Trovatore, an Italian word meaning troubadour or traveler, became a roadside stop in Kingman, Arizona after developer John E. Miller moved there in 1935 following completion of Hoover Dam. Miller, who had built the Nevada Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, later called Sal Sagev, purchased the site and began construction, and from 1937 to 1940 a service station, auto court, and café were built. The modern settlement served travelers and was considered luxurious for its time because it had heating and air conditioning. Among those who stayed there were Jeff Chandler, Charles Bronson, Jane Russell, James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, Clark Gable, and Don Knotts.