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.

Read other articles:

Dyer Lum

Dyer LumLahirDyer Daniel Lum15 Februari 1839Jenewa, New York, Amerika SerikatMeninggal6 April 1893 (usia 54)New York City, Amerika SerikatMakamNorthampton, MassachusettsNama lainDyer D. LumDikenal atasAktivisme buruhPasanganVoltairine de Cleyre Dyer Daniel Lum[1] (15 Februari 1839 – 6 April 1893)[2] adalah seorang anarkis, aktivis buruh dan penyair Amerika Serikat.[3] Sebagai sindikalis utama dan intelektual sayap kiri berpengaruh pada 1880an,[...

 

Arab Kuba

Arab KubaÁrabes CubanosMonumen Imigran ArabJumlah populasi50.000Daerah dengan populasi signifikanHavana, Holguín, Santiago de CubaBahasaSpanyol Kuba, ArabAgamaMayoritas Kristen, Minoritas IslamKelompok etnik terkaitArab, YahudiArab Kuba merujuk kepada imigran Arab dan keturunan mereka di Kuba dan diaspora Kuba. Kebanyakan komunitas Arab Kuba berasal dari latar belakang Suriah, Lebanon atau Palestina.[1] Referensi ^ Menéndez Paredes, Rigoberto (2007). Los árabes en Cuba (dalam baha...

 

Curug Mariuk

Curug MariukPotret Curug Mariuk JonggolLokasiSukamakmur, Jonggol, Bogor, Jawa Barat, IndonesiaTinggi total10 mJumlah titik1Rata-rata laju aliran610 m³/s (38,430 cu ft/s) Pemandangan Pengunungan Jonggol dari Trek Menuju Curug Curug Mariuk adalah sebuah air terjun yang berada di daerah Kecamatan Sukamakmur, Jonggol, Bogor. Letaknya berada diketinggian 987 m dpl, yang dapat diakses melalui trek Hordeng Mariul.[1] Aliran dari curug ini berasal dari mata air di Gunung Kencana (P...

Холокост на Украине

Часть серии статей о Холокосте Идеология и политика Расовая гигиена · Расовый антисемитизм · Нацистская расовая политика · Нюрнбергские расовые законы Шоа Лагеря смерти Белжец · Дахау · Майданек · Малый Тростенец · Маутхаузен ·&...

 

Irlanda

Disambiguazione – Se stai cercando altri significati, vedi Irlanda (disambigua). Questa voce o sezione sull'argomento Irlanda non cita le fonti necessarie o quelle presenti sono insufficienti. Puoi migliorare questa voce aggiungendo citazioni da fonti attendibili secondo le linee guida sull'uso delle fonti. Irlanda (dettagli) (dettagli) Irlanda - LocalizzazioneL'Irlanda (verde scuro) nell'Unione europea (verde chiaro) Dati amministrativiNome completoRepubblica d'Irlanda Nome ufficiale...

 

Lempeng panas

Lempeng panas. Lempeng panas adalah salah satu instrumen peralatan laboratorium yang digunakan sebagai alat pemanas. Alat ini terbuat dari logam berbentuk bulat pipih dan dipanaskan dengan energi listrik hingga mencapai suhu 450° Celsius. lbsPeralatan laboratoriumUmumPemanasPengeringPembakar alkohol · Pembakar Bunsen · Desikator · Selubung pemanas · Lempeng panas · Oven lab · Tanur · Pembakar Meker-Fisher ·...

List of regional organizations by population

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: List of regional organizations by population – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (August 2018) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) The following is a list of regional organizations by population. List Flag or Logo Organization Founde...

 

Capture of the sloop Anne

1825 sea battle Capture of the sloop AnnePart of West Indies Anti-Piracy Operations,Piracy in the CaribbeanUna Goleta de Guerra Persigue un Barco Pirata, the artwork used to depict the event in Paul G. Miller's Historia de Puerto Rico (1922).DateMarch 5, 1825LocationCaribbean Sea; within the seaward boundaries of the municipalities of Salinas and Guayama, Puerto Rico, Spanish West IndiesResult Allied victory Anne (El Mosquito) is disabled; pirates flee ashoreBelligerents Tri-national anti-pir...

 

Pandémie de Covid-19 en France

Wikipédia ne donne pas de conseils médicaux ou sanitaires. Cet article est susceptible de contenir des informations obsolètes ou inexactes. Seul un professionnel de la santé est apte à vous fournir un avis médical, et seules les autorités sanitaires de votre pays sont compétentes pour donner des consignes de santé publique relatives à la pandémie de Covid-19. Pour des articles plus généraux, voir Pandémie de Covid-19 en Europe et Pandémie de Covid-19. Pandémie de Covid-19 en ...

Steel-toe boot

Footwear reinforcement A pair of well-worn steel-toe shoes A pair of ISO 20345:2004 compliant S3 safety boots A steel-toe boot (also known as a safety boot, steel-capped boot, steel toecaps or safety shoe) is a durable boot or shoe that has a protective reinforcement in the toe which protects the foot from falling objects or compression. Safety shoes are effective in keeping the feet of industrial workers safe from sharp and heavy objects while working in factories.[1] Safety footwear...

 

哈萨克斯坦总统

此条目序言章节没有充分总结全文内容要点。 (2019年3月21日)请考虑扩充序言，清晰概述条目所有重點。请在条目的讨论页讨论此问题。 哈萨克斯坦總統哈薩克總統旗現任Қасым-Жомарт Кемелұлы Тоқаев卡瑟姆若马尔特·托卡耶夫自2019年3月20日在任任期7年首任努尔苏丹·纳扎尔巴耶夫设立1990年4月24日（哈薩克蘇維埃社會主義共和國總統） 哈萨克斯坦 哈萨克斯坦政府...

 

哈萨克斯坦总统

此条目序言章节没有充分总结全文内容要点。 (2019年3月21日)请考虑扩充序言，清晰概述条目所有重點。请在条目的讨论页讨论此问题。 哈萨克斯坦總統哈薩克總統旗現任Қасым-Жомарт Кемелұлы Тоқаев卡瑟姆若马尔特·托卡耶夫自2019年3月20日在任任期7年首任努尔苏丹·纳扎尔巴耶夫设立1990年4月24日（哈薩克蘇維埃社會主義共和國總統） 哈萨克斯坦 哈萨克斯坦政府...

Minaxolone

Chemical compound MinaxoloneClinical dataOther names11α-(Dimethylamino)-2β-ethoxy-3α-hydroxy-5α-pregnan-20-oneATC codenoneIdentifiers IUPAC name 1-[(1S,2S,4S,5S,7S,10S,11S,14S,15S,17R)-17-(dimethylamino)-4-ethoxy-5-hydroxy-2,15-dimethyltetracyclo[8.7.0.02,7.011,15]heptadecan-14-yl]ethan-1-one CAS Number62571-87-3 YPubChem CID71960IUPHAR/BPS5478ChemSpider64967 NUNII737SKC73L0KEGGD05041 YChEMBLChEMBL2105209 NCompTox Dashboard (EPA)DTXSID201024283 Chemical and physical da...

 

Mollie Hemingway

American author, columnist, and political commentator Mollie HemingwayHemingway in 2016BornMollie Ziegler (1974-08-03) August 3, 1974 (age 49)Denver, Colorado, U.S.Alma materUniversity of Colorado DenverOccupation(s)Author, columnist, political commentatorSpouse Mark Hemingway ​(m. 2006)​ Mollie Ziegler Hemingway (born August 3, 1974) is an American conservative author, columnist, and political commentator.[1][2] She is the editor in chie...

 

Nazi eugenics

Nazi German policy of the murder of undesirable persons from the German people Eugenics poster at the exhibition Wonders of Life in Berlin in 1935 showing demographic projections under the assumption of higher fertility of the inferior (Minderwertige) relative to the superior (Höherwertige) Part of a series onNazism Organizations Ahnenerbe Geheime Staatspolizei Deutsches Jungvolk Hitler Youth League of German Girls NSDÄB NSDStB NSRL NSFK NSKK NSF Nationalsozialistische Monatshefte Nazi Part...

Insubria

Historical-geographical region in Europe Marked in brown, the territory of Insubria Insubria is a historical-geographical region which corresponds to the area inhabited in Classical antiquity by the Insubres; the name can also refer to the Duchy of Milan (1395–1810). For several centuries this name stood for an area stretching approximately between the Adda river in the east and the Sesia river in the west, and between the San Gottardo Pass in the north and the Po river in the south, thus i...

 

Caldwell Jones

Questa voce sugli argomenti allenatori di pallacanestro statunitensi e cestisti statunitensi è solo un abbozzo. Contribuisci a migliorarla secondo le convenzioni di Wikipedia. Segui i suggerimenti dei progetti di riferimento 1, 2. Caldwell JonesJones con la maglia dei Philadelphia 76ersNazionalità Stati Uniti Altezza211 cm Peso98 kg Pallacanestro RuoloCentro / ala grandeAllenatore Termine carriera1990 - giocatore2002 - allenatore CarrieraGiovanili Desha Central High School1969-19...

 

Aeson

For other uses, see Aeson (disambiguation). King of Iolcus AesonKing of IolcusMedea rejuvenates Aeson by Nicolas-André MonsiauReigncirca 15th century BCSuccessorPeliasBornunknownSpousePolymele or PolymedeIssueJason and PromachusFatherCretheusMotherTyro In Greek mythology, Aeson (/ˈiːsɒn/;[1] Ancient Greek: Αἴσων Aísōn) was a king of Iolcus in Thessaly. He was the father of the hero Jason. According to one version of the story, he was imprisoned by his half-brother Pelias, ...

George Goring, 1st Earl of Norwich

English soldier (1585–1663) George GoringEarl of NorwichBorn(1585-04-28)28 April 1585Died6 January 1663(1663-01-06) (aged 77)Brentford, EnglandAllegiance RoyalistsBattles/wars English Civil War Battle of Maidstone Siege of Colchester Spouse(s)Mary NevilleChildren6 George Goring, 1st Earl of Norwich (28 April 1585 – 6 January 1663) was an English soldier and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1621 and 1628 when he was raised to the peerage. Biography Goring was the son...

 

Robert Hering

German sprinter (born 1990) Robert HeringHering in 2015Personal informationFull nameRobert HeringNationality GermanyBorn (1990-06-14) 14 June 1990 (age 34)Gera, East GermanyHeight1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)Weight78 kg (172 lb)SportSportRunningClubTuS JenaAchievements and titlesPersonal bests 100m: 10.34 s (Mannheim, 2009) 200m: 20.41 s (Ulm, 2009) Medal record Men's athletics Representing  Germany World Junior Championships 2008 Bydgoszcz 200 m Europea...