| Show Monticello Becomes Center Of OfSan OfSan OfSan San Juan County Uranium Boom Monticello so named because of Its location on the slopes of the Abajo Range locally called the Blue Mountains is situated in the center of the vast uranium fields fieldson on the famous Colorado Plateau Many of the richest and best known uranium mines are in San SanJuan SanJuan SanJuan Juan county not far from lo For instance the famous Ml MI Vida mine of the Co is only 25 miles northeast of Monticello The Happy Jack mine is about 60 miles southwest And just to mention a few more of the many producing mines in this area there are the Maybe the Blue Lizard and the Bullseye With so many producing mines near and with the uranium processing processing processing pro pro- mill already established in Monticello the town has taken on ona ona ona a new importance especially to I Ithe the mining industry It has become become become be be- bei i come a thriving bustling little city cily The ever increasing population has the town literally bursting out at atthe atthe atthe the seams City fathers are confronted confronted confronted con con- fronted with all the problems that commonly beset a rapidly growing community such as health and sanitation and adequate housing power and water Estimates of the present population run from 2200 to 2500 and new residents Arriving daily find the motels full to overflowing It is hard to believe that Just three short years ago Monticello was just an average quiet country country country coun coun- try village with a stagnant population population pop pop- level of only 1176 Its streets were dusty and muddy its youth were offered few opportunities ties or attractions its facilities for entertainment were poor its merchants merchants merchants mer mer- chants unable to give customers a choice as to price style or quality in the merchandise offered With the economy geared only to ranching and cattle there seemed seemed seem seem- ed to be little opportunity for business business busi busl ness and no industrial activity However new life and new money money mon mono ey has been injected into the veins of Monticello commerce with the discovery and the mining of uranium uranium uran uran- ium ore on the Colorado plateau The one motel which was here in 1950 has since doubled in size Then a second motel was built Now two others are in the process process process pro pro- cess of construction with completion completion comple comple- tion dates in early spring Modern trailer homes have beL be be- L I i come very popular in this locality Between June and December 1954 four new trailer parks opened for business At present Monticello has six trailer courts and all are arc enjoying enjoying en en- a land office business Building construction and its al allied allied al al- lied trades is progressing at a feverish pace Part of the business business busi busl ness building permits taken out during the last half of 1954 include a service station a tire re-capping re building two motels a rooming house cleaner and laundry office building warehouses garages and anda anda a newspaper plant In November 1954 buildings under actual construction construction con con- within the city limits totalled totalled totalled to to- Monticello proper is contained in about 70 square blocks but very shortly the city limits will wiIl have to be pushed out farther New business buildings have been erected on the highways east north and south of town While west of town just outside of the city limits a beautiful new residence residence resi resi- dence addition is is rapidly taking shape with ten homes already partially completed and more slated slated slat slat- ed for construction It is estimated that the cost of the ten homes now being built will total approximately In the fall of 1954 a city zoning ordinance was passed so that its growth could be planned and guided guided guid guld ed into definite residential commercial commercial com com- mercial and industrial areas Also in hi November of 1954 the city pulled itself out of the mud so to speak City streets not already already already al al- ready paved were treated to a thick coat of black topping at a acost acost acost cost of |
