LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) -Henderson, the second largest city in Nevada, is often overshadowed by the bright lights of Las Vegas, but now it is putting its own history in the spotlight.
The City of Henderson is offering a historic walking tour on Water Street using the technology of today to showcase it’s past.
“We are really trying to take residents and visitors on a walk down memory lane,” shared Tiffany Reardon, Redevelopment Communications Specialist for the City of Henderson.
Henderson was officially incorporated on April 16, 1953. Now seven decades later, as the population continues to boom, the city’s Historical Walking Tour focuses on those early days in the 50′s and 60′s. With the scan of a QR code, you can transport back in time.
The La Porta building at the corner of Water and Army, once home to the insurance agency of one of Henderson’s first city councilmen, is now home to the Purple Penguin and a number of other businesses.
“I am a fourth generation Henderson native… I actually grew up here in the Townsite area and Water Street has always been the center of activity for me,” Reardon explained. Reardon knows the history of Henderson well.
“Henderson has such a rich history that we are not sure all the new residents are aware of. It was formed in America’s defense during WWII. The Basic Magnesium Incorporated plant was actually the world’s largest producer of magnesium ingots that were used for munitions,” Reardon explained. The plant brought 15,000 people who established the Basic Townsite.
“They thought it was going to be temporary and they didn’t expect to stay here but they got here and then they loved it,” Reardon recounted. During the war, women stepped up to work in the plant.
“Behind me is the statue of Magnesium Maggie. Magnesium Maggie is Henderson’s version of Rosie the Riveter… Basic Magnesium was really setting a precedent and they were giving women equal pay for equal work which was sort of unheard of at the time,” Reardon reported.
Basic Magnesium, integral to the founding of the city, is also how Water Street got its name.
“Water Street is called Water Street because there is a large water main that run right down the street and it fed water to the industrial plants,” Reardon revealed.
The city also offers the tour virtually with stories at each stop recorded by major figures in Henderson. You can also download a map before taking the tour on the city’s website.
https://www.cityofhenderson.com/government/departments/mayor-and-council/our-history
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