Residents celebrate 50th anniversary of Boulder City’s charter

By Tiffany Gibson

Sunday, Jan. 10, 2010 | 3:02 a.m.

Boulder City residents partied like it was 1960 Saturday night during the 50th anniversary celebration of the city’s charter.

Residents and city officials came dressed in ’60s attire and looked at past photographs of Boulder City’s buildings, while enjoying music and hors d’oeuvres at the Boulder Dam Hotel, 1305 Arizona St.

“It’s fascinating to learn about the community,” Jan Hawkins said while studying photographs at her table.

Hawkins said she moved to Boulder City in 2003 and instantly felt a connection with the small community. “When I first moved here, it felt like home to me,” she said.

Roseanne Shoaff, on-site manager for the hotel, said the Boulder Dam Hotel seemed like the perfect place for the party because it’s considered the hub of the city.

She said Boulder City’s original purpose was to provide temporary housing for the workers building the Hoover Dam, but it quickly grew when others became interested in the community.

“As it grew, people fell in love with it, and then the government no longer wanted to fund it,” Shoaff said. “There was this whole political controversy over the town, so we became our own city.”

Shoaff said the city’s charter has never allowed gambling, and alcohol wasn’t allowed in the town until the late 1960s.

Dennis McBride, curator of history and collections for the Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas, said he helped preserve and provide the photographs so people could learn about the city’s history.

“Boulder City and Hoover Dam are of significant importance,” McBride said. “It (Boulder City) physically hasn’t changed and has a foot print that is still the same as in 1960.”

Mayor Roger Tobler said the event is special to the town because it marks the date Boulder City was no longer controlled by the federal government.

“You have to understand history and to be a part of a small town, to show support for these kind of events,” Tobler said.

Resident Dawn Green dressed up for the occasion in a long, black cocktail dress and carried a cigarette holder. She said she wanted to dress up like Audrey Hepburn in “Breakfast At Tiffany’s” to go along with the ’60s theme.

She said she learned a lot about the city’s history after speaking with older residents and officials at the celebration.

“These are great activities,” Green said. “People can come out and really show support.”