"A History of the Oklahoma Ordinance Works Authority and the Mid America Industrial District, 1958-1972" Page: 3 of 27
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White House itself, resulted in the creation of one of the nations
largest industrial parks.
Gene R. Redden, an employee of nationall Gypsum Co., which owned a
factory in the area, was charged with the manershIp a the closed fSci'7 ,
)3ing maintained by National Gypsum on a care-taker basis for the govern-
mento Redden recalls cost of this standby status was over X250,000 a year
just to stand watch and try to maintain the buildings and equipment in the
now reduced to 10,0+6 acres covering over 20 full sections of land and
parts of many other parce in a contigious tract. Redden had previously
had similar employment.
In his position as manager, Redden knew that eventually the land
wold be declared surplus to the needs of the federal government under
guidelines set out to President uisenhower and more specifically by the
Depar tent of Defense. Redden foresaw that, in all probablility, the coxpl x
would be broken up, sold to farmers and ranchers or to land sepculators as
principle purchasers.
Redden envisioned another fate for the 00V:
Redden saw the area, with 509 buildings (153 of them unsafe for
human occupancy due to chemical residues), 38 miles of railroad spur, four
complete water systems covering 800 acres, including fire hydrants, and
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Cooper, Charles M. "A History of the Oklahoma Ordinance Works Authority and the Mid America Industrial District, 1958-1972", text, Date Unknown; (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc1776922/m1/3/: accessed April 24, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.