Rockwell
Rockwell is a designated community located in the southeast area of Greenfield, California. It is located southeast of Downtown Greenfield and sits along the Pacific Ocean. Rockwell is named after builder RockTheVox, who passed away in 2019.
History
The area of Rockwell used to be dunes until 1907 when settlers sold a couple of acres of land on the eastern section of the Rockwell dune. Residents developed more dune sections for homes from 1907-1921. The Greenfield streetcar network connected to the area, so it was a prime spot of land to start real estate development. The Rockwell Cemetery was also built around this time. The cemetery is the biggest in Greenfield and is still there today. A beach resort was built in 1919, but that was burned down by arsonists two years later. This event caused development to stop for three years after 1921. The park Kyle's Beach is in the location that used to be the resort. It is a memorial for the 218 people that died that day due to the fire. In 1924 the area picked up in development again. Roads were laid down for future real estate. The dunes were slowly filled with houses, and in 1936, the Rockwell Pier was constructed. Unfortunately, it was destroyed five years later in a big storm. The area was further developed until it came to a complete stop in 1940 due to the war. After the war, Rockwell picked up again and expanded fast. The Rockwell pier was rebuilt, and the area developed. Highway I-5 was constructed, and even more expansions were created. Nightclubs and bars filled the middle section, and the location was one of the first beachside nightlife in Greenfield.
The western section of Rockwell used to be an oil refinery, which the City of Greenfield took down in 1946 after they started to turn the west end of the Sonora River into a canal. The now empty area was redeveloped into a couple of warehouses. In 1959 the warehouses were taken down and turned into a residential area at the request of Rockwell citizens who complained about the heavy traffic driving through the neighborhood. In 1963 they built the first beachside hotel resort since the one that burned down. Tropicana Palms was a huge success, and over the years, the beachside from Longport Keys to western Rockwell was filled with hotels and condo buildings. After massive expansion and tourism, Rockwell is now one of the biggest tourist hubs in Greenfield.
Notable builds
Transit
LRT
-Rockwell/Airport Express
Highway
-Include information on highway