As the United States engaged in World War II, existing plants and equipment were considered for conversion to directly support the war effort. The National Gypsum Company of Buffalo successfully lobbied[2] the United States War Department to purchase their 18,000 acre facility located near McGregor, Texas for the construction and operation of a munitions plant. On March 7, 1942; National Gypsum executives worked with Army engineers in Waco, Texas, to come up with the design and construction of the plant.[3] The offices that were set up for this endeveour was located in the Armory and in the Waco library.[3]
The plant was operated by the National Gypsum Company but overseen by the military and was one of the four Ordnance plants in the United States during World War II.[3][4] The army engineers were in charge of all plant construction while the Gypsum personnel and others worked out other strategies.[3] Bluebonnet Ordnance Plant got its name from Major Paul Van Tuyl, who named the plant after the state flower of Texas (Bluebonnet).[5]
The munitions plant started production of bombs on October 16, 1942.[6] Over 1100 automobiles and trucks went to and from the plant each day, taking workers to and from the plant.[3] Many of the workers at the plant were from out of state, and even out of the region.[3] The plant primarily manufactured TNT and ammonium nitrate[7] used to fill bomb casings which were manufactured elsewhere. Production was focused on three bomb types: armor piercing, general purpose and fragmentation.[8] Bluebonnet also produced other ordnance products, including 105-mm semi-fixed high explosive shells, bomb booster charges, and demolition blocks. At maximum production, the plant employed 5,732 workers. The plant ceased production on August 14, 1945.[1]