Paddy Martinez

Mary and Paddy Martinez in 1952

Patricio "Paddy" Martinez (1881– August 26, 1969)[1] was an American prospector and shepherd who discovered uranium at Haystack Mesa in the San Juan Basin near Grants, New Mexico, in 1950.[2] This was the first discovery in the Grants Uranium District, and led to a uranium boom that lasted almost 30 years. The San Juan Basin yielded 60% of the uranium in the United States, valued at over $25 billion.[3]

Discovery of uranium in New Mexico

Martinez's discovery, in 1950 on Santa Fe Railroad land, was developed into the Haystack mine.[4] He was hired by the railroad and Anaconda Mining Company as a uranium scout for $400 per month, a good salary then. Following the discovery, the town of Grants became a yellowcake boomtown; its population grew from 2,200 to 50,000 within a few months.[3] The mining boom lasted for decades, until the 1980s when it collapsed.[5] The Santa Fe Railroad continued to pay Martinez $250 per month until the day he died.[6]

After his first discovery, in 1950 of carnotite, a low-grade uranium-bearing ore, he staked a claim on 160 acres (65 ha). After that he explored Haystack Mountain where he made the discovery of high-grade ore.[4] He became nationally known for his discovery.[7]

Personal life

Martinez was born in the village of Haystack, New Mexico.[7] He and his wife Flora[8] had 14 children.[4]

Martinez, a Navajo of Mexican descent, and a native New Mexican, became famous for his discovery. He was the subject of feature articles in Time, Life, True West and Reader's Digest magazines. Martinez was fluent in the Navajo, Laguna (Keresan), Spanish and English languages.[3] He was a medicine man and a leader in his community.

Martinez also worked as a law officer on the Navajo reservation,[7] ran a mountain sheep camp and worked as a labor recruiter for carrot farms.[4]

His tombstone at Grants Memorial Cemetery simply reads, "Paddy Martinez 1881 - 1969 Uranium Pioneer." His grave is nearby Paddy Martinez Park, where children play.

Legacy

Martinez was inducted into the National Mining Hall of Fame in 1992.[3]

External images
image icon Paddy Martinez in 1956, on the discovery outcrop. Life magazine photo.
image icon Paddy Martinez, man who discovered uranium, 1956. Life magazine photo.

References

  1. ^ "Deaths elsewhere— Man who sparked rush for uranium", Miami News, August 26, 1969, p2
  2. ^ Voyles, Tracy Brynne (2015). Wastelanding Legacies of Uranium Mining in Navajo Country. University of Minnesota Press. ISBN 9781452944494. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d "Paddy Martinez (1881-1969)". National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
  4. ^ a b c d "NEW MEXICO: How to Find Uranium". Time Magazine. 25 December 1950. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
  5. ^ "History". City of Grants. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
  6. ^ Robinson, Sherry (1994). El Malpais, Mt. Taylor and the Zuni Mountains. University of New Mexico Press. p. 33. ISBN 978-0-8263-1527-4. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
  7. ^ a b c Bryan, Howard. "Off the Beaten Path: Paddy Martinez". Albuquerque Historical Society. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
  8. ^ "The beginning of the uranium boom! Mary & Paddy Martinez brought in the first uranium sample". New Mexico Digital Collections. Retrieved 31 March 2021.