Las Vegas
By J.Young

Nestled at the base of the Sangre de Cristo mountains and located 65 miles east of Santa Fe, at an elevation of 6,424 feet above sea level, lies the historic city of Las Vegas, New Mexico. Established in 1835 through a Spanish land grant, it was the last Spanish colony built in North America and was originally named Nuestra Senora de los Dolores De Las Vegas Grandes (our lady sorrows of the great Meadows) by the early settlers. Initially, the settlement also served as a fort, designed to fend off attacks from the Apache Indians. Surrounding a large Central Plaza were charming one-story adobe houses. At first the settlement served also as a fort. It was designed to defend itself from attacks from the Apache Indians. First and most importantly, a water supply was constructed. A large ditch called the Acequia Madre ran off the Gallinas river, which reports say still winds behind buildings on the old Plaza and waters the gardens on the western portion of town today.

In 1846 just after the US and Mexico went to war General Stephen W Kearney and a large army arrived at Las Vegas in April 1846. When they arrived they found around 1,500 Spanish settlers in town and surrounding the area. The army surrounded the town placing cannons pointing at the plaza and the people of the Town surrendered. The Army confiscated the home of Hilario Gonzalez, using his home as their barracks. The army stayed for five years, leaving in 1851 moving about 20 miles north of Las Vegas to the newly built Fort Union, as well as another location at Fort Lunas. Its purpose was to protect the settlers coming in on the Santa Fe Trail to Las Vegas and Santa Fe from further Apache raids.
Benigno Romero had three brothers Eugenio, Trinidad and Margarito. The boy’s father was Miguel A Romero, a native of Spain. Miguel and his father Francisco were the first settlers in Las Vegas and built the very first homes there. Benigno Romero grew up and attended Jesuit college on the west side of town. Jesuit college later became Regis University. Afterwards, Romero attended the Christian Brothers College in St Louis.
After returning to Las Vegas, Benigno was eager to get established in the business world at Las Vegas as the place was growing very quickly. With $350 Romero and his brother purchased a lot and built a Mercantile store and shoe store on the Northside of the plaza park. They became a success and purchased more lots to construct the Las Vegas hose company (fire dept.), and a book & stationery store. They also purchased several cattle and sheep ranches, just outside of town.
The first of the Romero’s stores became the largest structure on the Plaza when they added two more stories to their building on the North side, making it a hotel, dancehall/saloon, restaurant called “The Plaza Supper Club’, as well as various trade stores. It was opened in 1882 and named The Plaza Hotel. There were some issues with the contractor for stalling the construction of the building and the matter was forced to be settled in court. By the time the Hotel was complete, the city’s population was the highest in the territory, meaning very good things to come for business owners like The Romeros.
Mr. Benigno Romero was a valued and treasured citizen of Las Vegas, he was a leader and served on many boards like the citizens and irrigation committees of Las Vegas.
Mr. Romero was also on the board of directors for the insane asylum, where his son was a doctor. Benigno was President of the baseball club and President of The Romero Drug Company. He conducted most of his business from his home which would later be on North Pacific Street.
The town began to develop and many traders, prospectors and travelers stopped at Las Vegas along the Santa Fe Trail. It was the first town after 600 miles of sucking dirt on the road from Kansas. Travelers demanded whiskey, women and a hot bath and the town was ready to accommodate. Las Vegas became very popular and in 1879, about 1 mile east of the plaza across the Gallinas River, railroad tracks were laid and the first train arrived at Las Vegas. Hundreds of town folks gathered to celebrate and a large settlement of tents and small cabins were built near the railroad. Soon large establishments were built and its commercial District became competitive to the West End Plaza. Las Vegas in all grew so large it rivaled Denver and El Paso in size of area.
The Plaza Hotel, which has become a landmark in Las Vegas. The structure is a large Victorian style building made of stone and upper levels of brick. It was designed with magnificent entablatures on top and over each row of windows are fancy capitals. 
A lot next door was purchased by Allan Ilfeldt. Ilfeldt built a store between the Plaza and Alexander Grzelachowski’s store. Ilfeldt eventually obtained Grzelachowski’s store and built it onto his own adding two floors above the original, the building was dressed to impress and complemented its neighbor, the Plaza. Ilfeldt’s was decorated in an Italian style, and above it’s windows, were hand carved Lion heads.
It wasn’t long when about 6 trains a day stopped in Las Vegas. This brought in many curious eastern travelers, along with some outlaws, con artist murderers and thieves. The east end of town became rather rough by the new group of arrivals. Another group came to town from Dodge City and established themselves as peace officers; they were known as the Dodge City gang. It was made up of men such as JJ web, mysterious Dave Mather, Joe Carson, Dirty Dave Rudabaugh (Radenbach)
and their leader Hoodoo Brown, who served as the Justice of the Peace. With Hoo-Doo calling the shots he placed Dave Rudabaugh (Radenbach) as The City’s first chief of police. Tom Pickett served as the city’s Chief of Merchants Police.
Las Vegas became a home and a or frequent place to visit by people like; Doc Holliday, Big-Nose Kate, Jesse James, Billy the Kid, Bob Ford, Wyatt Earp, Rattlesnake Sam, Cock-Eyed Frank, Hook Nose Jim, Stuttering Tom, Durango Kid, Handsome Harry the Dancehall Rustler, Vicente Silva and his gang, and Belle Siddons (alias Monte Verde).

Doc Holliday is thought to have bought a saloon on Center Street (now East Lincoln ave) with partner JJ Web. But Doc didn’t stick around long, on July 19th 1879, Doc got into an argument with a local named Mike Gordon who was apparently very well liked. The two went out to the street to settle business. Doc, who was known as a polite man with a quick and deadly trigger finger said in a laid back, calm voice,
“start shooting whenever you would like”
… a moment later Mike Gordon was dead with 3 three holes of hot lead in his belly. In retaliation for Mike Gordon the town folks and friends of Mike formed a mob to Lynch Doc. Doc got word and was able to leave town for good.

Robberies targeting stages carrying gold, silver and other valuable items were on the rise and occurring mostly in the Vegas area. Two stage robberies in August of 1879 and one train robbery. Many suspected that the perpetrators were members of their own police force; The Dodge City Gang. On August 18, 1879, a Barlow & Sanderson stagecoach was robbed by three masked men near the village of Tecolote. John Clancy, Jim Dunagan, and Antonio Lopez were arrested for the robbery, however, they were not convicted. Just a few weeks later on August 30, 1879, another Barlow and Sanderson stagecoach was held up. “Frank” Cady, “Slap Jack Bill”, “Bull Shit Jack”, and JJ Webb, all with ties to the Dodge City Gang, were arrested and charged with the second holdup. However, they too escaped conviction. Dave Rudabaugh would later confess to this crime in connection with Las Vegas Marshal Joe Carson and a man named Joseph Martin. On October 14, 1879, a train was robbed in the Las Vegas area by masked men. The robbers made off with $2,085, three pistols, and all the lanterns on the train. In mid–February of 1881, in an attempt to avoid trial on a capital offense, Dave Rudabaugh would plead guilty to the robbery..The townspeople were tired of violence and crime and posted this in Las Vegas optic on April 8th 1880: