By 1882, Las Vegas had exploded to nearly 6,000 residents, and a new commercial district centered on Douglas Avenue and Sixth Street was thriving. Within twenty years, by 1900, this district was the site of some of the finest commercial buildings in New Mexico built in a grand variety of styles. Substantial institutions such as the city's banks, the Masonic Temple, the Duncan Opera House, the YMCA and City Hall were located in the neighborhood.

The buildings on this tour include the following:

Johnsen and Company The Bank of Las Vegas Gordon's Jewelers Crockett Block Old City Hall Union Block Masonic Temple El Fidel Hotel City Museum and Rough Riders Memorial Collection

This page is taken from the brochure "Historic Las Vegas, New Mexico: Along the Santa Fe Trail", a project of the Citizens' Committee for Historic Preservation, Las Vegas, New Mexico. The brochure was made possible in part by the New Mexico Department of Tourism, the Federal Highway Administration through a New Mexico Scenic Byways Grant, and City of Las Vegas Lodgers Tax with assistance from the Historic Preservation Division, Office of Cultural Affairs, State of New Mexico, 228 E. Palace, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501. The brouchure was financed in part by federal funds from the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Portions of it are from earlier CCHP publications and include the work of Chris Wilson, Ellen Threinen, Amy Caldwell, Elmo Baca, Scott Clark, Olivia Lovato, Robin Oldham, Katherine Slick, Adelita Medina, Stephen Whitmore, Mary Whitmore, and Raymundo Valdez.