Abandoned

The San Rafael Swell, located in central Utah, was at one time a major area to supply United States uranium needs, especially during the “Cold War” era of the 1950’s and early 1960’s.

With the advent of the “atomic” age toward the end of WWII, uranium ore was needed by the government to build the nuclear stockpile. The years 1948 and 1949 saw hundreds of claims filed for this area. Through the 1950’s, uranium ore was extracted from several mines in this area and fortunes were made, but more were lost during this explosive era. A record 6.1 million pounds of ore were extracted in 1958, but just two short years later, the entire market began to collapse. In 1952, Vernon J. Pick was profitably operating the Delta/Hidden Splendor mine near the Muddy River. He sold his claim a couple years later to the Atlas Corp. for nine million dollars. Unfortunately, over the next three years, those owners were only able to extract two million in ore and so the mine closed in 1957. Other mines that operated here were the Copper Globe, Lucky Strike, Tomsich Butte and the Little Susan. The vehicle in this photo is likely a relic left over from those mining days – abandoned and forgotten and now only serves as an object for target practice.

HDR Image 2018