Over the years, Area 51 has been experimenting with lots of different names, some better than others.
“Watertown” was one of the more mundane names, but the ones we liked best are “Paradise Ranch” and “Dreamland”. Giving a military base a name befitting of a candy factory? It doesn’t get better than that.
Capitalizing on Conspiracy
Though people can't take a casual stroll to Area 51, neighboring towns make the most out of the area's reputation. Tourists who visit the place would do well to stop by Rachel, a small nearby town who knows all about monetizing the rumors circling the place.
Nevada has been even more shameless and called State Route 375 (the nearby highway) the "Extraterrestrial Highway." People driving on that road would do well to look out for any irregular lights in the night sky.
Historically Speaking
The Area 51 airfield was originally established during World War II in 1941. At first, it was named the "Indian Springs Air Force Auxiliary Field", which is not half as cryptic as Area 51 if you ask us...
This initial airfield was pretty humble. It only had two runways, which were unpaved and 5,000 feet long each. Modern airports would laugh and point at these baby runways if they could.
Behind Paradise Ranch
The man behind the suggested name of "Paradise Ranch" is Kelly Johnson. This man is one of the few people who were lucky enough to see the inside of Area 51. He worked as a designer on the first Area 51 projects — the Lockheed’s U-2 aircraft.
He suggested the name "Paradise Ranch" as a way of making the place sound more appealing to potential workers so they would agree to relocate and make the place what it is today. Honestly, a military base does sound a little better when you give it the name of an amusement park.
Fighting Boredom
Today's layout of Area 51 is a monster comparing to what it used to be in the 1950s. Back then, other than two unpaved runways, the perimeter had a control tower, three hangars, a few shelters, and trailers for the staff to live in.
This glorified campsite was later added a couple more attractions to keep the live-in crew at least somewhat entertained. Among those attractions are a volleyball court and a movie theater. We wonder if the cinema only features alien films...