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

1945

Photographed by Tom Bosse, December 30, 2017

1. 1945 Marker

Inscription. The new city was crowded – all 90 dorms of singles, housing for families at a premium. In May the population peaked at 75,000. Y-12 had 22,400 workers; K-25, 11,000; X-10, 1,500. People at the plants were urged to work harder than ever at their jobs, most had no inkling their work this spring was coming to a climax. Germany surrendered in May, and the focus was shifted to the Pacific where fighting for the islands was fierce. Out new President Truman met with Churchill and Stalin at Potsdam, Germany and issued a final ultimatum to the Japanese Government to stop the war or face “prompt and utter destruction”. The first atomic bomb, August 6th, did not bring peace, but the second did. Oak Ridgers were thrilled to learn that their work, done in such urgency and secrecy, had helped to finally bring peace to an aching world. Even Knoxville – skeptical of those strangers in their valley – was finally proud of them. Journalists at the next turn of the century would rank this as the top news story of the 20th century.

Erected by the Oak Ridge Breakfast Rotary Club, Chartered 1980 and By TnBank, Oak

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Ridge, Chartered 1995, June 2005.

Erected 2005 by Oak Ridge Breakfast Rotary Club and By TnBank, 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 Former U.S. Presidents: #33 Harry S. Truman, the Rotary International, and the Tennessee - Oak Hill - Secret City Commemorative Walk series lists. A significant historical year for this entry is 1945.

Location. 36° 0.819′ 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 in Southern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

Photographed by Tom Bosse, December 30, 2017

2. 1945 Marker

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: Construction Workers (here, next to this marker); 1943 (here, next to this marker); Oak Ridge – Secret City (here, next to this marker); X-10 – The Clinton Laboratories (here, next to this marker); 1942 (here, next to this marker); Oak Ridge and the Manhattan Project (here, next to this marker); ORINS / ORAU (here, next to this marker); 1949 (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 November 5, 2018. It was originally submitted on January 4, 2018, by Tom Bosse of Jefferson City, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 508 times since then and 24 times this year. Last updated on January 12, 2018, by Byron Hooks of Sandy Springs, Georgia. 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.