I'm curious about the reference to the Pioneer Hotel. If my orientation is right then that's the corner on Fremont where Mermaids is today. There is one Vegas chip with the name "Pioneer Hotel" and is a ten center which the ChipGuide puts at 114 N. 1st St.. So is the conclusion that there was a Pioneer Hotel on this spot which had gambling. For reference the Pioneer Club opened in the '40s and they erected Vegas Vic in 1951. Maybe the hotel was part of the casino across the street. A while back someone wrote a wonderful article in the club magazine about this corner. I had never heard of a Pioneer Hotel on Fremont and I can't find any reference to it using Google.