Editing Las Vegas (section)

==Toponymy==
In 1829, Mexican trader and explorer [[Antonio Armijo]] led a group consisting of 60 men and 100 mules along the [[Old Spanish Trail (trade route)|Old Spanish Trail]] from modern day New Mexico to California. Along the way, the group stopped in what would become Las Vegas and noted its natural water sources, now referred to as the [[Las Vegas Springs]], which supported extensive vegetation such as grasses and [[Mesquite|mesquite trees]]. The springs were a significant natural feature in the valley, with streams that supported a meadow ecosystem. This region served as the winter residence for the [[Southern Paiute people|Southern Paiute]] people, who utilized the area's resources before moving to higher elevations during the summer months. The Spanish "las vegas" or "the meadows" (more precisely, lower land near a river) in English, was applied to describe the fertile lowlands near the springs. Over time, the name began to refer to the populated settlement.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Al |first=Stefan |title=The Strip: Las Vegas and the architecture of the American dream |date=2017 |publisher=[[MIT Press]] |isbn=978-0-262-03574-3 |location=Cambridge |pages=6}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Land |first1=Barbara |title=A short history of Las Vegas |last2=Land |first2=Myrick |date=2010 |publisher=University of Nevada Press |isbn=978-0-87417-643-8 |edition=2nd |location=Reno |pages=Preface}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Dymski |first=Gary |date=November 25, 2022 |title=Las Vegas: Name comes from image of valley during trading party's search for water in 1829 |url=https://www.8newsnow.com/vegas-history/las-vegas-name-comes-from-image-of-valley-during-trading-partys-search-for-water-in-1829/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928001207/https://www.8newsnow.com/vegas-history/las-vegas-name-comes-from-image-of-valley-during-trading-partys-search-for-water-in-1829/ |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |work=[[KLAS-TV]]}}</ref>