Did you know that during World War II, there were three secret cities in the United States that helped develop and produce the atomic weapons? I did not and we found out that one of those cities was here in Tennessee – about 15 miles from us – Oak Ridge. So we had to find out more – :-)).
Much of the history is now at the American Museum of Science and Energy so that is where our travels took us on Tuesday.
A little background on Oak Ridge from the Internet:
“The Oak Ridge Story
Secrets 1942-1949
Oak Ridge, a city framed by the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, was built under a cloak of great secrecy during World War II. When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the city of Oak Ridge did not even exist. Instead, century-old family farms and small Appalachian communities occupied the area. But after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the U.S. was forced to enter the war.
In an effort to bring an end to the war, three cities were chosen to be part of the top-secret “Manhattan Project” which would produce the world’s first atomic weapons. Those cities were Los Alamos, New Mexico; Hanford, Washington; and Oak Ridge, Tennessee, which was built specifically for the war effort.
In 1942, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers bought 59,000 acres of rural farm land. A city and three manufacturing plants of unprecedented scope were constructed to develop a technology that ended the war. The land on which the town and plants were built met military requirements for isolation, electric power from the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Norris Dam, water, labor and accessibility to nearby highways and railroads.
Scientists had learned by 1939 that uranium atoms could be split with the release of large amounts of energy. This process was called fission. Its use for military purposes was seriously discussed since development of an atomic weapon was considered vital to national security. Albert Einstein sent a letter to President Franklin D. Roosevelt expressing the views of several leading scientists and explaining the potential of such a weapon.
Early in 1942, it was determined that two methods could be used to produce necessary fissionable material -- either plutonium 239 or the highly purified isotope uranium 235. Ultimately, three methods were brought to large-scale production. Oak Ridge played a major role in each of these processes. Three facilities, each identified by a code name, were built in the Oak Ridge complex, which at the time was called the Clinton Engineering Works (C.E.W.) after the nearby town of Clinton. This work was performed under the direction of the Manhattan District of the Corps of Engineers which had been formed in June 1942 to oversee the entire atomic weapons program.
The city, which is approximately 10 miles in length and two miles wide, is located in a valley known as Black Oak Ridge. Reaching a peak World War II population of 75,000, it became the fifth largest city in Tennessee in two and a half years.
The Manhattan District was transferred to the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) on June 1, 1947. In 1949, Oak Ridge was opened to the public. Six years later, the AEC sold the government-owned houses and land to city residents.”
This is what greeted us as we came to the entrance. It is a Twin Tower replica which stands about 20 feet. It is made of steel scraps welded together.
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/11488
And then our tour began. There was so much history on the secret city – stories from the residents who were uprooted; the building of the city; information on the science and technology of that time; information on the Manhattan Project; and what has happened to the secret city since the war. There is so much information on the internet, that I will not put it in here but here are some sites:
http://www.mphpa.org/classic/HICC/HICC_OR.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Y-12_National_Security_Complex
http://www.olive-drab.com/od_nuclear_manhattan_oakridge.php
http://smithdray1.net/angeltowns/or/sch.htm
http://smithdray1.net/angeltowns/or/orth.htm
The uranium in the first atomic bomb was processed here in Oak Ridge:
We went to one of the talks on energy and of course had to volunteer… But since my hair is short, it was not as dramatic as one with longer hair – LOL:
There were some great exhibits on energy and fuel – solar, wind, gas, coal, nuclear, etc.
From the coal exhibit:
And guess where the coal came from – a mine about 15 miles from our house:
Another one of the exhibits was on the housing of the secret city. Here is one of the original homes:
What a great day!
We have been enjoying happy hours here and meeting new folks. Across from us is Barb and Dan and their cat and our Dusty “talk” to each other every day – it has become part of the entertainment here. And talk about small world, the other folks across from us we met at North Ranch in February – then they were parked right next to us. :-))).
Our weather yesterday was very scary – lots of tornado and thunderstorm watches and warnings. I got out the cat carrier and put my purse by the door – just in case. The shelter is about 50’ from the motor home – very good – :-))).
Stay tuned.
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