1957 Map of Ambrosia Lake

About this map

Industrial activity dominates this high-desert landscape in the late 1950s, centered on the uranium boom in McKinley County. The Phillips Petroleum Ambrosia Mill and the Kermac Nuclear Fuels Processing Plant serve as massive hubs for the numerous extraction operations nearby, including the Homestake-Sapin Mine No 25 and the Ann Lee Mine No 1. This concentration of nuclear-era infrastructure sits against a backdrop of traditional ranching and varied terrain, where the Berryhill Ranch remains a local landmark. The namesake Ambrosia Lake is situated near several worker housing developments, simply labeled as Trailer Park, reflecting the rapid influx of labor to the region. To the east, the San Mateo Mesas rise sharply into the Cibola National Forest, contrasting the heavy industrial engineering of the valley floor with the prominent escarpments of Mesa de las Vacas and Mesa de Ortega.