PIPE SPRING Cultures at a Crossroads: An Administrative History

Pipe Spring and Weapons Testing

On January 27, 1951, Leonard Heaton wrote in his journal, "At about 6:30 this morning I heard what I thought was two distant dynamite blasts or rocks rolling. Later while in Kanab and Orderville [I] learned of atomic bomb blast in Nevada at about that time, so believe it was atomic blasts." [1497] The next day, he reported,

Sunday, day off from work. Atomic flashes and blasts were seen and heard at Moccasin and Kanab this morning at about 7:00. Homes were reported as being shaken by the blasts at Moccasin. Carl W. Johnson reported seeing the flash of light Saturday morning at Pipe from the Atom Bomb. Cloudy and stormy looking. [1498]

Below are additional excerpts from Heaton's journal (HJ) and monthly reports which chronicle Heaton's experience of some of the weapons testing that was taking place to the west between 1951 and 1957:

Saw the flash of the atomic bomb and heard the blast this morning. Seems to have been the biggest yet. (HJ, February 6, 1951)

Heard the atomic explosion again this morning. Not so hard as last several, I guess. (HJ, November 5, 1951)

Some of the folks heard and felt the Atom Bomb this forenoon [a.m.]. (HJ, April 22, 1952)

The A bomb of April 22 was heard and felt here at the monument which shook the building considerable. Also the one of May 1st was heard and felt. (L. Heaton, monthly report, April 1952)

There were two light storms during the month and these came three days after the Atomic blast. It has been said the Atom bomb was the cause of the storms here. (L. Heaton, monthly report, March 1953)

Atom bomb set off this morning. Was felt rather hard too. The flash was very bright. It lit up the country like daylight. (HJ, June 4, 1953)

Felt the two atomic blasts set off in Nevada today at 6 a.m. and the other at 11 a.m. Rattled windows and doors. (HJ, March 29, 1955)

Heard the atomic blast this morning. The atom cloud seemed to go southeast today. Lots of jet trails in the sky. (HJ, October 7, 1957)]

About 4 p.m. on March 5, 1951, after at least three atomic bomb tests in Nevada, an earthquake occurred at Pipe Spring, "going from west to east," Heaton reported, rattling windows and dishes at the monument. Another earthquake was felt on February 16, 1953. While there may be no connection between the tremors and the testing, it must have added to the area's general climate of uneasiness, as Heaton and others had already linked sudden weather changes to the testing. Heaton does not expound in his journal on his thoughts or feelings (or those of his neighbors) about the weapons testing in Nevada. [1499] He only reports seeing or feeling its physical affects. The invisible affects would not manifest for some time, but could possibly be linked to an unusually high number of Fredonia children diagnosed with leukemia between 1963 and 1967. (See Part X.)