Oak Ridge in Anderson County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)
1942
Photographed By Tom Bosse, December 30, 2017
1. 1942 Marker
Inscription.
1942. . The war years during the first part of the year was dreadful. German submarines were wreaking havoc with our shipping in the Atlantic; the Japanese were winning in the Pacific, and the Germans were driving across North Africa. In late May, a scouting team picked out the East Tennessee site. It had available electric power from TVA, good cooling water, railroad service, had few people, had very favorable terrain, and a source of labor nearby. In September, General Groves drove the 15 miles from Elza to Gallaher Ferry and issued orders to acquire the land for the Manhattan Project. The nearly 1,000 families who lived on these 59,000 acres of beautiful farmland were told they had to sell and move away immediately. Of course, as soon as that word got around, prices of land in the surrounding counties shot up, so the average price they got of about $45/acre caused some real hardships. Meanwhile, construction started on new roads and fences, and groundbreaking for the first Manhattan Project office building took place with no fanfare on November 22, 1942.
Erected in Honor of Those Who Had to Leave their Homes for the War Effort by the Y-12 Federal Credit Union and By the Rotary Club of Oak Ridge, June 2005.
The war years during the first part of the year was dreadful. German submarines were wreaking havoc with our shipping in the Atlantic; the Japanese were winning in the Pacific, and the Germans were driving across North Africa. In late May, a scouting team picked out the East Tennessee site. It had available electric power from TVA, good cooling water, railroad service, had few people, had very favorable terrain, and a source of labor nearby. In September, General Groves drove the 15 miles from Elza to Gallaher Ferry and issued orders to acquire the land for the Manhattan Project. The nearly 1,000 families who lived on these 59,000 acres of beautiful farmland were told they had to sell and move away immediately. Of course, as soon as that word got around, prices of land in the surrounding counties shot up, so the average price they got of about $45/acre caused some real hardships. Meanwhile, construction started on new roads and fences, and groundbreaking for the first Manhattan Project office building took place with no fanfare on November 22, 1942.
Erected in Honor of Those Who Had to Leave their Homes for the War Effort by the Y-12 Federal Credit Union and By the Rotary Club of Oak Ridge, June 2005.
Erected 2005 by The Y-12 Federal Credit Union and The Rotary Club of Oak Ridge.
Location. 36° 0.819′ N, 84° 15.473′ W. Marker is in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, in Anderson County. Marker is at the intersection of Oak Ridge Turnpike (Tennessee Route 95) and South Tulane Avenue, on the right when traveling east on Oak Ridge Turnpike. Marker located in Alvin K. Bissell Park. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Oak Ridge TN 37830, United States of America. Touch for directions.
. (Submitted on January 4, 2018, by Tom Bosse of Jefferson City, Tennessee.)
Photographed By Tom Bosse, December 30, 2017
3. Secret City Commemorative Walk
Photographed By Tom Bosse, December 30, 2017
4. Secret City Commemorative Walk
Credits. This page was last revised on January 5, 2018. It was originally submitted on January 4, 2018, by Tom Bosse of Jefferson City, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 328 times since then and 9 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on January 4, 2018, by Tom Bosse of Jefferson City, Tennessee. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.