Get to Know Pittman (While You Still Can)

Pittman is one of the oldest and most mature neighborhoods in the Las Vegas Valley, but it’s also in danger of slowly disappearing altogether.

🌳 Lay of the Land

Pittman was never incorporated on its own and the boundaries were never clearly defined — although Google Maps gives it a good attempt. The northern end brushes up against Clark County Wetlands Park, where the Pabco Trailhead overlooks the Las Vegas Wash and connects to a longer loop. The nearby Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve is the community's most charming secret with nine ponds and five miles of trails over 90 acres.

Henderson’s downtown Water Street District is south of Pittman, offering bars, restaurants, and casinos with easy access. The neighborhood is also close to Sam’s Town, Skyline, and other casinos on Boulder Highway.

⛏️ Before There was Henderson, There was Pittman

The history of Pittman dates back to the Three Kids Mine, an open manganese pit that was discovered in 1917 and helped supply material for weapons in World War I. One of the founders, B.R. Jefferson, developed land eight miles west of the mine, teaming up with lawyer T. Alonzo Wells to dig a well and plant crops.

The area was known as Jericho Heights, St. Ann, and Midway City before it became Pittman in 1942, named for Senator Key Pittman of Nevada, whose signature legislation benefited the mine.

🍸 A Rough Ride

Bootleggers and bar owners were active in the area during Prohibition, especially when the road alongside Pittman’s southwest border was paved in 1931 and became Boulder Highway. At the time, it was the main route between Boulder City and Las Vegas, attracting Hoover Dam workers for drinks when off the clock, leading to an unfortunate reputation for drunk driving and deadly collisions.

🪖 World War II Changed Everything

The Basic Magnesium factory opened in 1941 south of Pittman, taking advantage of the water and electricity from the Hoover Dam to ramp up materials for World War II. At its height, the factory employed 13,000 people, but the boom went bust when the war ended.

The Basic townsite became Henderson in 1942, but continued to struggle. It needed more land owners to become a full-fledged city. So Pittman agreed to be absorbed by Henderson, allowing the new city to incorporate in 1953. Pittman residents later questioned the decision as the community gradually lost its sense of identity and influence with a limited role in the Henderson City Council.

🏘️ Pittman Today

Today, Pittman is a gritty, working class neighborhood with industrial business parks and worn-down ranch homes surrounded by new developments — most notably, the Cadence masterplanned community, which is absorbing land once associated with Pittman. Even the Jokers Wild casino is being renovated and rebranded as Cadence Crossing.

Old signage of long-gone casinos like Roadhouse and Mugshots offer a glimpse into the past, even as new home projects and parks take Pittman into a different direction, promising to reshape the community once again.