The Amarillo Helium Plant was the first major production site for helium, and was the source of nearly all the helium in the world for more than a decade, up to WWII. The plant opened in 1929, following the Federal Helium Act of 1925, which authorized the Bureau of Mines to construct and operate helium purification facilities to supply the Army and Navy. It was the nation’s sole helium plant until 1943, when the government ordered the construction of a few more during WWII. This was also the site of the Helium Research Center, which explored new uses and markets for helium. The plant, located at the intersection of Amarillo Road and Helium Road, has been unused since the 1990s, after the federal government ordered the privatization of the helium industry, and federal plants were shut down. The 20 acre site, with 15 buildings, was auctioned off by the federal government in 2007. It was bought by a developer in Nebraska for $480,000, then sold again in 2009. Redevelopment still awaits.