Carnotite

NEWS ITEM FROM THE FARMINGTON TIMES HUSTLER OF JANUARY 1, 1926

"CARNOTITE SHIPMENT IS MADE By J. L. Wade

A car of carnotite ore, the first car shipment of mineral ore ever to leave Farmington, was shipped out Dec. 20 to Denver by Jas. L. Watie [sic], where extensive tests will be made with a view to establishing a concentration plant at the mines on the reservation, after which car shipments of these concentrates would become a regular feature from this station. It may be that several other cars will be shipped before the decision is definitely made and several cars of ore have been mined and are ready for immediate shipment. The varied resources of this section are such that it will surely build up a great commercial and industrial center some day, and Farmington is in line to be that place."

Carnotite is a uranium ore and later on, a uranium mill was built at Shiprock on the Navajo Nation, but I'm wondering what they were going to do with this stuff clear back in 1926. Where did it go and what did they do with it? This was long before it's use in atomic weapons. BTW, by this time, the D&RG was the D&RGW and the Farmington branch had been converted to narrow gauge. And by the early 70s, the uranium mill was shut down and is long gone.