I worked there after college and the Weidaws, were just two of the people I met who were unwaveringly loyal to the place, but they were my favorite.

After 65 years, the strip’s oldest original hotel will finally be imploded this November to make way for a replica of the Plaza Hotel in New York.

Originally opened as Hotel Last Frontier in 1942, the resort is the home of Elvis Presley’s first Las Vegas appearance and a nearly seven-year-long strike. The marquee even caught fire in the rain once (the rain caused wiring to spark, which ignited all the pigeon poop inside the marquee).

After decades of service, the hotel showed its age terribly. The elevators creaked and moaned as they struggled to carry their load; wallpaper in the hallways yellowed and peeled off the walls; molding along the doors was broken, splintered or missing; if you took one look down at your feet you’d see just as much duct tape as carpet.

The shortcomings went way beyond aesthetic imperfections. I was one of the lucky few whose computer wasn’t still running Windows 95. And that was two years ago!

Nobody will deny the place was rundown and beyond renovation, but the old joint had character and tons of it. Come November, Las Vegas will be down one more landmark.