The town of Arco, ID, comes out to celebrate being the first city lighted entirely by atomic power on July 17, 1955.
After a biscuits and gravy breakfast sponsored by the Lost River Senior Center, the Atomic Days Parade began with ping pong balls (thrown out by the sheriff, not dropped by airplane), continued with Pirate alumni floats and more, and finished with blasts of water jets.
We’ve arrived in Arco, ID, to enjoy Atomic Days — a celebration of being the first city lighted by atomic energy on July 17, 1955.
1/1/1947 – On this day, the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission took over the Manhattan Project’s research and production facilities from the Manhattan Engineer District.
Hanging discretely in the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center of the National Air and Space Museum (Washington, DC) is this little modified Piper PA-18 Super Cub used by the AEC to survey uranium exploration in the West. The Super Cub, with a scintillation counter to detect gamma radiation, could make low, slow flights over the rugged terrain.
(Note the top of the “Enola Gay” B-29 vertical stabilizer just below the airframe.)