Growing up in Las Vegas, I didn’t see it the way tourists did. While most people saw flashing lights and high-stakes glamour, I saw something different. I saw the people—the ones behind the curtain—who made the magic happen. And more often than not, those people were women.
I come from a blue-collar family. My father moved to Las Vegas in 1954 to work with my great-uncle Thom, a stagehand at the Stardust. But it was my great-aunt Kathleen who shaped my understanding of this city. As a seamstress at the Stardust, she wasn’t just mending costumes—she was holding the illusion together. Without her, the show didn’t go on.
That’s the story of Las Vegas. Women have always been its foundation, working tirelessly behind the scenes to make sure everything runs flawlessly. They don’t always get the credit, but without them, Vegas wouldn’t be Vegas.
Women Built Las Vegas
Before the neon lights and the casinos, Las Vegas was shaped by a woman—Helen J. Stewart. A landowner and businesswoman, she played a pivotal role in selling the land that would become the heart of the city. Women like her ensured that Vegas wasn’t just a pit stop in the desert but a place where families could thrive.
For those of us raised here, we know this firsthand. Vegas isn’t just built on big bets and high rollers—it’s built by women like my great-aunt Kathleen. The ones who ran the schools, worked in the hotels, and held everything together while others took the spotlight.
If Vegas Had a Gender, She’d Be a Woman
Think about it. Las Vegas reinvents herself time and time again. She’s bold, glamorous, resilient, and strong. She holds it all together, even when no one is looking. Beneath the sequins, she’s got grit.
I grew up dancing at Harry Reid’s fundraisers in the 1980s, watching Lance Burton perform at my recitals before he was a star, and visiting Siegfried and Roy’s house before they became Vegas legends. My family worked behind the scenes, ensuring the spectacle unfolded night after night.
Vegas is a city of reinvention, of survival, of making the impossible happen. And just like the women who built her, she refuses to be defined by anything but her own terms.
The Work Continues
While we celebrate the women who shaped this city, we must also acknowledge the challenges that remain. And it will be women who lead the charge to heal and build a better future.
Women built this city. And they will continue to shape it. Because Vegas isn’t just a place—it’s a force. And at its heart, Vegas is, and always will be, a woman.