Essie Shelton Jacobs
Labor leader in the Cullinary Union (HERE)
Date of Birth: March 21, 1937
Place of Birth: Fordyce, AR
Arrival in Las Vegas: 1963
Work/Contribution: Gaming/Union
Date of Interview: 1996
Interviewed by: Claytee D. White
Essie Shelton Jacobs followed all of her siblings to Las Vegas from Fordyce, Arkansas. Her husband moved first, with the plan of the then-pregnant Essie to wait until she gave birth to make the four-day trip by car to Las Vegas. She could not wait and arranged her own transportation, surprising her husband in Las Vegas.
She soon went to work at the Tally-Ho casino. Later, when it was rebuilt into the Aladdin Hotel she continued to work there, spending twenty-three years in housekeeping there. She became a supervisor and shop steward for the Culinary Union Local 226.
She raised her eight children as a single parent after the murder of her husband, relying on the Westside community, her church, and family for help.
In her interview, she describes the development of the Culinary Union, its leadership, and where she sees it going. She also talks about the nightlife of the Westside and the development of the Las Vegas Strip.
She soon went to work at the Tally-Ho casino. Later, when it was rebuilt into the Aladdin Hotel she continued to work there, spending twenty-three years in housekeeping there. She became a supervisor and shop steward for the Culinary Union Local 226.
She raised her eight children as a single parent after the murder of her husband, relying on the Westside community, her church, and family for help.
In her interview, she describes the development of the Culinary Union, its leadership, and where she sees it going. She also talks about the nightlife of the Westside and the development of the Las Vegas Strip.