In California, Harvey Gross was in the meat business. But aside from being in the food industry, he was also into gambling. He opened Harvey’s Wagon Wheel Saloon and Gambling Hall in 1944.
According to the Tahoe Daily Tribune, the earliest gaming there featured only three slots and two card tables. It also had the only 24-hour gas pump in the area. During the winter season, Harvey and his wife Llewellyn made a skating rink in the parking lot to try and draw people in to the establishment.
In the 1960s, it became the first high-rise hotel in the state of Nevada. On August 27, 1980, a bomb was detonated by the FBI. The perpetrator was a down on his luck gambler who owed some casinos at least $1 million. He tried to hold hostage the area in Lake Tahoe in return for $3 million. The bomb did cause damage to the hotel and casino. However, nobody was injured. It reportedly damaged three floors of the hotel.
Though Harvey Gross passed away in 1983, the Lake Tahoe resort remained in the family. In 2001, Harrah’s Entertainment, now Caesars Entertainment, acquired the hotel and casino.
Today, the casino has many popular table games, poker and a sportsbook. There is a Gordon Ramsay Hell’s Kitchen restaurant. There is also a Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena where many live concerts happen.
Below you will find many different items including our chip collection, dice, tokens and silver strikes from Harvey’s.
You can purchase each item by clicking the picture below:
