West Wendover began to develop in the 1930s and 1940s with the introduction of legalized gambling in the State of Nevada. William "Bill" Smith founded a small cobblestone service station that provided a needed rest to weary travelers crossing the desert terrain of western Utah and eastern Nevada. Today this facility is known as the Wendover Nugget. It held the record as the oldest continually operated gaming license for a casino in the State of Nevada for over 66 years, until December 2001, when the former State Line Casino and Hotel came under new ownership.