Pop's Oasis

The Beginning

Born in Syria around 1882, Peter A. "Pop" Simon was no ordinary pioneer. He had already built a mining empire—the Simon Silver-Lead Mine in Mina, Nevada—and helped establish early Nevada aviation on land that would become Nellis Air Force Base. In 1947, he turned his entrepreneurial spirit to the desert highway, establishing Pop's Oasis along U.S. Route 91 in Jean, Nevada.

The Golden Era

Pop's Oasis thrived as a full-service oasis offering a motel, cafe, bar, garage, and Texaco gas station. The café became legendary for serving what many called "the best chili outside of the old Horseshoe." Pop's was so essential to the remote desert that from 1955 to 1960, he provided free power and water to the Nevada Highway Patrol station—the state didn't reimburse him until the Legislature passed a special statute years later.

"The Best Place on the Desert to Eat, Drink & Sleep at Popular Prices"
— Pop's Oasis Postcard

The Casino Opens

Pop's Oasis became the first casino in Jean, with Peter Simon II at the helm. Truckers enjoyed half-price food, and Coors draft flowed at just 35 cents a glass. The establishment became known for its friendly "sawdust joint" atmosphere and fair dealing.

The Death Car

In a marketing masterstroke, Peter Simon II purchased the actual bullet-riddled 1934 Ford V8 in which Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow met their end. At $175,000, it was a world-record price for an antique car—equivalent to over $1.2 million today. The display, complete with Clyde Barrow's bloodstained shirt and crime scene clippings, became a must-see attraction that drew travelers off I-15 for decades.

End of an Era

Pop's Oasis didn't fail—it was eclipsed. The arrival of corporate mega-resorts Gold Strike (1987) and Nevada Landing brought hotel towers and amenities that a family operation couldn't match. After over four decades of serving the desert highway, the Simon family closed Pop's Oasis, ending an era of roadside hospitality.

Remembered Forever

Today, the Jean Substation stands where Pop's Oasis once welcomed travelers. When the property was sold, original casino chips were poured into the wet concrete foundation of the nearby Nevada Landing casino—a tribute that remained legend until 2008, when Nevada Landing was demolished and construction crews discovered thousands of Pop's Oasis chips embedded in the concrete like archaeological fossils.