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Last Seen:
Fantasy Park, 1/4 mile east of Las Vegas Blvd - Las Vegas
This marker is currently missing
City
Las Vegas
Region
Southern
Signed
No signs exist for this marker
MISSING
This marker has been missing since 1998.
Exact Description
Stretching for 130 miles across Clark County, this historic horse trail became Nevada's first route of commerce in 1829 when trade was initiated between Santa Fe and Los Angeles. The trail was later used by the wagons of the "49ers" and Mormon pioneers. Concrete posts marking the trail were erected in 1965.
Street View
Case number 32
Missing Since: 1998
Whereabouts
According the State Marker System:
"Located in Fantasy Park, 1/4 mile east of Las Vegas Boulevard North and Washington Street in Las Vegas, Nevada."
The story of #32 is an odd and frustrating one. Upon commencing my marker journey, I thoroughly compiled and studied a list of the markers that I believed would initially become thorns in my side. #32, unwaveringly, became the poster child of what I called, "The MIAs." Poor Marker 32 is so far gone that many of us believe that it'll never be shown the light of day again. Of all the MIAs, this one might be one of the first to go missing in the system. We're talking a marker that has been gone for more than three decades! Yes, you read that right.
The disappearance of this marker is most likely due to the complete revitalization of downtown Las Vegas - specifically, the corridor of Las Vegas Blvd north of Tropicana. This would be just about anything from the northern edges of the Strip nearest to I-15 and the routes of today's Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin Drives and N. Las Vegas Blvd. Both the Nevada Department of Transportation and the SHPO have been informed about this marker, but nothing has been done to replace it.
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These are the updates and my findings regarding - 32 - OLD SPANISH TRAIL:
Fantastical Fantasy
Once upon a time (thirty years ago to be exact) there used to be a shaded haven in the middle of this metropolis called "Fantasy Park" - a grassy shaded bench located approximately at the intersection of Washington and Las Vegas Blvds. Fantasy Park was a homey little 4-acre green with kids' playgrounds, picnic areas, and even a crude amusement park.
Fantasy Park was a perfect location for this marker because the Old Spanish Trail roughly followed the path of current North Las Vegas Blvd and a few short segments of Washington Street. From this intersection, the Trail wound the path of Main Street, then down the Strip to about Flamingo Ave before turning northwest to roughly follow Charleston Blvd. Similar to Markers 25 and 28, 32 was designed using the "Classic" style in this series and was lovingly fitted into a stone memorial. Fantasy Park was a popular place in the 1970s up until the massive renovation and exponential growth of the city starting in 1991.
Take a look at Fantasy Park here!
For a short time, Fantasy Park even housed a small statue commemorating the Old Spanish Trail! 32 was fairly short-lived. The growth of the downtown area quickly overwhelmed Fantasy Park and things were a done deal when Clark County Roads and the NDOT renovated this intersection sometime in the late 90s decimating the little park and the marker along with it. We aren't quite sure of the exact dates between the marker's disappearance and construction, but this has been a trending pattern for every single Clark County MIA.
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March 2009
Today at "Washington and Las Vegas Blvd," hunters will find the monstrous Grant Sawyer Building, a huge state headquarters building with rolling gates and guard houses requiring permissive entry. On my conquering of Clark County in 2009, I strapped in for battle equipping myself with the following three playbook items as I inquired at the front gate!
1. First, I bluntly, yet politely stated who I was and most pathetically add the somber fact that I had driven from the State Capitol (400 plus miles to, you know, make things sound more official!) to capture this marker.
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2. Prior to this visit, I acquainted myself with a few important heads from NDOT and I stated their names in hopes of helping things along with gaining access to the building. I requested that I wanted nothing more than to walk the grounds for a few minutes to locate "an historical marker vital to the State Archives in Carson City."
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3. To double my chances, I offered them my driver's license and even my truck title (yes, I was that committed) as collateral to prove that I wasn't a fiend or somebody with malintent.
But, in a moment's flash, shattering my masterplan, the attendant took no pity and instead interrupted me boldly with:
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"Only state officials are allowed through the gates. You have to leave."
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So, maybe the driver's license thing was a bit too much?
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With that said, I contacted fellow marker hunter, Gary Bodell from the Lincoln County Branch NDOT, a state official who has had access to the Grant Sawyer Building in the past. It turns out at least my overly zealous plan wasn't in vain. He emailed me a few days later stating...
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"Two hours of searching. No marker on the complex. We got our hopes up."
Later, I uncovered a rumor/email from yet another fellow hunter, Lisa B., that Marker 32 was "probably lying in a rubble pile at a nearby Clark County maintenance station near Grant Sawyer." However, I found this to be highly improbable for three reasons.
1. Considering that the marker is a rare "Classic" plaque, the metal itself would've needed to be removed from its concrete slab.
2. The slab would be ultimately destroyed completely displacing the plaque from anything. That would leave a single metal plaque left up to anybody to simply pick up further increasing the chance of it being stolen or lost forever.
3. Lastly, in my opinion, the time needed to remove the plaque for safekeeping, especially with the plaque being so small and insignificant, would entail too much effort on account of the road department during this fairly expedious renovation.
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In other words, thanks Lisa for the recommendation!
If you'd like to do your own searching the location of this supposed maintenance station is located near the Oasis Trailer Park just a few blocks east of the Grant Sawyer Building (the former location of Fantasy Park.) Take a look at the Street View above.
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Updates!
One week after my bust in Las Vegas and feeling completely unsatisfied with my result, I took a trip to my second home, the Nevada State Archives in Carson City in an effort to open the blinds on this dark case. Although vague, I did unravel a few more important pieces.
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About two weeks into the first stages of the demolitions of Fantasy Park, I learned that builders of the complex tried to "work around the sign" (1995) probably knowing full well that if the marker was destroyed, it would never again be replaced. By more or less connecting the dots, this notion is promising considering the builders' reluctance to rid of the marker! Fellow hunter Lisa B. could've been onto something!
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Given the historic importance of the Old Spanish Trail and the recent makeovers for many markers throughout the state (such of Nevada's 150th sesquicentennial in 2015), Marker 32 might have been returned in some form ... maybe a metal plaque or some other type of plaque located somewhere among the 750,000 humans in downtown Vegas alone. We just don't know, and I've never met a person who was ever truly able to find a needle in a haystack, especially when the haystack is as extravagant as downtown LV.​​
Until Marker 32 finds its way back onto the downtown scene, pay your respects to this very old historic marker- one representative of our state's first great transport.
Holy Nevada! I have a flurry of possibilities and strategies to replace this marker to prevent further mishaps (red tape) in the future. Apparently, the SHPO thought the Old Spanish Trail needed eight historic markers. Markers 139 and 140 were resurrected thanks to Nevada's 150th Battle Born Sesquicentennial celebration, but somehow, Marker 32 keeps getting the short stick. Why?
Here's the deal. Even to this day, Marker 32 could be anywhere along the path of the Old Spanish Trail. Keyword: COULD. It's unlikely the marker was replaced within the compound of the Grant Sawyer Complex (as proven by Mr. Gary Bodell) given the building's extreme security. My other hunches sit about a mile east of the present intersection, but on my conquering, I went in circles for two days to no avail.
So, what can we do for the future?
Every one of the markers commemorating the Old Spanish Trail, except this one, are located outside of the city limits! Therefore, this should be the end goal for Marker 32's return. If the powers that be want to keep it within the Las Vegas limits, I would recommend keeping it as far away from downtown and the Strip as possible.
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With this in mind here's a list of our possible locations. We've personally visited each of these areas and we can confirm that these are all readily accessible to the public to avoid red tape and all of them are relatively permanent and free from complete revitalization.
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This is a fairly new urban park set far away from the Vegas Strip, but historically significant for Marker 32's return. Old Spanish Trail Park, at the corner of Tara Drive and Cimarron Road, was built right on top of the old trail!
Clark County Parks purchased this 3-acre parcel of land right before the massive boom in Summerlin around 2011 and quickly decked it out with a kids' playground, picnic areas, as well as historical kiosks and interpretive signs honoring the old trail. They went so far as to include the original path of the Old Spanish Trail so visitors can walk the actual trail through this lovely green pasture of Cottonwoods. Being that this IS the OST, placing the marker here would give it huge protection under the Clark County Parks, thus further preventing removal and/or sabotage. In short, a new Marker 32 here would be similar to Marker 224 Kiel Ranch.
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2. Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas
This is a very obvious choice, but probably the best one. The Las Vegas Branch of the Nevada State Museum is headquartered at the Springs Preserve along S. Valley View Road. Considering that both complexes share this real estate, it instantly becomes a no-brainer for attracting tourists away from the Vegas Strip. If a new Marker 32 is set here our only request is that it be placed outside the complex to avoid the necessary visitor hours and entrance fees. Let me explain.
Marker 40, formerly a 20-year MIA, was brought back to life in 2015. While we're grateful for its return the SHPO thought it was a good idea to place it inside the confines of the Preserve- frustratingly locking it behind a paywall. You can request to view only the marker by way of a "temporary pass," a cost of $5 instead of the standard $25 entrance fee, and only during rather short summer hours. You can't even see the marker because it's completely hidden behind a concrete wall from the entrance road.
If officials do bring Marker 32 back to life, a proper placement would be the park bench at the end of the entrance road/drop-off roundabout. This bench sits just outside the museum's entrance, making it perfectly viewable by just parking and walking up to it.
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This tiny urban park at S. Tenaya Way and New Forest Drive offers a location that follows suit similar to Marker 197 Arrowhead Trail II. Marker 197 in Henderson was another former MIA originally located at Railroad Pass on US 93/95, but it was painstakingly brought back to life at an urban park just a few miles from its former location.
What makes Paul Meyer interesting is the convenience of being similar to Fantasy Park (in a relatively busy part of Las Vegas), yet just far enough away from the bustle of the main tourist traps. The present-day Old Spanish Trail Country Club along Tropicana Avenue, just a few blocks south of here, sits right on top of the Old Spanish Trail's original path.
Additionally, Paul Meyer Park offers a publicly accessible option close to the original trail. The country club is a private community, so any placement of a new marker along the perimeter of the club could spew up some red tape, but not Paul Meyer Park. Let's avoid this, shall we? For Paul Meyer, the placement could be as simple as an intersection or the large open shaded area in the southwest area of the park for a concrete slab.
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If you have any information regarding - 32 - OLD SPANISH TRAIL we ask that you please contact me or the State Historic Preservation Office at (775)684-3448 as soon as possible.
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Let's get this marker back to the people and/or the justice it deserves!
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