Why this history matters
Its familiar green building and fried chicken connected nearly seven decades of local life, beginning with the road toward the Colorado River and the great dam project beyond it.
Mattie Jones Builds a Business on the Road
Mattie "Jimmie" Jones came to Las Vegas in 1928 after her husband's death. With her mother Effie, she began selling food from their residence. Sources differ between 1929 and 1930 for the opening of the early Colorado Restaurant.
During Prohibition, the food business was accompanied by bootleg whiskey. Around 1932, Jones acquired a green railroad barracks-style building and moved it beside the developing highway. That structure became the recognizable Green Shack.
The operation's timing was crucial. Boulder Dam construction created workers, traffic, and a need for meals and relaxation. The road connected the business to that economy without making it an institutional mess hall or formal resort.
More Than a Place to Eat
Fried chicken became the signature, accompanied over the years by dishes such as mashed potatoes, gravy, biscuits, chicken livers, gizzards, and bread pudding. A broader menu included steaks and seafood.
The setting was informal: fireplaces, comfortable seating, Western details, and a rural atmosphere. A visitor might come for dinner but remain for the bar, dancing, entertainment, or small-scale gambling.
Civic meetings, weddings, family gatherings, and holiday meals gave the restaurant a place in local social life. Its value lay in the combination rather than any one attraction. It was neither merely a restaurant with a token bar nor a casino whose food was incidental.
A Gathering Place Outlasts the Construction Boom
When dam construction ended and the population changed, entertainment and gambling helped sustain the business. The Green Shack adapted to residents and repeat customers rather than relying forever on one construction project.
Its clientele brought together people whose working lives differed considerably. Historical accounts emphasize a comparatively informal and inclusive social environment. That character is part of its significance, although it should not be turned into an unsupported claim that every visitor experienced complete equality.
The property offers a different perspective on early Las Vegas: food, conversation, and familiarity could create a durable institution on the same road system that later served enormous resorts.
Family Continuity and the End of the Building
Jones died in 1967, followed only months later by her nephew Frank McCormick. Frank's wife Elaine managed the business. Subsequent sale, lease, closure, and recovery episodes complicate any claim of seamless operation.
James and Barbara McCormick resumed operation in 1985. The Green Shack entered the National Register of Historic Places in 1994, recognizing its importance as a surviving link to Depression-era Las Vegas.
The couple posted a handwritten closure notice on May 30, 1999. The building was demolished several years later, while its sign became a separate preservation concern. Its loss illustrates that historic recognition and strong local memories do not necessarily ensure a working building's survival.
The story in time
- 1928
Mattie Jones arrives in Las Vegas.
- 1929-30
The early roadside food business begins; sources differ on the year.
- Around 1932
The green railroad building becomes the restaurant's home.
- 1967
Jones and Frank McCormick die.
- 1985
James and Barbara McCormick resume operation.
- 1994
The building enters the National Register.
- 1999
The Green Shack closes on May 30.
Sources & further reading
The numbered links in each chapter point to the supporting material below. The wider bibliography also includes archival collections and specialist references. Historical uncertainty is explained where it affects the story; a source link does not grant permission to reproduce its images.
Start with these sources
National Register nomination — The Green ShackCity of Las Vegas Historic Resource CatalogKNPR — Green Shack, December 3, 1998Nevada Yesterdays — Looking back on the Green ShackVintage Las Vegas — Green Shack, 2504 Fremont Street- Research sourceNational Register nomination — The Green Shack
- Research sourceCity of Las Vegas Historic Resource Catalog
- Research sourceCity of Las Vegas listed historic properties
- Research sourceUNLV — Elmo C. Bruner appraisal records
- Research source1941 Las Vegas telephone directory listings
- Research sourceKNPR — Green Shack, December 3, 1998
- Research sourceCasino Collectibles and Gaming Tokens auction catalog
- Research sourceMarketplace listing for a $1 Green Shack gaming token
- Research sourceNevada Yesterdays — Looking back on the Green Shack
- Research sourceVintage Las Vegas — Green Shack, 2504 Fremont Street
- Research sourceNevada Magazine, November/December 1995
- Research sourceSouthern Nevada LGBTQ+ historical context — Green Shack
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