LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — From Nevada to Las Vegas, some of the state’s most recognizable names trace back to the region’s Spanish roots, according to a historian at the Nevada State Museum.
Historian Holly Piper said long before Nevada became a U.S. territory, the land was home to Indigenous communities for thousands of years before becoming part of New Spain.
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“Native American people have lived in Nevada for thousands of years. There are petroglyphs in Great Basin that are over 10,000 years old. But its history as a state actually begins with Spain,” Piper said.
Old Spanish Trail shaped the valley’s identity
As traders traveled between what is now New Mexico and California, they crossed through the Las Vegas Valley along the Old Spanish Trail. Piper said that route helped shape the names and identity still recognized today.
“We are where that Old Spanish Trail crossed through this valley. That’s how Las Vegas got its name from Spanish traders going between New Mexico and California,” Piper said.
Nevada’s name officially adopted in 1861
While historians are not certain whether Nevada was named after the Sierra Nevada mountain range or the state’s snow-capped peaks, Piper said the Spanish word “nevada” — meaning snow — was officially adopted when Nevada became a U.S. territory in 1861.
“That’s sort of part of the core identity of the state is we are part of New Spain and then part of Mexico. And that’s where we get our place names from. That’s where some of the people who lived here in the earlier days were from,” Piper said.
Hispanic influence continues across the state
Piper said the influence extended beyond place names, pointing to generations of Hispanic families who have helped shape the state.
“We’ve always, like the other southwestern states, had a large Hispanic population here who then contributed to famous people who get their names used for streets or just descriptive terms,” Piper said.
The Nevada State Museum is also marking America’s 250th anniversary with a series of workshops this month, where participants can learn cursive and explore the nation’s founding documents.
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