LAUGHLIN RESIDENT AND LOCAL POKER CELEB MIKE GRIFFIN AND VEGAS POKER LEGEND SCOTTY NGUYEN

 You might not think that in the past this area wasn't the desert scene it is today. Laughlin actually originally was a very, very wet area with tons of vegetation and moisture. Over thousands of years, the climate changed and became what it is today - a flourishing desert surrounded by beautiful mountains.......primarily the Black Mountains on the Arizona side, and the Newberry Mountains on the Nevada side.  The Patayan Indians are reported to  be the first Indians to settle in the area. Mojave Indians were the next up - and they actually still in the area on the Avi Reservation.  The Davis Dam was constructed in 1953 and this resulted in Lake Mojave (which is actually a reservoir), which goes all the way to the Hoover Dam in the Vegas area.

Laughlin wasn't officially "Laughlin" until about 1964 when Don Laughlin bought a small bait shop and eventually built the Riverside Resort. From there, the rest as they say, is history - casinos began popping up, particularly in the '80s. These days, about 5 million people visit Laughlin.  A notable Laughlin resident is retired Janesville, Wisconsin teacher, Mike Griffin, who has won numerous poker events in Southern Nevada,  including most recently the February 2007 Strip Showdown in Las Vegas.

Laughlin remains a vibrant and growing retirement and recreational community along the banks of the beautiful Colorado River.