LAS VEGAS (KLAS) – Las Vegas Metropolis Corridor doesn’t show nor possess a photograph of the mayor thought-about “the most controversial” within the city’s historical past, however historians say his tumultuous time period is value studying.
Within the Thirties the scorching button situation which defeated or aided Las Vegas politicians was who managed the energy, extra particularly the Southern Nevada Energy Firm, now often called NV Power.
Las Vegas Mayor Ernie Cragin’s defeat in 1935 for his second time period was probably tied to allegations of his connections to the facility firm publicized by his opponent, Leonard Arnett. It could proceed a dialog within the younger metropolis about whether or not the facility firm needs to be privately or municipally owned.
On the time U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal, a monetary reform program which targeted on home public works tasks, was a significant component in Las Vegas politics. Mayor Arnett campaigned for federal funds by means of the New Deal to be put in direction of an influence plant and transmissions traces from the brand new Hoover Dam.
Throughout Arnett’s time period, the realm skilled an financial downturn and the Las Vegas Fee, now often called the Las Vegas Metropolis Council, appointed a board of leaders to discover a fiscal reply to the mayor’s energy firm answer.
On the time U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal, a monetary reform program which targeted on home public works tasks, was a significant component in Las Vegas politics. Mayor Arnett campaigned for federal funds by means of the New Deal to be put in direction of an influence plant and transmissions traces from the brand new Hoover Dam. (UNLV Collections)
The board discovered Arnett’s thought to be too dangerous and shortly after the mayor took a go away of absence—and ran a rooster ranch in California.
The true property developer
In 1909, John Lewis Russell, a local of North Dakota, stood in an open discipline with each fingers positioned down on a pitchfork readying for a household photograph. The railroad employee, turned actual property developer, would develop into a firebrand figurehead for Las Vegas, in response to UNLV historian, Dr. Michael Inexperienced.
“John Russell had been a real estate developer who got involved in the Las Vegas Taxpayers League in the 1930s,” he mentioned. “His goal was to fight increases in city spending.”
After Arnett’s absence, Las Vegas Commissioner Harmon Percy Marble, a newspaper proprietor and photographer, took over as town’s mayor earlier than shedding an election to the chief of the Taxpayers League, John Russell.
Russell began his time period in 1939 and mentioned he would carry “sound financial policy, keeping municipal expenditures at the lowest point consistent with progressive policies.” Nevertheless, the brand new mayor would first have to win over his fellow commissioners—a ability he lacked.
“Well, he got into it with his fellow city commissioners,” Inexperienced mentioned. “He wanted a lower tax rate than they did, and he had changed his mind and now [Russell] wanted municipally owned electricity, and they were hoping that fight had been over.”
It had quickly develop into clear Russell was a mayor who didn’t disguise his emotions effectively and had a behavior of attacking anybody who disagreed along with his agenda, calling them “corrupt and stupid.”
“That wasn’t conducive to building a coalition,” Inexperienced mentioned. “Eventually he got fed up. The commissioners got fed up with him.”
On Dec. 21, 1940, the opposite 4 Las Vegas Commissioners resigned, however the metropolis legal professional dominated that the elected officers needed to meet as a board for his or her resignations to be accepted. Once they met once more, they modified their resolution to resign nonetheless it was too late—Russell created a second authorities.
Two rival governments
The 2 governments, one newly appointed by Mayor Russell, met in the identical room and had papers run between them by town clerk to be signed.
One of many high points on the agenda got here from the Las Vegas Military Air Corps which was attempting to get a gunnery faculty arrange throughout World Warfare II.
“This is the gunnery school that would become Nellis Air Force Base,” Inexperienced mentioned. “And there are two sets of signatures on it because they couldn’t get an agreement.”
By Apr. 20, 1940, town’s affairs would develop into the goal of an investigation and grand jury trial. Joe Ronnow, a Las Vegas Commissioner, made the movement for the grand jury together with assist from his fellow commissioners, in response to an article from the Las Vegas Age.
“It was done with the desire to lay all actions of the board and other city employees open to inspection in the hope that the constant disagreement and bickering which has characterized the present city administration for the past year to the annoyance of the people and discredit to the good reputation of the city, be finally brought to an end,” a Las Vegas Age reporter wrote.
On Might 10, 1941, Russell’s turbulent time period would end in costs of malfeasance by the outdated metropolis fee with the objective of eradicating the mayor from workplace.
“They convicted him themselves, it wasn’t a court case,” Inexperienced mentioned. “Russell resigned in May.”
Two months later the previous mayor left town limits and went as much as Mt. Charleston with some pals, however he would by no means return to Las Vegas.
Figuring out the mayor’s physique
On July 19, 1941, Russell traveled to Deer Creek with a person and a girl earlier than making an attempt to enterprise additional to the Kyle Canyon space previous the Charleston Park Lodge shortly earlier than 3 p.m., in response to a newspaper report.
Whereas on the campgrounds Russell fell over and died nearly immediately from a coronary heart assault. An hour later a phone name was made to Clark County Sheriff Gene Ward relaying “John Russell” had died.
A coroner rapidly rushed from the Las Vegas Valley as much as Mt. Charleston to see the physique of the previous mayor. Charles Travis, the lodge supervisor, and Leo McNamee, a Kyle Canyon resident and Las Vegas legal professional, stood on the campgrounds and recognized the previous mayor.
Russell was buried at Woodlawn Cemetery days later. The inscription on his gravestone reads, “Las Vegas’ Progressive Mayor.”
The previous mayor’s sister, Julia Ann Russell, and mom, Mary Jane Russell, have been each buried subsequent to him. Julia’s obituary reveals two surviving sisters: Mrs. Margaret Johnson of Las Vegas, and Mrs. Cora Kenmir of Alhambra, California.
Russell’s demise certificates reveals he was by no means married and lists his occupation as a “farmer and railway maker,” with no point out of his time as mayor of Las Vegas.
Russell Highway
In accordance with paperwork from the Clark County Heritage Museum, Russell owned a 100-acre ranch on the outskirts of city, close to what’s now Harry Reid Worldwide Airport. The street that ran alongside his property would later be named after the previous mayor, changing into Russell Highway.
“It’s funny that Russell Road runs to the airport, which for many years, was named for Pat McCarran,” Inexperienced mentioned. “And the mayor, who did not want municipal power was Ernie Cragin, and who was a total McCarran supporter.”
In 1943, Cragin left the California rooster ranch and returned to his seat as Las Vegas mayor, a calmer interval in response to Inexperienced.
“[Russell] is unusual in his time, in that, city politicians usually weren’t that vocal,” he mentioned. “There’s been a gadfly or two involved on the commission but for the most part, the mayors have not been.”
Inexperienced mentioned as a result of Russell didn’t full his time period in workplace and obtained into many political fights rapidly, he ranks larger on the “controversy meter” from a historic perspective.
“He certainly ranks as one of our more controversial mayors—there’s no doubt about that,” Inexperienced mentioned.
A photograph of Russell was positioned in a time capsule on the Las Vegas Union Pacific Railroad station in 1940 and was later retrieved in 1970 earlier than the constructing’s demolition.
