Pahrump

The unincorporated town of Pahrump, Nevada is situated in Nye County. The town is named for the Southern Paiute word "pah-rimpi," which translates to "great spring" or "big flow of water," a reference to the numerous artesian wells in the area. It is also the setting for the old west tale of the Lost Breyfogle Mine as well as the legend of the Lost Gunsight Mine. Settlers began to come to the area in the late 1800s, many of them establishing ranches which grew crops such as cotton, alfalfa and raised cattle. Mormon Charlie, a Paiute, is said to have been the first rancher in Pahrump, using food and supplies left behind by miners at Potosi. He established the ranch in the late 1860s. According to legendary late night radio talk show host Art Bell, who lives in Pahrump, there were no paved roads nor telephone service in town until the 1960s, other than a radio transmitter in a phone booth next to the local market. As Las Vegas got bigger and bigger, so did real estate speculation, and as this happened, interest in Pahrump grew, which led to both the introduction of a local phone service and paved roads. In 1974, Pahrump Valley High School, the town's first high school, was built. And since that time, population has exploded. There were 2,000 residents in 1980, and in 2017, there were 32,000. In 1998, casino owner Ted Binion was believed to have been murdered for treasure he had buried on a piece of property he owned in Pahrump. Ted was the son of casino magnate Lester "Benny" Binion who owned Binion's Horseshoe Casino. Ted was 55 years old when he was killed, and was a convicted drug addict with gangster ties. It was widely rumored that he had "buried treasure" in an underground vault, and in fact, he did. He had put six tons of silver bullion, more than 100,000 rare coins, paper currency, and Horseshoe Casino chips. A 12-foot concrete vault was discovered by the Nye County sheriff's deputies on Binion's property in Pahrump. The deputies also discovered two men digging up the loot. One of the men, Rick Tabish, was the owner of the trucking company which was used to transport the treasure. And Tabish was the only person other than Binion who knew the combination to the vault. Tabish and Ted's live-in girlfriend Sandy Murphy, were arrested for murder and convicted. In 2004, however, their convictions were overturned, and they were both acquitted of the murder of Ted Binion. Every September since 1964, Pahrump holds its Fall Festival, which features events such as a carnival, rodeo, car show, and a parade. There have been several movements to incorporate the town, but so far, they have always fizzled due to opposition.

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