Posted in Nevada History November 13, 2017 by

History Left A Definite Mark At This One Fascinating Spot In Nevada

Formerly known as the Nevada Proving Ground, the Nevada National Security Site — or Nevada Test Site — was established 11 January 1951 in order to test nuclear devices. Located approximately 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas, the Test Site was the location of hundreds of nuclear tests during the 1950s. During this time mushroom clouds were visible for more than 100 miles and the city of Las Vegas experienced considerable seismic effects while neighboring areas received nuclear fallout from the above-ground testing. However, the majority of these tests — 828 of 928 — took place underground. Consequently, this piece of Nevada bears the scars of its violent history.

The Nevada Test Site is located in southeastern Nye County and measures 680 square miles.
Wayne Hsieh/Flickr
The site contains 28 areas, 1,100 buildings, 400 miles of paved roads, 300 miles of unpaved roads, two airstrips, and ten heliports.
Ken Lund/Wikimedia Commons
On November 1, 1951, the first nuclear test on US soil occurred: Operation Buster-Jangle.
Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons
Troops are a mere six miles from the blast.
Located 10,500 feet from the Apple-2 ground zero test, this two-story brick house was one of two identical buildings constructed to test the effects of nuclear detonations.
Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons
This footage is that of a frame house that was destroyed by a nuclear blast on 17 March 1953 at the Nevada Test Site.
Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons
Here are some of the mannequins used to "populate" the Atomic Survival town on the Test Site.
Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons
Due to the myriad nuclear detonations, the crater-scarred landscape of the Nevada Test Site is very apparent.
Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons
These subsidence craters result from the collapse of the cavity's roof in which nuclear detonations occur. This causes the characteristic pitting look of the craters. Further caving in can occur, resulting in larger craters such as Sedan Crater (next photo.) Once the collapse reaches the surface, the chamber is referred to as a chimney through which nuclear fallout can be released into the atmosphere. At the Nevada Test Site, detonations occurred between 100 and 500 feet underground.
Sedan Crater is the result of the Storax Sedan nuclear test on 6 July 1962.
Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons
Part of Operation Plowshare, this test displaced 12 million short tons of earth courtesy of a 104-kiloton thermonuclear explosion. The crater measures 1,280 by 320 feet and was added to the National Register of Historic Places on 21 March 1994. The crater is visible to the naked eye from space and attracts millions of visitors annually.
The area is "decorated" with nuclear test site monitoring wells.
Kelly Michals/Flickr
These are the result of federal efforts to "clean" and monitor the area. Wells are still monitored today.
To learn more about Nevada's impressive yet destructive atomic history, visit the National Atomic Testing Museum located at 755 E. Flamingo Road in Las Vegas.
Elizabeth K. Joseph/Flickr

Of course, there are numerous videos, photographs, and accounts of this interesting yet destructive part of Nevada’s history all over the Internet should you wish to learn more. What are your thoughts about this fascinating history? Have you visited any of these areas? Please comment below.

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