Basic Magnesium, Inc. (BMI) formed in June 1941 as a joint venture between Basic Refractories, Inc. of Cleveland, Ohio and Magnesium Elektron, Limited of England. Basic Refractories, Inc. owned mining claims in Gabbs Valley, Nye County, Nevada, which produced the magnesite and brucite needed to produce magnesium metal. Magnesium Elektron, Limited owned the patent for the electrolytic process of extracting metallic magnesium from these minerals.
On February 9, 1980 collector Connie Carr interviewed teacher, Lestor Burgwardt (born May 24, 1926 in Hamburg, New York) in his home in Las Vegas, Nevada. This interview covers local entertainment, Lake Mead, school districts, and gaming’s effect on the educational system. Lestor also recalls his move to Nevada and offers a general overview of Henderson in 1954.
Interview with Eugene Buford conducted by Claytee D. White on September 12, 2006. Buford came to Las Vegas as a child from Birmingham, Alabama. He held a variety of jobs, including washing dishes at the Last Frontier and delivering ice to casinos like the Flamingo and the Stardust, and ultimately retired after thirty-six years with the Post Office. Buford's great grandmother, Mary Nettles, was instrumental in the formation and growth of the NAACP chapter in Las Vegas, and he recalls meetings in her house and his own role as president of the Junior League NAACP. Buford shares memories of historical locations and events such as Helldorado, Block 16, and Carver Park, and several important figures in Las Vegas history, including James B. McMillan, Charles West, Jimmy Gay, Benny Binion, and the mafia.
On February 12, 1978, collector Jeff Thompson interviewed short-order cook and maid, Donna Henshaw (born on February 11, 1937 in Appleton, Minnesota) in the collector’s home in Las Vegas, Nevada. This interview covers the history and development of the Las Vegas area.
Interview with Hazel Gay conducted by Claytee D. White on December 2, 1995. Hazel and her husband Jimmy Gay moved to Las Vegas in 1946, becoming leaders in the African American community during the civil rights era.
Steve Evans is a native of Henderson, Nevada; living there when it was little more than an industrial town. In this interview, Steve tells of his humble life in Henderson's Carver Park community to becoming the owner of a home formerly owned by a teenage mentor, Flora Dungan, who founded Focus, a youth counseling program where he worked. Steve's penchant for architecture threads through this narrative. Among the stories he shares is of his efforts to recover information about his John S. Park home, which was built in 1964, designed by Kennard Design Group of California and considered the best example of mid-century modern architecture in Las Vegas. In addition, Steve is an informed observer of a community in transition. He tells about the thriving commerce of Fremont Street shifting to Maryland Parkway, the beginning of the Arts District, the impact of events on the John S. Park Neighborhood sense of community, events such as the Stratosphere wanting to build a roller coaster as well as the movement to give John S. Park a historical designation. Steve left Las Vegas for a few years to purse his career in social justice and activism. He returned home and has been a involved in community service, a City Planning Commissioner, Chair of the Downtown Design Review among other committees.