This finding aid was created by Lindsay Oden on September 25, 2017. Persistent URL for this finding aid: http://n2t.net/ark:/62930/f1rk5p 2017 The Regents of the University of Nevada. All rights reserved. University of Nevada, Las Vegas. University Libraries. Special Collections and Archives. Box 457010 4505 S. Maryland Parkway Las Vegas, Nevada 89154-7010 special.collections@unlv.edu
Table of Contents Summary Information... 3 Biographical Note... 3 Scope and Contents Note... 4 Arrangement... 4 Administrative Information... 5 Related Materials... 5 Names and Subjects... 6 Collection Inventory... 6 Family scrapbooks... 6 Harley E. Harmon's Papers... 6 Harley A. Harmon's Military Files and Legal Documents... 6 Harley A. Harmon's Political Correspondence... 7 Harley A. Harmon's Personal Correspondence... 8 - Page 2 -
Summary Information Repository: University of Nevada, Las Vegas. University Libraries. Special Collections and Archives. Creator: Harmon, Harley A. Creator: Harmon, Harley E. Title: ID: Harmon Family Papers MS-00301 Date [inclusive]: 1910-1961 Physical Description: Language of the Material: Abstract: Preferred Citation 3.5 Linear Feet (5 boxes) English The Harmon Family Papers mainly consist of the political and personal correspondence of Las Vegas, Nevada pioneer Harley A. Harmon from 1910-1934, and his son Harley E. Harmon from 1940-1961. Also included are family scrapbooks with wedding announcements, birthday cards, children's honors, and other ephemera. Harmon Family Papers, 1910-1961. MS-00301. Special Collections, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada. Biographical Note Harley A. Harmon was born in 1882 in Wier City, Kansas. Harmon moved with his family to Los Angeles, California when he was nine years old. In 1905 he joined the San Pedro, Los Angeles, and Salt Lake Railroad (Union Pacific) as an engineer and drove one of the first construction trains to Las Vegas, Nevada, where he was stationed in 1908. That same year Harmon introduced the proposal that a new county seat be established in Las Vegas at the state Democratic convention, which was passed in the next session and became effective on July 1, 1909. When Las Vegas was incorporated in 1911 he became City Clerk. In 1920, he was elected District Attorney. As District Attorney, Harmon was known for his tough stance against the lawlessness and he prosecuted various outlaws and some Ku Klux Klan members. Harmon held the office until 1934, when he ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination for governor. After the election the newly elected Democratic Governor Richard Kirman appointed Harmon the chairman of the State Public Service Commission. Harmon ran again for the gubernatorial nomination in 1938 and lost a second time. He was a member of an ad hoc Colorado River Commission which negotiated rights for the - Page 3-
water and power emanating from the Colorado River and the Boulder Dam. Harley A. Harmon died of a heart attack in 1947 while giving a speech to a Nevada Young Democrats gathering. Sources: The First One Hundred: Portraits of the Men and Women Who Shaped Las Vegas, F849.L35 F58 1999. Biographical Note Harley E. Harmon, Harley A. Harmon's son, was elected to the state assembly in 1948 and to the Board of Clark County Commissioners in 1950, where he served for twelve years and was a chairman for eight years. He established and was President of the Harley E. Harmon Insurance Agency, Frontier Fidelity Savings and Loan Association, and in 1961 organized the purchase and became president of Nevada State Bank. In 1976 he moved from the State Bank and joined Valley Bank as Vice President for Marketing. He resigned from that position in 1979 and passed away in 1999. Scope and Contents Note The Harmon Family Papers consist of the political and personal correspondence of Harley A. Harmon from 1910 to 1934, and his son Harley E. Harmon from 1940 to 1961. The papers include family scrapbooks, correspondence, news clippings about Harley A. Harmon's campaigns for County Clerk, District Attorney, and Governor, articles reporting on his death, and clippings about Harley E. Harmon's career in politics. Correspondence includes letters and greeting cards, certificates of acceptance into groups like the Fraternal Brotherhood of Eagles; news clippings about running for County Clerk, District Attorney, Governor and reporting on his death, and a Western Union Telegraph from Franklin Roosevelt looking forward to counting Nevada as a Democratic state in future presidential elections. There are also clippings about Harley E. Harmon, including his career in politics and biographical information. Arrangement The collection is organized into five series: Series I. Family Scrapbooks (1910-1960); Series II. Harley E. Harmon's Papers (1928-1970); - Page 4-
Series III. Harley A. Harmon's Military Files and Legal Documents (1910-1920); Series IV. Harley A. Harmon's Political Correspondence (1914-1920); Series V. Harley A. Harmon's Personal Correspondence (1910-1947) Administrative Information Access The collection is open for research. Publication Rights For permission to reproduce or publish from this collection, please contact the Director of Special Collections. Acquisition Note Materials were donated in 1983 and 1989 by Harley E. Harmon in 1983 and 1989; accession numbers 1982-012 and 1989-001. Processing Note Material was processed by Special Collections staff in 1983 and 1989. In 2014, as part of a legacy finding aid conversion project, Lindsay Oden revised and enhanced the collection description to bring it into compliance with current professional standards. Subsequently Lindsay Oden entered the data into ArchivesSpace. Revision Description The finding aid was revised by Lindsay Oden to bring it into compliance with DACS. June 2014 Related Materials Separation Note Photographs were separated into the UNLV Special Collections Photograph Collection PH-00182 under the title "Harmon Family." - Page 5-
Names and Subjects Nevada -- History History -- Las Vegas -- Nevada Nevada -- Politics and government West (U.S.) -- History Collection Inventory Family scrapbooks, 1910-1960 Physical Description: 1 Linear Feet (1 box) Scope and Contents Note: This series includes family scrapbooks from 1910 to 1960, which include photographs, wedding announcements, and other family emphemera. box 01 Arrangement: The materials are arranged chronologically. Harley E. Harmon's Papers, 1928-1970 Physical Description: 1 Linear Feet (1 box) Scope and Contents Note: This series consists of Harley E. Harmon's personal and political correspondence from 1928-1970. It includes letters and news clippings. Arrangement: The series is organized chronologically within each folder. Each folder contains either correspondence, business, or political news. Title/Description Containers Personal correspondence of Harley E. Harmon, 1940-1960 box 02 folder 01 Las Vegas business, 1960s box 02 folder 02 Correspondence, 1928-1947 box 02 folder 03 News clippings about Harley E. Harmon in politics, 1960s box 02 folder 04 General correspondence, March 27, 1957-April 18, 1961 box 02 folder 05 News clippings, 1960-1970s box 02 folder 06 Harley A. Harmon's Military Files and Legal Documents, 1910-1920 - Page 6-
Physical Description: 0.5 Linear Feet (1 box) Guide to the Harmon Family Papers Scope and Contents Note: This series consists of Harley A. Harmon's military files, including correspondence and news clippings about World War One and postwar conditions. It also contains some legal documents. Arrangement: The materials are arranged chronologically. Title/Description Containers General correspondence, 1910s box 03 folder 01 Political correspondence and news clippings, 1910s box 03 folder 02 Military files, 1910s box 03 folder 03 Legal documents, 1917 box 03 folder 04 Harley A. Harmon's Political Correspondence, 1914-1920 Physical Description: 0.5 Linear Feet (1 box) Scope and Contents Note: This series includes Harley A. Harmon's political correspondence from 1914-1920. Arrangement: The materials are arranged chronologically. Title/Description Containers Political Correspondence, August 1914 box 04 folder 01 Political Correspondence, August 1915 box 04 folder 02 Political Correspondence, April 1916 box 04 folder 03 Political Correspondence, May 1916 box 04 folder 04 Political Correspondence, June 1916 box 04 folder 05 Political Correspondence, July 1916 box 04 folder 06 Political Correspondence, August 1916 box 04 folder 07 Political Correspondence, September 1916 box 04 folder 08 Political Correspondence, October 1916 box 04 folder 09 Political Correspondence, December 1916 box 04 folder 10 Political Correspondence, February 1917 box 04 folder 11 Political Correspondence, March 1917 box 04 folder 12 Political Correspondence, April 1917 box 04 folder 13 Political Correspondence, May 1917 box 04 folder 14 Political Correspondence, June 1917 box 04 folder 15 Political Correspondence, July 1917 box 04 folder 16 Political Correspondence, August 1917 box 04 folder 17 - Page 7-
Political Correspondence, October 1917 box 04 folder 18 Political Correspondence, June 1918 box 04 folder 19 Political Correspondence, October 1918 box 04 folder 20 Political Correspondence, November 1918 box 04 folder 21 Political Correspondence, December 1918 box 04 folder 22 Political Correspondence, January 1919 box 04 folder 23 Political Correspondence, February 1919 box 04 folder 24 Political Correspondence, March 1919 box 04 folder 25 Political Correspondence, May 1919 box 04 folder 26 Political Correspondence, June 1919 box 04 folder 27 Political Correspondence, July 1919 box 04 folder 28 Political Correspondence, August 1919 box 04 folder 29 Political Correspondence, September 1919 box 04 folder 30 Political Correspondence, October 1919 box 04 folder 31 Political Correspondence, November 1919 box 04 folder 32 Political Correspondence, March 1920 box 04 folder 33 Political Correspondence, May 1920 box 04 folder 34 Political Correspondence, June 1920 box 04 folder 35 Political Correspondence, August 1920 box 04 folder 36 Political Correspondence, September 1920 box 04 folder 37 Political Correspondence, October 1920 box 04 folder 38 Political Correspondence, November 1920 box 04 folder 39 Political Correspondence, December 1920 box 04 folder 40 Harley A. Harmon's Personal Correspondence, 1910-1947 Physical Description: 0.5 Linear Feet (1 box) Scope and Contents Note: This series includes Harley A. Harmon's personal correspondence from 1910-1934. It also includes a folder of biographical news clippings about Harmon from 1918-1947. Arrangement: The materials are arranged chronologically. Title/Description Containers Biographical news clippings, 1918-1947 box 05 folder 01 - Page 8-
Personal correspondence, October 1910 box 05 folder 02 Personal correspondence, December 1913 box 05 folder 03 Personal correspondence, August 1914 box 05 folder 04 Personal correspondence, November 1914 box 05 folder 05 Personal correspondence, February 1915 box 05 folder 06 Personal correspondence, January 1916 box 05 folder 07 Personal correspondence, April 1916 box 05 folder 08 Personal correspondence, July 1916 box 05 folder 09 Personal correspondence, August 1916 box 05 folder 10 Personal correspondence, September 1916 box 05 folder 11 Personal correspondence, October 1916 box 05 folder 12 Personal correspondence, November 1916 box 05 folder 13 Personal correspondence, December 1916 box 05 folder 14 Personal correspondence, January 1917 box 05 folder 15 Personal correspondence, February 1917 box 05 folder 16 Personal correspondence, March 1917 box 05 folder 17 Personal correspondence, April 1917 box 05 folder 18 Personal correspondence, May 1917 box 05 folder 19 Personal correspondence, June 1917 box 05 folder 20 Personal correspondence, July 1917 box 05 folder 21 Personal correspondence, August 1917 box 05 folder 22 Personal correspondence, September 1917 box 05 folder 23 Personal correspondence, October 1917 box 05 folder 24 Personal correspondence, November 1917 box 05 folder 25 Personal correspondence, January 1918 box 05 folder 26 Personal correspondence, July 1918 box 05 folder 27 Personal correspondence, August 1918 box 05 folder 28 Personal correspondence, September 1918 box 05 folder 29 Personal correspondence, October 1918 box 05 folder 30 Personal correspondence, November 1918 box 05 folder 31 Personal correspondence, December 1918 box 05 folder 32 Personal correspondence, January 1919 box 05 folder 33 - Page 9-
Personal correspondence, February 1919 box 05 folder 34 Personal correspondence, March 1919 box 05 folder 35 Personal correspondence, April 1919 box 05 folder 36 Personal correspondence, May 1919 box 05 folder 37 Personal correspondence, June 1919 box 05 folder 38 Personal correspondence, July 1919 box 05 folder 39 Personal correspondence, August 1919 box 05 folder 40 Personal correspondence, September 1919 box 05 folder 41 Personal correspondence, October 1919 box 05 folder 42 Personal correspondence, November 1919 box 05 folder 43 Personal correspondence, December 1919 box 05 folder 44 Personal correspondence, January 1920 box 05 folder 45 Personal correspondence, May 1920 box 05 folder 46 Personal correspondence, August 1920 box 05 folder 47 Personal correspondence, September 1920 box 05 folder 48 Personal correspondence, October 1920 box 05 folder 49 Personal correspondence, November 1920 box 05 folder 50 Personal correspondence, December 1920 box 05 folder 51 Personal correspondence, October 1934 box 05 folder 52 - Page 10-