Historical Marker

Project GNOME

The first nuclear detonation in the Plowshare Program, whose aim was to develop peaceful uses for nuclear explosions, was conducted 4.9 miles south of here on December 10, 1961. The 3.1 Kiloton explosion created a man-made cave 170-ft in diameter almost 1,200-ft below ground. The Plowshare Program was cancelled in 1977, amid negative public perception of peaceful nuclear explosions.