Grand Junction Steel LLC history

The “fruit gathering bag” was patented in December 1900 by George W. Bowman who lived in Palisade.

The Women’s Library Association petitioned philanthropist Andrew Carnegie for funds to build a new library, which was erected in 1901 at 7th and Grand.

By 1902 the town hired its first crew of three professional firemen, with horses to pull a fire engine.

Originally named the Park School, the Emerson Grade School was built at 9th and Ute in 1903.

By 1904 the burgeoning congregation rebuilt at the corner of 6th and Rood.

Otto came to western Colorado in 1906 and lived in the canyons of the Monument alone.

Finally on May 24, 1911 President Taft signed the proclamation and the Monument was formed.

Building the Highline Project Canal System (1918)

Grand Junction's First Airport (June 1930)

Whereas vanadium strengthened steel and radium was used for its perceived healing capabilities, uranium was considered useless until the discovery of nuclear fission in 1938.

In 1942, Groves ordered the vanadium-processing mills in the Colorado Plateau be considered as possible sources of uranium.

Beginning in May 1943, the region’s uranium ore would be brought to Uravan and run through the plant to produce three tons of green uranium “sludge” per day.

The UMDC clandestinely surveyed uranium sites until the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) took over in 1946.

In 1947, the AEC established the Colorado Raw Materials Office at Grand Junction, which became the primary office for uranium research during the Cold War.

Uranium Boom and Bust (1950's)

In the late 1970's some large oil companies built large oil rigs by the edge of the Roan Plateau to get the oil out of the rock.

Also, many small towns were scared of growing too fast and having another bust like in the early 1980's.

When the gas prices dropped or became cheaper in 1982, it then cost more to get the oil from the oil shale than what they could sell the oil for.

In February of 2000, the Grand Valley Transit bus system was started.