In 1911, 37 year old Frenchman David Lorenzi moved to Las Vegas and purchased 80 acres of land. Las Vegas was reported to have unlimited artesian well water, which made the area suitable for farming. Envisioning sprawling vineyards, which would produce fine quality wines, Lorenzi drilled for several weeks in search of water. After hitting a gusher, Lorenzi cleared the mesquite and built arbors to encourage the growth of grapevines. The grapes thrived and he was able to produce a decent wine. But…Las Vegas was a beer and whiskey town, so the demand for his wine was low.

Lorenzi’s next task was to make his land a true oasis, and that required a pool of shimmering water. Lorenzi used a team of mules and a drag line to excavate two pools…one higher than the other and both higher than the crops. The crops would be irrigated from the overflow of the pools.

By 1921 the first lake was finished; it was 10 feet deep and covered three acres. The second lake followed. Each lake had an island…one island had a pavilion where Las Vegans could socialize, play cards and drink during Prohibition. The building had a trap door in the floor, hidden by a rug. The island was connected to the mainland by a wooden bridge. If an officer of the law decided to cross the bridge, the illegal booze was stashed under the trap door and the officer was invited to join the card game.

The second island had a bandstand and a movie screen. Las Vegans could enjoy watching a movie from their row boats…or just listen to the music from the band on a starry summer night.

Both lakes were stocked with blue gills, crappie, and black bass…as well as giant bullfrogs. When Lake Mead began rising behind Boulder Dam, it was stocked with fish from David Lorenzi’s lakes.

Once the lakes were completed, Lorenzi built a 90’x100’ swimming pool…the largest in the state at that time. It was constructed with a water-flow filtration system, and didn’t require chlorine. Stables were built on the property, as well as a dance floor that could accommodate 1000 couples. The Oasis/Resort was completed and opened to the public in May of 1926. Newspapers reported lines of 1000 cars lining the roads to the resort on July 4th of that year. Admission was a dime, and that entitled the guest to all of the entertainment and amenities that were available. Lorenzi offered a myriad of entertainment, including beauty pageants, horse races, dance contests and prizefights.

During those pre-air-conditioning days, the resort was very popular, but not very profitable. Lorenzi wanted the property to become a public park and, in 1936, he offered it to the city of Las Vegas for $70,000. Saying it wasn’t in the budget, the city declined. In 1937 Thomas Sharp purchased the property, fenced it off, and allowed it to deteriorate. Ten years later Sharp leased the property to Lloyd St. John who dredged and refilled the lakes. He built a 48-unit motel and renamed the resort the Twin Lakes Lodge. The resort became as popular as it had been decades earlier…a playground for Las Vegans and celebrities, and a hosting spot for political rallies and conventions.

David Lorenzi died in 1962, at the age of 86. Three years later the city of Las Vegas finally purchased the property that Lorenzi had offered to them in 1936; the city paid $750,000.

The above story was paraphrased from a write-up in the book “The First 100” “Portraits of the Men and Women who Shaped Las Vegas”, which was published by the Las Vegas Review-Journal. A similar article, but a bit more detailed, can be found here: https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/david-g-lorenzi/

In 2003 my husband and I visited the Nevada State Museum in Lorenzi Park. We saw a lot of cool artifacts and collectibles from the Golden Days of Las Vegas, including the Desert Love Buggy…we really enjoyed the visit!

This postcard is date-coded 1931