Nestled in Garfield County, you will find one of the smallest and least populated towns in the entire state. That’s right, 122 people (2021 census) call Antimony their home.
First named Coyote, Antimony was settled in 1878 as a few families established this once-grazing area as their permanent homesteads.
In 1880, antimony, which is a chemical element with symbol Sb and atomic number 51 on the periodic table, was discovered in nearby Coyote Canyon. As a result, Coyote became a mining town as well as a ranching community. In 1921 the town of Coyote was renamed Antimony after that influential metal was mined in the area.
My own grandfather was born in 1926 in a house that is still standing in Antimony today. He was shipped as a sailor to World War ll and traveled to California, the Philippines, and Papua, New Guinea. As he returned home to his beloved Antimony, his family felt spoiled now being able to get electricity in their home.
Since those days in the 40s, Antimony has added a K-6 elementary school, the Antimony Mercantile and RV, the Rockin R Ranch, a community center, and the post office. Here we meet one of the sweetest post mistresses in the business. Her name is Judy Green.
Originally from Wisconsin, Green moved to California where she met her husband. He loved to hunt in Utah and thought Judy would like the area. As he brought her to Antimony over a Fourth of July weekend, he was correct on his assumption. She didn’t just like it, she loved it. They went back to California and started selling their dump trucks and the business they owned.
The happy couple moved to Antimony 23 years ago and have enjoyed it ever since. Judy’s loving husband has since passed away, but she stays strong as an active part of the community. Working at the post office, she feels like she has been able to get to know pretty much the whole town.
“I get to visit with all these exceptional people here,” said Green. “I think this is the best place ever! I’m not moving. I will die here in this great place.”
For the past 14 years, she has run the post office Monday through Saturday from 8 to 11 a.m. with a cane in her hand and a smile on her face.
She has overseen incoming and outgoing mail, created an annual budget, helped people change their mailing addresses, assisted in filing claims for missing mail, sold office supplies, money orders, and available PO boxes. Green is now set to retire and is at peace with handing over the reins to another.
“I’m sad to leave. I’m just old and crippled,” she said. “I fell off a horse years ago and it’s catching up to me.”
She seems excited for her successor and knows the work of connecting people through the U.S. Postal Service will continue to move along in this small but mighty valley she now calls home.
