Thursday, March 14, 2019

A Brief History of Henderson NV

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service providers understand how important power is to a city and its residents. Such services may respond to calls with varying levels urgency, all of which are affecting and disrupting the daily routine of Henderson locals. While electricity may be important to Henderson today, there was a time in the past when power was extremely vital not only for the city, but for the entire country as well. Unknown to many, Henderson played a major, albeit largely unheralded, role in the country’s WWII efforts. This role also paved the way for Henderson to become Nevada’s second largest city.

Why was Electricity Vital for Henderson in WWII?

War strategists knew that the demand for magnesium exponentially increases during large scale armed-conflicts. Magnesium is an essential component in aluminum alloys for building airplanes. Also referred to as a “miracle metal,” magnesium is also needed for manufacturing flares and ammunitions. With World War II looming, Nevada Senator McCarran convinced then President Franklin Roosevelt to construct a mining company in the state. In September 1941, Basic Magnesium, Inc. broke ground.

Magnesium mining, processing and refining require tremendous amount of energy to heat electric furnaces up to 2,200 °F to produce molten magnesium chloride. Basic Magnesium, Inc. was the main supplier of magnesium during WWII producing some 5,000,000 pounds of magnesium a day. To be able to keep up with the demand, the Henderson plant used 25% of the electricity generated by the Hoover Dam.

Basic Magnesium likewise provided jobs for thousands of Henderson residents, as well as to those in the surrounding areas. At its peak, the mining company was able to produce more than 160 million pounds of magnesium ingots for WWII. Henderson officially became a city in January 10, 1944 as it continued to produce magnesium for the war. This is also the reason why some still say that Henderson was “born in America’s defense.”

Mining Plant Closure in Henderson

After the war, the demand for magnesium dropped and by 1947 the production facilities at Basic Magnesium was no longer required and was shut down. Most of the mining company’s 14,000 workers left the city and enrollment in the local school was reduced to a third. Half of the housing in the town, which were formerly owned by the plant workers, became empty. The United States War Asset Administration offered the city for sale, deeming it as a war surplus.

The Nevada Legislature immediately went into action to save Henderson from becoming war surplus property. The legislature drafted and passed a bill that authorized the Nevada Colorado River Commission to purchase the industrial plants left by Basic Magnesium. By April of 1953, Henderson was incorporated as the city of Henderson. The following month, Henderson elected Dr. Jim French as its first city mayor.

The City of Henderson Today

Henderson is part of the Las Vegas metropolitan area. Originally, the city was only about 13 square miles. It quickly grew in size to about 107 square miles. Upon its incorporation, the city only had about 7,000 residents. The city’s population as of 2017 has grown to more than 300,000, making it the second largest city in Nevada. Its current top industries include hotel resorts and casinos, professional medical services and mining.

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