When Mr. Elmer Hilsinger arrived from the Los Angeles area in 1942, to work as a Refractory Inspector in the Engineering Department at Basic Magnesium Incorporated (BMI), little did he know the town site would grow to be known as Henderson, Nevadain a few short decades. Mr. Hilsinger’s oral history provides a glimpse of the work being done by women at BMI, including women working as chemists, truck drivers, and secretaries. His words attest to the strong work ethic demonstrated by women at the plant during the “war work” period. Through Mr. Hilsinger’s story, we are also provided with an account of what daily life was like for a married couple, including Mr. Hilsinger’s life with his wife who worked as a waitress at Anderson Camp. In addition, Mr. Hilsinger’s oral history touches on the evolution of safety rules within the plant, the transition from the American Federation of Labor Union to the Congress of Industrial Organizations Union, and the role prostitution played during the tim
The Jarbidge, Nevada Community Archives Collection contains scanned images from seven archival collections and document the community of Jarbidge, Nevada from approximately 1910 to 2006. The materials were collected from various families living in Jarbidge in 2006 as part of a project led by Carrie Townley Porter. The images depict early Jarbidge structures, surrounding landscape, the Elkoro Mine, and residents of the area. Also included are images of certificates, correspondence, and newspaper articles relating to the families' histories. Also included in the collection are written summaries of ten oral history interviews of Jarbidge residents conducted in 2006. This collection contains digital surrogates only; the owners and Jarbidge Community Archives retain the originals.
Hazel Baker Denton Papers (1907-1957) contain correspondence, family artifacts, scrapbooks, newspaper clippings, and family biographical information. Included are journals that chronicle the years Denton served as an Assemblywoman for the Nevada State Legislature and a copy of her book, Ironing Day, her newspaper columns, and speeches.