b'1949 The cityand in fact this entire areais on thethreshold of its greatest era of development.Idaho Falls Post-Register editorial, May 22, 1949AEC chooses Idaho for reactor testingOn Feb. 18, 1949, the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission announced it would be building its National Reactor Testing Station on the Naval Proving Ground in eastern Idaho. The Idaho site was chosen over a more remote site in Montana based on socio-economic factors, namely nearby towns that could absorb new population. In April, AEC named Leonard Bill Johnston as its field office manager. In May, the announcement came that the commissions headquarters would be located in Idaho Falls. 5'