Moab Utah |
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Moab is a city in eastern Utah, in the western United States. During the 1800s the area served as the Colorado River crossing along the Old Spanish Trail. Mormon settlers attempted to establish a trading fort at the river crossing in 1855 but failed after repeated Indian attacks. A new round of settlers established a permanent settlement in 1878.
The economy was originally based on agriculture, but gradually shifted to mining. Uranium and vanadium were discovered in the area in the 1910s and 1920s and in the 1950s Moab became the uranium capital of the world after a rich deposit of uranium ore was found.
In 1949 the famed Western movie director John Ford filmed the movie Wagon Master in Moab. There have been numerous movies filmed in the area ever since, using the beauty of Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park as backdrops. Since the 1970s tourism has played an increasing role in the local economy as the area has become a favorite venue for photographers, rafters, hikers, and most recently mountain bikers. Moab is also an increasingly popular destination for four-wheelers.
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