EUROPEAN SETTLEMENT & MINING
Beginning in the 1870’s and through the 1920’s, various metals and elements were discovered in the canyon walls. Mining for gold, copper and carnonite (used to produce radium, uranium, and vanadium) spurred European settlers to move to the area. By 1922, most of the mining operations were closed until, as a part of the Manhattan Project, the U.S. Army reprocessed the mill tailings to produce uranium used in the first atomic bombs. From the 1940’s to the 1980’s, uranium mining fluctuated. All mining had ceased until recently. Now mining along the UTB is increasing demand due to oil and gas, as well as uranium.