Don Laughlin, visionary of Nevada town, is dead at 92
Donald “Don” J. Laughlin, the namesake of a southern Nevada town that he turned into a tourist destination, has died. He was 92.
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Donald “Don” J. Laughlin, the namesake of a southern Nevada town that he turned into a tourist destination, has died. He was 92.
Laughlin died Sunday at his penthouse home at the Riverside Resort Hotel & Casino in Laughlin, said Diana Fuchs, the resort's marketing director.
BULLHEAD CITY — The influence of Don Laughlin stretched beyond the Nevadan community which bears his name, particularly in the neighboring Bullhead City.
In 1986, Laughlin bankrolled the construction of the Laughlin Bridge connecting Nevada and Arizona. In 1991, he donated land and the funds for Laughlin/Bullhead City International Airport. Many of his employees were Arizona residents.
LAUGHLIN — Shortly after opening a hotel, restaurant, bar and casino on the banks of the Colorado River in 1966, Don Laughlin was faced with a dilemma.