Henderson

The township of Henderson first emerged in the 1940s during World War II with the building of the Basic Magnesium Plant. Henderson quickly became the main supplier of magnesium in the United States, which was called the “miracle metal” of World War II. The plant supplied the US War Department with magnesium for incendiary munition casings and airplane engines, frames, and other parts. A quarter of all US wartime magnesium came from the Henderson Plant to strengthen aluminum, using 25% of Hoover Dam’s power to separate the metal from its ore by electrolysis. Mayor Jim Gibson’s grandfather, Fred D. Gibson, was one of the original engineers sent to Great Britain to learn the secret of creating the “miracle metal” which would help the United States and its allies win the war. The British liaison officer sent to Henderson, Major Charles Ball, had a street named after him. There was some concern “Ball St,” would sound improper, so the street was named “Major Avenue”[citation needed].

Although “born in America’s defense”, Henderson’s future after World War II was uncertain. In 1947, magnesium production was no longer necessary for defense, and most of BMI’s 14,000 employees moved away. Enrollment in the school system was reduced by two thirds, and well over half the townsite houses, built to house plant workers, became vacant. In 1947, the United States War Asset Administration offered Henderson for sale as war surplus property.

In an effort to save the city, the Nevada Legislature spent a weekend visiting Henderson, evaluating the possibility of state administration of Basic Magnesium. Within days of the visit, the legislators unanimously approved a bill that gave Nevada’s Colorado River Commission the authority to purchase the industrial plants. Governor Vail Pittman signed the bill on March 27, 1947, helping save Henderson from becoming war surplus property.

With the help of local industry, Henderson was incorporated on April 16, 1953 as the City of Henderson. On May 23, 1953, Henderson, with its population of 7,410, elected Dr. Jim French as the first mayor. Originally only about 13 square miles (34 km2) in size, the city quickly began to grow, reaching over 94 square miles (240 km2) in size today.

In 1988, the Pacific Engineering and Production Company of Nevada (PEPCON) rocket fuel factory, in the modern-day Gibson Springs neighborhood of Henderson, caught fire. The blaze quickly engulfed the factory, spewing rocket fuel, smoke, and toxic fumes from the building, eventually obliterating it in a massive explosion, followed by six smaller explosions. These explosions sent shockwaves throughout Henderson and parts of the Las Vegas Valley that shattered glass and damaged buildings. The explosions also caused earthquakes, some of which measured over 3.0 on the Richter magnitude scale. Two people were killed and 372 were injured.

The events of the PEPCON factory disaster spurred development in Henderson years later, from its historical industrial development to residential and commercial development. There are now no signs of the explosion where it happened. Today, the site consists mostly of office buildings. In July 2020, Amazon announced the opening of a new, 600,000 square feet (56,000 m2) facility in Henderson.