Nevada Played a Big Role-- Part 2: Homefront and Gambling

The saddle is touring the state of Nevada in honor of the 150th anniversary of the state's admittance to the Union.

Thousands of Nevadans served in the war and hundreds died.

American troops trained for North African desert warfare in the desert south of Searchlight.

Training for aerial warfare took place at Reno, Ely, Fallon Wendover, Las Vegas and Tonopah.  Ammunition was made at a depot in Hawthorn.

The arrival of soldiers and war workers in Las Vegas caused a boom in Nevada's young gambling industry.  This influx caused Las Vegas' population to surpass that of Reno and began a shift of political and economic power to the south end of the state.

Gold and silver mining halted and instead copper and magnesium was gone after as a necessity of the war.

--GreGen