Henderson

Henderson, officially the City of Henderson, is a city in Clark County, Nevada, United States. It is the second largest city in Nevada, after Las Vegas, with an estimated population of 285,667 in 2015. The city is part of the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which spans the entire Las Vegas Valley. Henderson occupies the southeastern end of the valley, at an elevation of approximately 1,330 feet (410 m).

In 2011, Forbes magazine ranked Henderson as America's second safest city. It has also been named as "One of the Best Cities to Live in America" by Bloomberg Businessweek. In 2014, Henderson was again ranked as one of the Top 10 "Safest Cities in the United States" by the FBI Uniform Crime Report.

History

The township of Henderson first emerged in the 1940s during World War II with the building of the Basic Magnesium Plant. Henderson quickly became a 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 eventually help the United States and its allies win the war.

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 the majority of the 14,000 BMI 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 had 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 giving the Colorado River Commission of Nevada 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 spread and 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 sent shockwaves throughout Henderson and parts of the Las Vegas Valley, shattering glass and damaging buildings. The explosions also caused earthquakes, some of which measured over 3.0 on the Richter magnitude scale. Two people were killed, and an additional 372 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.

Geography

Henderson is located 16 miles (26 km) southeast of downtown Las Vegas at 36°2′23″N 114°58′52″W / 36.03972°N 114.98111°W / 36.03972; -114.98111 (36.03972, -114.98111).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 107.7 square miles (279.0 km2), all land.

The mountains that surround Henderson mostly have gentle slopes. The McCullough Range is closest to the city; most of this range is covered by black rocks from a volcanic explosion millions of years ago. These mountains reach an average height of about 3,800 feet (1,200 m). The landscape consists of desert with barely any water. The only water that is in the city is from washes like Duck Creek.

Master-planned residential areas include Anthem, Anthem Country Club, Black Mountain Vistas, Calico Ridge, Champion Village, Green Valley, Green Valley Ranch, Inspirada, Lake Las Vegas, MacDonald Highlands, MacDonald Ranch, Madeira Canyon, Seven Hills, Sun City Anthem, Sun City MacDonald Ranch, Tuscany Residential Village, and Whitney Ranch.

• Image of a lightning storm taken from Henderson, Nevada, looking toward the Las Vegas Strip

Culture and entertainment

An increasing number of major shopping malls, movie theater complexes, restaurants and casino resorts offer residents a variety of choices for leisure time in Henderson. The city also sits a few miles southeast of Las Vegas and is not too far from the world-famous Las Vegas Strip. "Shakespeare in the Park" celebrated its tenth anniversary in 1996, a testament to Henderson's long standing support for the arts and cultural programs. The city also boasts the largest recreational facility - the Multigenerational Facility at Liberty Pointe - in Nevada as well as Nevada's only scenic Bird Preserve. The city supports a variety of other cultural events as well, many of which are held at the outdoor amphitheater, the largest one of its kind in Nevada.

Film history

• Henderson is frequently featured on the TV drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation as the location of residence of a victim or other person of interest, although the majority of the show's filming takes place in California.
• The documentary Real CSI featured the Henderson Police Department (HPD) Crime Scene Analysts/Investigators.
• The 1998 film Lethal Weapon 4 used Interstate 215 as a filming location.
• A scene in the James Bond film Diamonds Are Forever in which Bond (Sean Connery) is nearly cremated alive was filmed at Palm Mortuary's Henderson location. Later in the movie he is dumped into a pipeline, which was filmed near Trailer Estates on Lake Mead Boulevard. The construction office for the Lake Mead to Las Vegas Water pipeline was located there during the building of the pipeline and the filming of the movie.
• America's Sweethearts, starring Julia Roberts and John Cusack, featured many scenes filmed at Lake Las Vegas.
• Paranormal Activity 4 takes place in Henderson.

Select points of interest

• Acacia Demonstration Gardens
• Anthem Country Club
• Ascaya
• Black Mountain Recreation Center
• Clark County Heritage Museum
• The District at Green Valley Ranch
• Ethel M Botanical Cactus Garden
• Ethel M Chocolate Factory
• Galleria at Sunset
• Green Valley Ranch Resort, Spa, and Casino
• Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve and Water Reclamation Facility
• Henderson Pavilion Concert Theater and Recreational Plaza
• Lake Las Vegas
• M Resort
• MacDonald Highlands
• Montelago Village and Boutiques
• Nevada State College
• Ravella at Lake Las Vegas
• Roma Hills
• Seven Hills Estates
• Sunset Station
• Veteran's Wall
• Westin Resort at Lake Las Vegas
• Wildhorse Golf Club

Hiking trails

Henderson has more than 37 miles (60 km) of trails.

Transportation

The city is served by RTC Transit (formerly Citizens Area Transit/CAT) with its network of bus routes which run throughout the Las Vegas Valley.

Henderson is served by four major highways: Henderson Black Hills and (State Route 582), which is the main thoroughfare connecting with Las Vegas and Boulder City; Lake Mead Parkway (State Route 564); Interstate 515 and Interstate 215. State Route 146, also known as Saint Rose Parkway, connects Interstate 15 near Sloan with Interstate 215 in Green Valley. This stretch is formally a part of Lake Mead Parkway which is a direct link to Henderson for motorists traveling in and out of Southern California.

Henderson is home for the Henderson Executive Airport. The main airport for the metropolitan area is McCarran International Airport, located northwest of Henderson.

Street numbering is different within the city of Henderson than with the rest of the Las Vegas Valley. The center of Henderson lies within the intersection of Water Street and Lake Mead Parkway. The Henderson Police Department for years referred to Lake Mead Parkway (and its former name Lake Mead Drive) as "146", while Boulder Highway is often referred as "93", its former highway designation.

The Union Pacific Railroad serves Henderson over a branch line originally built to support construction of Hoover Dam. The final few miles of the line, owned by the U.S. Government, were abandoned after the dam was completed. The line still extends to Boulder City; in 1985, the state purchased the section east of appropriately I-515, with the Nevada Southern Railroad Museum operating excursion trains over the easternmost seven miles (11 km).

Rocket fuel factory fire

In 1988, the PEPCON rocket fuel factory became engulfed in fire. Smoke was seen from 100 miles away, and two major blasts measured 3.0 and 3.5, respectively, on the Richter scale at observatories in California and Colorado. Investigators surveying the damage in the surrounding communities estimated the blast as similar to a 1-kiloton airblast nuclear detonation. Two people were killed. The explosion spurred the development of Henderson from industrial to the largely residential area it is today. There are no signs of the Pepcon explosion today, and the site now consists mostly of office buildings.