Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) have had a presence in Nevada for more than 150 years. They were the first people of European descent to establish a settlement in Nevada. Soon after the Mormons located in the Salt Lake Valley in 1847, their leader and prophet, Brigham Young, laid claim to a vast section of the interior west. The church designated this region as the “State of Deseret.” However, when Congress created Utah Territory in 1850, it ignored much of the Mormons’ claim.

In August, 1954, eight nuns from a strictly cloistered Carmelite monastery in Indianapolis accepted an invitation from Nevada bishop, Robert J. Dwyer, to establish a foundation in Reno. It has since been embraced by people of all religious persuasions, who request the nuns' prayers and contribute to their financial support. The Carmel of Reno has a rich heritage.

The city of Caliente is located in Central Lincoln County on U.S. Highway 93, 150 miles north of Las Vegas. William A. Clark, senator from Montana, and E. H. Harriman of the Union Pacific Railroad established the town in 1901 during the construction of the San Pedro, Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad. It prospered as a division point on the railroad for nearly fifty years, until its shops and roundhouse were deactivated after World War II.

Completed in December 1933, the Boulder Dam Hotel was built to house the large number of tourists who wanted to visit Boulder Dam, as Hoover Dam was called at the time. Thousands came to southern Nevada to observe the construction of the dam, often taking a train that ran directly from Los Angeles to Boulder City or driving up the Arrowhead Highway, later Highway 91. By the summer of 1933, it was clear that the town needed a hotel.