The first European to set foot in present-day Nevada were Spanish merchants traveling the road to Los Angeles. They named the area "Las Vegas," which means "the meadows" in Spanish.

Rafael Rivera was part of an expedition along the Old Spanish Trail. When he saw the Las Vegas Valley, he gave it the name Las Vegas, which means the meadows' in Spanish. Rafael Rivera gave Las Vegas its name because there were grasses and greenery from the Las Vegas springs in the area.