BMI Newsletters

This collection includes the entire run of The Big Job and Basic Bombardier, newsletters published by Basic Magnesium, Inc. (BMI) between 1942 and 1944. Published primarily for BMI employees, the newsletters cover a variety of topics, from BMI operations and the importance of magnesium production for World War II to the many recreational activities and various townsite services available to employees and their families. At 2 pages, The Big Job focused on the more general aspects of these topics. Basic Bombardier expanded both the length and scope of the newsletter by continuing to provide general topical coverage but also by highlighting the activities and opinions of hundreds of individual employees. These newsletters not only capture the rich historical beginnings of both BMI and the city of Henderson, but they bring to life the ways in which residents of a small town responded to and contributed to World War II. The newsletters unveil unique personal histories and at the same time, provide insight into the kinds of lives led by many Americans during the early 1940s.

History of Henderson Scrapbook Collection

This collection includes scrapbooks that contain newspaper and magazine clippings about the City of Henderson, Nevada and its industrial history. Articles were clipped from local Henderson-area papers such as the Henderson Home News, the Las Vegas Evening Review Journal, the Las Vegas Age, and the Las Vegas Sun as well as from several other non-local publications. The scrapbook creators remain unknown, but it seems likely that many of the scrapbooks were assembled by a local historical society or group. The assembly dates of the scrapbooks also remain unknown, but the articles included in the scrapbooks cover the period between the early 1940s and 1990. The early scrapbooks focus on Basic Magnesium, Inc. (BMI), a defense plant located in Henderson that produced magnesium for World War II, as well as on activities related to national mining efforts, magnesium, and light metal production and use. Later scrapbooks include articles about Henderson-area politics, economics, organizations, and events.

Funding for the digital imaging of the scrapbooks was provided by the City of Henderson. Digitization was performed by the Nevada State Library.

Memphis Belle Photographs

After completing her 25th successful bombing mission, The Memphis Belle and her crew were retired from active service in the European Theatre and sent to the United States for a tour of Army Air Forces establishments. The BMI Plant in Henderson was one of the stops on this tour, as the magnesium produced at the plant was used in the bombs which The Memphis Belle deployed during her bombing missions.

Southern Nevada Maps

This collection contains USGS Topographic Maps and US Army Corps of Engineer maps of various locations in Southern Nevada, dating from 1945 to 1984.

Local History Projects

Henderson Libraries local history project includes photos from Basic Magnesium Industries and St. Rose de Lima Hospital.

Digital Video Projects

This collection contains videos of Henderson Libraries programs hosted both on our YouTube account or our Overdrive account .

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