A Short History of the Exell Helium Plant:

The Exell Helium Plant of the U.S. Bureau of Mines originated with World War II.  Dramatic increases in the demands for helium during the war translated into a need for an expansion program.  By the 1940’s the Amarillo Helium plant’s 24 million cubic feet (mmcf) annual production paled in the light of the projected wartime requirements of 150 mmcf.  President Franklin D. Roosevelt had by now approved the construction of 200 lighter-than-air craft for naval reconnaissance.  In response, Congress approved nearly $17 million to expand the federal helium operations.  In order to satisfy the 150 mmcf annual production quota, the federal workforce increased from 36 employees at the Amarillo Plant, to more than 400 men and women working at five separate plants.

Link to more History