Part 50, page 179

Transcript

The scan is the source; the transcript is machine-generated from it.

So even though some ominous mystique still hangs over Henderson within the cloud (for even if it's totally safe, it still is there and people are ever aware of its presence), it apparently is no more than a distraction. Gary Johnson, executive director of the Chamber of Commerce, who has been a Henderson resident for 15 years and helped develop Clark County air quality information as a member of the County Citizens' Environmental Advisory Board, indicates that all studies done to date that list air alert areas in Southern Nevada don't even mention Henderson.

Now discussions of this seemingly tiny community (it actually is the largest city in Nevada, area-wise covering 70 square miles) revolve around the growth taking place there.

Henderson started out as a mining town called Basic Townsite, built by the government just prior to World War II to support the miners working at a plant constructed in a joint effort between the U.S. and England to manufacture magnesium. The town is now a thriving Las Vegas suburb.

The area was first selected for the plant in the early 1940's because of its proximity to hydro-power from Lake Mead and Hoover Dam. Nearby was an ore-mining site, as was the newly flourishing city of Las Vegas and the Las Vegas Gunnery Range (now Nellis Air Force Base). The spot was also a watering stop for the Union Pacific Railroad.

After the war, the magnesium stock-piled and the plant was closed. The Federal Government was ready to dismantle the little town around it. Local businessmen who had made a home there decided to establish a Chamber of Commerce and keep the community alive. They renamed it Henderson for Nevada's U.S. Senator Charles B. Henderson, in January of 1944.

Henderson's largest period of growth took place in the 1960's and 70's, until the economy slowed down. In fact, one local bank ran an article in its in-house publication that contained a study by the Federal Government predicting that Henderson, if the growth pattern of the city of 30,000 continued on its course, would come within 12,000 of the population of Las Vegas by the year 2,000. That prediction might have to be updated though, as the study was done before the economic slowdown of the late 70's.

With the economy now improving however, Henderson is once again on its quiet growth surge. Prior to the slowdown the largest section of growth was the western portion of the town with the flourishing Green Valley area supplying beautiful housing and much of the shopping facilities for local residents.

That area has also been the most prestigious, due to established businesses like Nick's Supper Club, the Boulder City Theater, and Timet, which have been joined in recent years by big name industries including Levi Straus,

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Stauffer, Dick Blick Art Supplies, Ethel M, and GTE.

The northern area is most recently beginning to grow rapidly, with U.S. Homes doing a great deal of building, a new shopping mall going up with a new Senior Citizens Center adjacent to it, and the Henderson Convalescent Center with a 120-bed facility under construction.

With the recent completion of the new Convention Center, Henderson is also about to embark upon a $5 million Boulder Highway beautification project, which will benefit surrounding local communities as well.

The highway project includes planting greenery along the sides and center of the roadway from Sunset Road to Horizon Drive.

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Parks and bicycle and pedestrian paths are also in the plans.

It is reported that the Funk family of Arizona, owners of Las Vegas Downs dog racing track, is planning to reopen the facility.

There is also a rumor going around Henderson that seems to be more than just idle talk. It concerns the possibility of building a large hotel/casino in Henderson, something the town fathers know is the most needed commodity there. And, the names mentioned of those possibly interested are impressive indeed, with the Sahara/Hacienda Hotels' Paul Lowden included among them.

If that were to happen, it could only mean more growth and prosperity in the biggest little town in Nevada: Henderson . . . of course!

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