The first reported non-Native American visitor to the Las
Vegas Valley was the Mexican scout Rafael Rivera in 1829. Las Vegas was named
by Mexicans in the Antonio Armijo party, including Rivera, who used the water
in the area while heading north and west along the Old Spanish Trail from
Texas. In the 19th century, areas of the valley contained artesian wells that
supported extensive green areas or meadows
(vegas in Spanish); hence the
name Las Vegas.
