Page 78 - 2005 DT 12 Issues

October Henderson?, continued from p. 1 eventually bought the plant for $1 and
future profits. But there were no profits.

D e s k S c h e d u l e on the Senate floor in 1942, accused One reason was Las Vegas.
him of making 4,280 percent profit on Henderson’s neighbor insisted that
BMI’s investment; of being focused the town disassemble Basic housing
Sat/1 L. Eaton T./N. Hughes only on “visions of personal profit . . . as agreed upon during the war years.

W. Barbuck [in] one of the most flagrant attempts Henderson’s indefatigable boosters
Sun/2 OPEN OPEN at war profiteering . . . a betrayal of the parried each Las Vegas thrust, but
President and the American people”; industries were reluctant to lease BMI
Mon/3 S. Stenzel R. Linsmeier of burning an administration building space when worker housing was so

Tues/4 V.Sperry J. Geier where accounting records were kept to vulnerable to banishment.
Wed/5 J. Geier C. Gilmore cover up alleged misdeeds; and enter- In 1967 resuscitation nearly brought
ing into a “sinister contract” with a Henderson back from its comatose state.
Thurs/6 R. Kinn J. Barrett federal wartime agency. Fellow Senator A land developer, J. Carlton Adair, ap-
Fri/7 M. Slagle E. Schliepp Harry Truman was enraged and vowed peared with a dream as large as Eells’
Sat/8 P. VanDooremaal T./N. Hughes a Congressional investigation. Token had been 55 years earlier. He would
hearings were held in Las Vegas, but build a city on a lake using an inlet of
R. Linsmeier they dead-ended. None of Bunker’s the Colorado River south of the city.
Sun/9 L. Eaton OPEN charges was ever documented. But he demanded Henderson change its
Mon/10 T./N. Hughes S. Stenzel name to City of Lake Adair.
Henderson readily agreed.
Tues/11 M. Slagle J. Barrett It was a small price to pay
Wed/12 V. Sperry R. Erickson for ditching the name of a
Thurs/13 T./N. Hughes J. Barrett wartime bureaucratic who
had greeted the honor with
Fri/14 M. Slagle OPEN the same enthusiasm as be-
Sat/15 J. Kissosondi M. Lolich ing named in an indictment.

M. Lolich Alas, Adair had dreams as
big as Eells’ but not his ac-
Sun/16 OPEN R. Erickson cess to the U.S. mint, and
Mon/17 A. Berg F. Rhea the idea died aborning for

Tues/18 R. Augulis N. Kresge lack of financing.
First City Council Meeting - May 27, 1953 But the concept of a
Wed/19 S. Stenzel C. Gilmore Courtesy, City of Henderson
lake city caught on with lo-
Thurs/20 R. Erickson J. Barrett But the pressure of building a gi- cal money merchants and in 1989 was
Fri/21 V. Sperry D. Powers gantic plant and a Basic community alive again in the guise of Lake Las
to serve it was even too much for an Vegas, a faux Italian Adriatic resort
Sat/22 R. Conductor OPEN
industrial dynamo like Eells. With BMI which has taken its place among Green
Sun/23 B. Saperstein M./L. Utah half completed and production on its Valley, The District, Galleria Mall and
Mon/24 R. Linsmeier S. Stenzel way to a staggering 83-million tons a host of trophy housing developments
of Mg, he sold his interest and retired on the city’s margins.
Tues/25 J. Frank J. Geier
to Cleveland in public disgrace. And But these communities are not
Wed/26 J. Geier D. Powers Bunker? He had been appointed to the Basic-Henderson. They’re imposters
Thurs/27 R. Kinn D. Kavula Senate by Nevada’s governor. The first decked out in extravagant style with
time voters got a chance, they threw street names like Via Ravello and
Fri/28 OPEN E. Schliepp
him out of office. Grand Mediterranean. The real Ba-
Sat/29 OPEN OPEN Eells and Bunker faded into ob- sic-Henderson exists as always in the
Sun/30 OPEN M./L. Utah scurity, and Henderson lapsed into shadow of the multi-use plant (now Ba-

Mon/31 S. Stenzel J. Barrett morbidity. Truman, now peacetime sic Management, Inc.) north and east of
President but still enraged, wanted to the alien newcomers. It’s unmistakable
Changes/fill-ins? Call Gina Mele, 515-5355 sell the whole mess as junk. Boosters with its frayed blue-collar cottages,

Page 6 FORRC/October 2005