a major stop along Route 66
U.S. Route 66
U.S. Route 66 was a highway within the U.S. Highway System. One of the original U.S. highways, Route 66 was established on November 11, 1926 -- with road signs erected the following year...
. It was during that flight that Laughlin envisioned the potential of the area as a resort destination. Soon after, he purchased a shuttered, eight-room riverfront motel on 6.5 acres (26,000 m²) for US$250,000. Though the landowner had several offers, he decided to sell the property to Laughlin because of his previous casino background.
In less than two years the Riverside Resort was entertaining guests not only with gambling but with all-you-can-eat chicken dinners for 98 cents. Play at the casino was on twelve slot machines and two live gaming tables. Accommodations at the Riverside were available in only four of the motel's eight rooms; Laughlin's family occupied the remaining four.
The city of Laughlin is believed to have received its name when a U.S. Postal Service inspector asked Laughlin to give a name to the area post office in order to receive mail. Laughlin suggested the name "Riverside and Casino," but the postal inspector in turn suggested "Laughlin" because of their common Irish heritage.
In 1972, the property, now known as the Riverside Resort Hotel & Casino
Riverside Resort Hotel & Casino
Don Laughlin's Riverside Resort Hotel & Casino is located in Laughlin, Nevada, ]]USA]], on the Colorado River.-History:Laughlin bought the southern tip of Nevada in 1964 . Laughlin operated the 101 Club in Las Vegas...
, underwent a major expansion with the addition of 48 new rooms. In 1975, 52 more rooms were added. Construction of a 14-story hotel/casino tower in 1983 added 253 rooms and in 1986, a second 14-floor tower added 307 more rooms and an automotive museum. With free admission to the public, the Riverside's extensive collection is an offshoot of the famous Harrah's collection. One longtime exhibit, a 1969 Chevrolet Camaro
Chevrolet Camaro
The Chevrolet Camaro is an automobile manufactured by General Motors under the Chevrolet brand, classified as a pony car and some versions also as a muscle car. It went on sale on September 29, 1966, for the 1967 model year and was designed as a competing model to the Ford Mustang...
nicknamed "Big Red" and specially prepared for road racing, has been returned to service and was the cover story of the May, 2005 edition of Hot Rod Magazine
Hot Rod Magazine
Hot Rod is an American monthly magazine devoted to hot rodding, —modifying automobiles for performance and appearance.-History:Hot Rod is the oldest magazine devoted to hot rodding having been published since 1948. Robert E. Petersen founded the magazine and his Petersen Publishing Company...
. The largest expansion came in 1994 with the addition of 800 more rooms for a total of 1404 rooms. A bowling center, the only one in Laughlin, was constructed in 1999. Laughlin also helped finance the construction of a bridge over the Colorado between the northern tips of both Bullhead City and Laughlin as well as the expansion of Bullhead City's airport to enable it to accept airliners.
Laughlin spends his time shuttling in his private helicopter between his penthouse suite atop the Riverside and his cattle ranch in nearby Kingman. He also uses his helicopter in travels back to his hometown of Owatonna, Minnesota, for the Steele County Free Fair, parking it in a vacant lot behind the Owatonna Country Inn & Suites before it was replaced by a cinema's parking lot. A self-confessed workaholic
Workaholic
A workaholic is a person who is addicted to work.The term generally implies that the person enjoys their work; it can also imply that they simply feel compelled to do it...
, Laughlin generally conducts the day-to-day affairs of running his businesses in the evening hours. Despite his fortune and fame, Laughlin is a very open individual towards his guests and can be seen frequenting the casino floor at night and chatting with them.
External links
- Riverside Resort and Casino official website
- Article on how Laughlin was one of the first hundred people to shape Southern Nevada
- History of Laughlin, Nevada at A2zlasvegas.com
- Copy of 1996 Sunset magazine article about Don Laughlin at Encyclopedia.com
- Article about Laughlin, Nevada and Don Laughlin at About.com
- Brief history about Laughlin, Nevada and Don Laughlin at Californiaweekend.com