Sweeney Avenue namesake little known around town

In the heart of the Huntridge neighborhood is a section of streets with the names of figures who played significant roles in Las Vegas history. Among these is Sweeney Avenue, situated between Bracken and Wengert Avenues.

The street is named for Major Minor Sweeney, a man who worked for the Pioneer Title Company and served on the Nevada Bank Board of Directors, according to Mark Hall-Patton, Clark County Museums administrator.

"He was consistently one of the movers and shakers in town in the 1940s and 1950s," Hall-Patton said.

Little is known about Sweeney, whose middle name is his mother's maiden name, compared to the other notable figures whose names adorn the section of Huntridge between 10th and 15th streets.

Richard Bryan, Las Vegas lawyer and former Huntridge resident, said that when considering some of the street names and the significance behind them, Sweeney is more difficult to recall.

"During the war years, (Walter) Bracken was a big name, and (Cyril) Wengert was a big name, but Sweeney is harder for me to remember," Bryan said. "You first think about Tom Oakey the developer, and he obviously gave his name to the last street (in the subdivision)."

Bryan said the other names in the section of Huntridge represent not only the neighborhood but also Las Vegas. Bracken, an engineer who headed water and railroad projects, eventually became the postmaster at the Las Vegas Post Office in 1904. Bracken directed the installation of Las Vegas' first water system and fought for railroad employees' rights, according to the book "The First 100 Persons Who Shaped Southern Nevada." Bryan said he was known to be an integral part in the development of Las Vegas into a major city.

Wengert was a banker at First State Bank in the 1920s. Hired by John S. Park, former owner of First State Bank and first president of the Consolidated Power and Telephone Company, Wengert made his way through the ranks, becoming a cashier and manager. He eventually took over the position of vice president at the power company and moved on to work for Nevada Power.

Bryan, who moved into Huntridge as a child in 1943, remembers often seeing the Wengert and Bracken families around the neighborhood as a child.

"Wengert's home looked like it might have been designed by the same architect (as Bracken's)," Bryan said. "I never interacted with the Wengert (children) because they were older than me, but those families were big in the neighborhood."

Though it is a bit more difficult to determine Sweeney's major contributions to the valley compared to Wengert and Bracken, Hall-Patton said his name is even harder to overlook.

"Major Minor Sweeney is one of those names you don't forget," Hall-Patton said. "All the streets there are named for local business people, and he was one of those major figures in the group."

Contact Paradise/Downtown View reporter Lisa Carter at lcarter@viewnews.com or 383-4686.