In the early years of atomic science, the discovery of cancer-curing radium drove prospective miners to the far reaches of the Four Corners region of the United States. As they hunted for the rare mineral, workers uncovered a yellow ore called uranium – a glowing rock worth little to nothing at the time. But soon, scientists with the secretive Manhattan Project would set their sights on the isolated deserts of Western Colorado and put that yellowcake to use. After their success, a monumental change was on the horizon.

Find transcripts, references, and photos for the series at ⁠www.aleccowan.com/boomtown⁠

In this episode:

Michael Amundson, professor of history at Northern Arizona University and author of ⁠Yellowcake Towns: Uranium Mining Communities in the American West.⁠

Maxine Johnson, former resident who first moved to Uravan in 1940. ⁠Archival interview with J.P. Moore⁠, courtesy of the Atomic Heritage Foundation and the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History (All Rights Reserved)