A little is about all we can tell you, but we'll happily share as much as we know.
The Silverbird was one of the subsequent incarnations of what opened as The Thunderbird at 2755 Las Vegas Blvd. Sth and was only the fourth resort on the embryonic Las Vegas Strip when it debuted on September 2, 1948. When it opened the property boasted the largest pool in Nevada and had the first porte-cochère on the Strip.
The Thunderbird had a long and checkered history, first coming under scrutiny in 1955 when it was suspected that mobster Meyer Lansky had an ownership interest. In 1964 it was sold to Del Webb, and then again in 1972 to Caesars World. In 1977 the property changed hands once more, this time purchased by Major Riddle, owner of the Dunes, who changed its name to The Silverbird. By this time, additions had brought the room count up from the original count of 200 or so to 500, plus a small showroom and new facade and signage had been added.
The property would subsequently have one more identity change, to the El Rancho (named for the Strip's first hotel), following its sale to Aladdin owner Ed Torres in 1982. Torres added a Spanish-style mission front, a new tower complete with bowling alley, new restaurants, and a race and sports book.
Still, the minor upgrades weren't enough to save the ageing property and on July 6, 1992, the El Rancho closed its doors for good. There were subsequent dreams to resurrect the joint with everything from cowboy to Star Wars themes, but after many years of dereliction and abortive redevelopment plans, the El Rancho was finally imploded in October 2000.
That's pretty much all we can tell you, as very little has been written about the property in its Silverbird days. If anyone out there has anything significant to add, feel free to pass it on and we'll gladly share.
