The Other Las Vegas

January 24, 2026 11:14am

Everyone knows about "Fabulous Las Vegas" in the Nevada desert. Lesser known is the Las Vegas that pre-dates Nevada's Sin City by 70 years. Established in 1835, this town in the northeast quadrant of New Mexico is rich in history from the time of the Paleo-Indians through today.

Las Vegas, New Mexico has many interesting connections to American stories: the Santa Fe Trail; the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad; Teddy Roosevelt's Rough Riders, notorious outlaws of the Wild West; and much more. On today's radio program, I sat down with Michael Rebman, the Curator & Manager of The City of Las Vegas Museum & Rough Rider Memorial to discuss this interesting town in the Land of Enchantment. That episode is now archived online as a podcast at www.TheMikeBatesShow.com/podcasts/260124. Viva Las Vegas... New Mexico!