Description
The silver bands contain the following engraved inscription:
Presented to AG McBride February 26, 1915, by the assemblymen from Clark and Lincoln counties / A token of appreciation of his services as speaker of the Nevada Assembly / The wood in this gavel is from the historic fig tree at Las Vegas, Nevada.
McBride, an early influential figure in Nevada state history, apparently enjoyed a close relationship with the Southwestern Nevada electorate, notably residents of early Las Vegas. As speaker of the Nevada State Assembly, he served as the leader of the lower house of the Nevada Legislature, having been elected by the majority party caucus to control the flow of legislation and committee assignments for the Nevada State Government. In this role, McBride presided over assemblymen representing 16 counties and one independent city, Nevada’s capital Carson City. The Southwestern counties mentioned — Clark and Lincoln — are in the southwestern tip of the state and include Las Vegas.
At the time of the gift, Las Vegas was a far cry from the sensational, world-leading destination for gambling, entertainment, and tourism that it is today. McBride’s appointment in 1915 coincided with the 10-year anniversary of the founding of Las Vegas and the 1-year anniversary of the city’s appointment as the seat of Clark County. With a population of under 2,000, Las Vegas was a small town by the standards of today; it would be another 15 years before the city would legalize gambling in 1931. In the 1940s and ’50s numerous resorts were developed on the Las Vegas Strip, transforming the remote railroad town into an international gambling destination and laying the foundation for the city as it is at present day. While it is unclear what inspired the neighboring counties of Clark and Lincoln to gift Speaker McBride with a Las Vegas-based memento, it can be deduced that his election was received favorably in the Southwestern region of the state and that his term was perhaps marked by a close, positive relationship with the first Las Vegas residents.
The “historic fig tree” referenced in the inscription most likely was the so-called “historical fig tree” recorded by the Nevada Chamber of Commerce as being located at 8490 S Via De Bella Sidra Court in the unincorporated town of Paradise, adjacent to Las Vegas. That tree withstood the evolution of Las Vegas from desert town to entertainment capital of the world but perished relatively recently in the 21st century.
Condition: Generally very good with the usual overall light wear from handling. Silver bands with light oxidation.
References:
“Historical Fig Tree in Las Vegas, Nevada.” Nevada Chamber of Commerce. 2024. https://www.chamberofcommerce.com/business-directory/nevada/las-vegas/historical-landmark/2014768810-historical-fig-tree (31 October 2024).
“List of speakers of the Nevada Assembly.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 8 October 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_speakers_of_the_Nevada_Assembly&oldid=1250023005 (28 October 2024).
“Timeline of Las Vegas.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 15 November 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Las_Vegas (28 October 2024).
