Pioneer Club Las Vegas
Encyclopedia
Pioneer Club Las Vegas was a casino that opened in 1942 and was located in Downtown Las Vegas
, Nevada
, at 25 East Fremont Street
. It ceased operating as a casino in 1995, the same year the Fremont Street Experience
was completed.
In 1965 the Pioneer Club bought The Elwell Hotel located at 200 South First St. directly behind the Pioneer Club and renamed it the Pioneer Club Hotel. The Hotel was sold in 1969 and became the Golden Hotel. In 1983 The Pioneer Club bought Club Bingo located to the west of it and enlarged its Casino area. From 1956 to 1967 it was called the New Pioneer Club. In 1984 The Golden Nugget
bought the hotel and demolished it, building a parking garage for its Casino and Hotel in its place.
For many years The Pioneer Club was one of downtown's leading casinos.
Margaret Elardi who also owned the Frontier Hotel on The Strip
and later the Pioneer Hotel & Gambling Hall
casino in Laughlin
, owned the club for a while, then a group of Circus Circus executives. In 1992 new owners purchased the Pioneer Club but were unable to compete with the larger casinos on Fremont Street both at the beginning and at the end of the Fremont Street Experience or with the large new megaresort
s on The Strip. The owners closed the venerable casino in 1995 and it remained vacant until 1998 when Schiff Enterprises bought the Pioneer Club and opened a souvenir store inside. The vintage Pioneer Club signs and Vegas Vic sign still exists on the exterior of the building.
cowboy) lives on. In 1947 Las Vegas chamber of Commerce hired a West-Marquis firm which invented the Fremont Street Cowboy Vegas Vic and his friendly "Howdy Podner" greeting.
The Young Electric Sign Company was commissioned to build the neon version of the sign by the owners of the Pioneer Club. They then commissioned Pat Denner
who modeled it after the image used by the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce in 1947 consisting of a cowboy in blue jeans with a yellow-checked shirt and red bandanna. Vegas Vic was then erected on the exterior of the building in 1951 changing the exterior of The Pioneer club forever.
Downtown Las Vegas
Downtown Las Vegas is the central business district of Las Vegas, Nevada. It is the original gambling district of Las Vegas, prior to the Strip, and the area still incorporates downtown gaming.-Tourism:...
, 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...
, at 25 East Fremont Street
Fremont Street
Fremont Street is a street in Las Vegas, Nevada, and is the second most famous street in the Las Vegas metropolitan area after the Las Vegas Strip...
. It ceased operating as a casino in 1995, the same year the Fremont Street Experience
Fremont Street Experience
The Fremont Street Experience is a pedestrian mall and attraction in downtown Las Vegas, Nevada. The FSE occupies the westernmost 5 blocks of Fremont Street, including the area known for years as "Glitter Gulch," and portions of some other adjacent streets.The attraction is a barrel vault canopy,...
was completed.
History
The Pioneer Club occupies a building that was built in 1918 and originally served as a restaurant. The Pioneer Club and Cocktail lounge opened in April 1942 on the corner of 1st Street and Fremont Street.In 1965 the Pioneer Club bought The Elwell Hotel located at 200 South First St. directly behind the Pioneer Club and renamed it the Pioneer Club Hotel. The Hotel was sold in 1969 and became the Golden Hotel. In 1983 The Pioneer Club bought Club Bingo located to the west of it and enlarged its Casino area. From 1956 to 1967 it was called the New Pioneer Club. In 1984 The Golden Nugget
Golden Nugget Las Vegas
The Golden Nugget Las Vegas is a luxury casino-hotel located in Las Vegas, Nevada on the Fremont Street Experience. The property is owned and operated by Landry's Restaurants....
bought the hotel and demolished it, building a parking garage for its Casino and Hotel in its place.
For many years The Pioneer Club was one of downtown's leading casinos.
Margaret Elardi who also owned the Frontier Hotel on The Strip
Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas Strip is an approximately stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada; adjacent to, but outside the city limits of Las Vegas proper. The Strip lies within the unincorporated townships of Paradise and Winchester...
and later the Pioneer Hotel & Gambling Hall
Pioneer Hotel & Gambling Hall
The Pioneer Hotel & Gambling Hall is a hotel and casino in Laughlin, Nevada known for its neon cigarette-puffing River Rick marque. It used to be a sister property of Pioneer Club in Las Vegas until both properties sold to separate parties.-History:...
casino in Laughlin
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...
, owned the club for a while, then a group of Circus Circus executives. In 1992 new owners purchased the Pioneer Club but were unable to compete with the larger casinos on Fremont Street both at the beginning and at the end of the Fremont Street Experience or with the large new megaresort
Megaresort
A Megaresort is a type of destination resort which is of an exceptionally large size, sometimes featuringlarge-scale attractions . The hotels along the Las Vegas Strip are most typically thought of as megaresorts owing to their immense size and complexity...
s on The Strip. The owners closed the venerable casino in 1995 and it remained vacant until 1998 when Schiff Enterprises bought the Pioneer Club and opened a souvenir store inside. The vintage Pioneer Club signs and Vegas Vic sign still exists on the exterior of the building.
Vegas Vic
Although the Pioneer Club no longer operates as a casino, Vegas Vic (The 40 ft (12.2 m) neonNeon
Neon is the chemical element that has the symbol Ne and an atomic number of 10. Although a very common element in the universe, it is rare on Earth. A colorless, inert noble gas under standard conditions, neon gives a distinct reddish-orange glow when used in either low-voltage neon glow lamps or...
cowboy) lives on. In 1947 Las Vegas chamber of Commerce hired a West-Marquis firm which invented the Fremont Street Cowboy Vegas Vic and his friendly "Howdy Podner" greeting.
The Young Electric Sign Company was commissioned to build the neon version of the sign by the owners of the Pioneer Club. They then commissioned Pat Denner
Pat Denner
Pat Denner is the designer of Vegas Vic. In 1951, the Young Electric Sign Company in Salt Lake City commissioned Mr. Denner to design an illustration for the manufacturing of the neon sign...
who modeled it after the image used by the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce in 1947 consisting of a cowboy in blue jeans with a yellow-checked shirt and red bandanna. Vegas Vic was then erected on the exterior of the building in 1951 changing the exterior of The Pioneer club forever.