Oak Ridge in Anderson County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)

1946

Photographed by Tom Bosse, December 30, 2017

1. 1946 Marker

Inscription. This was the world’s first fully peacetime year since 1938. Cities everywhere began struggling to change things back to normal; Oak Ridge was different – we had never been normal. Things here were also in a state of flux because the success of the K-25 diffusion process meant the closing down of Y-12’s process with huge layoffs. Construction was also largely finished, so the town population dropped from 75,000 to nearly 36,000. One sign of approaching normalcy was folks complaining about high prices; both a hamburger and a baby sitter for an hour cost 25 cents. The year’s big debate over military vs. civilian control of the nuclear program was settled in favor of the civilian Atomic Energy Commission. The Army here thought one good step to normalcy could be an elected Town Council, and 53 candidates promptly offered their names for the 12 seats. At that new Council’s first session 300 citizens complained about phone service, cafeteria food, laundry service, home maintenance, and other topics. New civic clubs, like other towns had, were organized, and eight churches began talking about constructing their own buildings.

Erected

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in Honor of the Union Carbide Corporation Companies That Operated Government Facilities in Oak Ridge from 1945 to 1984 by Union Carbide Retirees and By the Rotary Club of Oak Ridge, June 2005.

Erected 2005 by Union Carbide Retirees and by the Rotary Club of Oak Ridge.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Science & Medicine • War, World II. In addition, it is included in the Rotary International, and the Tennessee - Oak Hill - Secret City Commemorative Walk series lists. A significant historical year for this entry is 1946.

Location. 36° 0.82′ N, 84° 15.474′ W. Marker is in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, in Anderson County. It 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 is located at 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.

Regionally, this marker is in East Tennessee

and in Greater Knoxville.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

in Appalachia,

and specifically

Photographed by Tom Bosse, December 30, 2017

2. 1946 Marker

in Southern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the original Cherokee Nation,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Manhattan Engineer District – USAEC (here, next to this marker); Oak Ridge Schools (here, next to this marker); Oak Ridge and the Manhattan Project (here, next to this marker); 1948 (here, next to this marker); Construction Workers (here, next to this marker); Y-12 – The Calutron Plant (here, next to this marker); 1942 (here, next to this marker); 1945 (here, next to this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Oak Ridge.

Also see . . . Secret City Commemorative Walk. (Submitted on January 4, 2018, by Tom Bosse of Jefferson City, Tennessee.)

Secret City Commemorative Walk image. Click for full size.

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 416 times since then and 20 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.