Abstract
The Leon Rockwell Photograph Collection (approximately 1850-1979) contains black-and-white photographic prints, negatives, and slides, as well as postcards and tintypes. The images portray the lives of the Rockwell family in southern Nevada, their travels throughout New York and the western United States, and their immediate and extended family members. Also included are images of the volunteer and early firefighters of Las Vegas, Nevada, the Rockwell's family cabin at Mount Charleston, Nevada, and the Rockwell family home in Las Vegas. Portions of the images are from the Rockwell family travels across Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, and California and depict historic locations such as Cove Fort, Utah; Rhyolite, Nevada; and Pueblo Grande de Nevada.
Finding Aid PDF
Date
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Scope and Contents Note
The Leon Rockwell Photograph Collection (approximately 1850-1979) contains black-and-white photographic prints, negatives, and slides, as well as postcards and tintypes. The images portray the lives of the Rockwell family in southern Nevada, their travels throughout New York and the western United States and New York, and their immediate and extended family members. Also included are images of the volunteer and early firefighters of Las Vegas, Nevada, the Rockwell's family cabin at Mount Charleston, Nevada, and the Rockwell family home in Las Vegas. Other materials depict the Rockwell's family members, primarily their Hurdic and Breese relatives in New York. Also included are family photograph albums and a travel photograph album.
Access Note
Collection is open for research.
Publication Rights
Materials in this collection may be protected by copyrights and other rights. See Reproductions and Use on the UNLV Special Collections and Archives website for more information about reproductions and permissions to publish.
Arrangement
Materials remain in original order.
Biographical / Historical Note
Early Las Vegas, Nevada resident Leon Halliday Rockwell was born in Elmira, New York on February 8, 1888 to William H. Rockwell and Charlotte Amanda Breese. He received a grammar school education, but began working at an early age due to the death of his father. He worked a variety of jobs across the country, including railroad laborer, cowboy, and milk-hand. Leon Rockwell and his brother Earl Rockwell moved to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1906 to join their other brother, Ronald Floyd Rockwell. Leon and Earl Rockwell constructed the first airfield in Clark County, Nevada and leased it to Western Air Express in 1920, which opened the city to air transportation.
Rockwell worked for Consolidated Power and Telephone, later known as Nevada Energy, before opening his own business, Rockwell Electric Shop. He was a founding member of the Las Vegas Volunteer Fire Department, engaged in real estate trading, and was co-owner of a clothing store. He was also member of the Indian Collectors Association and an active member of the Elks. Rockwell married Bessie Marguerite Banfield in Chemung, New York on September 12, 1916, and they had two children together, Marjorie Riley and Leon Horton Rockwell, also known as Leon Jr. Bessie Rockwell died in Los Angeles, California on March 27, 1962. Rockwell remarried Elma Alexandria Erickson on January 21, 1968. He died in Las Vegas on September 1, 1968.
Source:
Glass, Mary Ellen. Leon H. Rockwell: Recollections of a Life in Las Vegas, Nevada, 1906-1968. University of Nevada Oral History Project.
Preferred Citation
Leon Rockwell Photograph Collection, approximately 1850-1979. PH-00008. Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada.
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Acquisition Note
Materials were donated in 1968 by the Rockwell family; accession number 1968-001.
Processing Note
In 2020, as part of an archival backlog elimination project, Ryan DiPaolo described the materials, entered the data into ArchivesSpace, and wrote the finding aid.