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 . . . — — Map (db m112276) HM
The year opened with fierce fighting on battlefronts all over the world – Stalingrad, North Africa, the South Pacific. Here, February saw groundbreaking for Oak Ridges Y-12 Plant and the X-10 Graphite Reactor. Starting April 1, armed guards . . . — — Map (db m112277) HM
New arrivals to this fenced in area called the Clinton Engineer Works were amazed at the extensive construction at every turn – more Cemestos “alphabet” homes were going up on Black Oak Ridge, as were more “flattops” in . . . — — Map (db m112278) HM
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 . . . — — Map (db m112548) HM
This was the worlds 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 . . . — — Map (db m112280) HM
Although many residents still felt Oak Ridge was a wartime town, they were now encouraged to view their city as possibly becoming a permanent community. This transition was kicked off January 1 when the Manhattan Engineering District handed off . . . — — Map (db m112281) HM
Union Carbide agreed to manage X-10 as well as the Y-12 plant with their new defense mission, and the K-25 uranium enrichment plant. Carbide named Nelson Rucker as X-10 executive director who with Alvin Weinberg instilling a sense of stability as . . . — — Map (db m112282) HM
On January 20 “The Oak Ridger” published its first edition. It told the citys stories for decades, like a favorite talk about colorful, hard-driving General Leslie Groves, Manhattan Engineering District commandant. When he had needed . . . — — Map (db m112283) HM
Known as the "Gate House", the checking station that you see before you was constructed in the post WWII years. It was operated by the United States Atomic Energy Commission, and controlled access to the Y-12 plant from 1949-1953. As the city of Oak . . . — — Map (db m263873) HM
At the same time the Government was starting large construction programs in 1948 to build permanent housing, work started to replace the hurriedly built wartime schools. The first permanent school finished was Willowbrook Elementary in September . . . — — Map (db m112459) HM
In 1948, the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) assigned the task of transforming the “Secret City” into an incorporated city to Frederick W. “Fred” Ford, the AECs new Community Affairs Director. In addition to managing the . . . — — Map (db m112460) HM
In wartime 1943, realizing that unhappiness with living conditions would imperil the already fragile prognosis for producing uranium-235, the Army overseers of Oak Ridge strove to make life as pleasant as possible for the uprooted professionals sent . . . — — Map (db m112457) HM
What most branded Oak Ridge as a temporary wartime community was its housing, almost half of which was added in a great rush during 1944-1945 as the town grew to five times the originally planned population of 13,000. Many thousands of the later . . . — — Map (db m112458) HM
As part of a contract with the Department of Energy, Oak Ridge Operations, the
BNFL Inc. Project was responsible for the decontamination and decommissioning
of the three gaseous diffusion buildings K-33, K-31 and K-29. Within those . . . — — Map (db m293580) HM
This building housed the main K-25 badge and pass facility for many years during the Cold War and Reindustrialization period. Over many decades, thousands and thousands of shoes, from wingtips to work-boots stopped at this spot to enter the high . . . — — Map (db m159563) HM
The first headquarters for the Manhattan Project were in the offices of the US Army Corps of
Engineers North Atlantic Division on the 18th floor of a skyscraper in lower Manhattan, NY.
Across multiple New York City sites, the Manhattan Engineer . . . — — Map (db m293569) HM
The Administration Building for the Clinton Engineering Works opened March 15, 1943. Dubbed "The Castle", it became headquarters for the Manhattan Engineering District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, from which all Manhattan Project construction was . . . — — Map (db m112099) HM
White children in America's Secret City had to contend with the everyday challenges of
childhood, from scraped knees to learning their ABCs, while living under the secrecy of a
highly classified military project. They would learn about the war in . . . — — Map (db m293573) HM
Built in 1943 near the main business district (Jackson Square), this standard Army chapel was soon known with the Manhattan Project as "The Chapel-on-the-Hill". On 30 September 1943 it was dedicated for Jewish, Catholic, and Protestant worship. The . . . — — Map (db m112102) HM
In the early days of the Manhattan Project, people gathered in theaters, cafeterias, and schools
to attend religious services. Leaders of these groups appealed to administrators to provide
dedicated places of worship. Completed in October 1943, a . . . — — Map (db m293571) HM
Starting with farmland in November 1942, 110,000 construction workers in two-and-a-half years built two huge uranium-235 production plants, Y-12 and K-25, at a cost of $759 million; X-10 and S-50, at a cost of $23 million; and the town for those who . . . — — Map (db m112348) HM
1942 - 1992
Samuel Karl Asher
Michael Roger Baker
James Edward Barlow
Jeff Thomas Barnett, Jr.
Martin Owen Boone
Joseph Keith Bradley
Gerald Wayne Davidson
Luther E. Davis
Ronald Edward Hibbard
David William . . . — — Map (db m112461) WM
The Manhattan Project was a monumental undertaking that required a massive population of
employees/residents. Since its establishment in 1942, the high-security town of Oak Ridge
jumped to a population of 75,000 by 1945. Due to security concerns, . . . — — Map (db m293570) HM
Across the road lies the grave of Elijah Wood, who served in the United States Colored Troops during the Civil War and became a community leader after the guns fell silent.
Born into slavery in 1834 in Robertsville (now Oak Ridge), Tennessee, . . . — — Map (db m293575) HM
From April 1943 to March 1949, Elza Gate was one of seven gates allowing access to Oak
Ridge, and the main gate to the townsite area of the "Secret City." Operating 24-hours a day
by armed guards, all personnel entering these gates were subject to . . . — — Map (db m293568) HM
From April 1, 1943, until March 19, 1949, this was the site of Elza Gate. Elza Gate was the primary entrance to the secret community of Oak Ridge and along with six other entry points, it was manned by armed guards. Elza Gate took its name from a . . . — — Map (db m88625) HM
On a route that was first authorized to be "cut and cleared" in 1787, the Rock Pillar Bridge 60 yards to the north-northeast was built in the early 1900's. This road became known as the Emery Road and was one of the earliest routes used in the . . . — — Map (db m89677) HM
Opened 1851 - Closed 1942
Church building Stood 47 feet in front of this stone
In Memory of our Dead
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be . . . — — Map (db m70485) HM
Following the American Civil War the 13th Amendment was ratified in 1865, abolishing slavery in the United States. During the post-Reconstruction era, leaders of southern states created a separate and second-class status for Black Americans, which . . . — — Map (db m264115) HM
Following the American Civil War the 13th Amendment was ratified in 1865, abolishing slavery in the United States. During the post-Reconstruction era, leaders of southern states created a separate and second-class status for Black Americans, . . . — — Map (db m264293) HM
In 1943 the Recreation and Welfare Association (RWA) was established to provide
actional programs for the residents of Oak Ridge. The Association's range of activities was
extensive such as managing bowling and volleyball leagues, organizing a . . . — — Map (db m293578) HM
Centrally located between Jackson Square and Jefferson Center, Grove Center was one of three large commercial areas built for residents of Clinton Engineer Works in need of a place to run everyday errands and escape from the stressful demands of . . . — — Map (db m215323) HM
The Guest House provided accommodations for visitors to the Clinton Engineering Works (Oak Ridge) during the time of the Manhattan Project, which led to the development of the atomic bomb. The Guest House hosted such dignitaries as physicists J. . . . — — Map (db m114613) HM
Realizing early on the need for a place for Secret City visitors to stay, construction of the Guest
House began in the spring and finished in July of 1943, one of the first buildings finished during
the Manhattan Project. Unlike other structures . . . — — Map (db m293577) HM
One of the oldest continuously operating community theatres in the Southeastern United States. Oak Ridge Playhouse began in 1943 as the Little Theatre of Oak Ridge when the city was being built for the World War II top-secret Manhattan Project. The . . . — — Map (db m176893) HM
In 1953, Dr. Waldo Cohn, a Manhattan Project scientist and chairperson of the elected
town advisory board, attempted to integrate Oak Ridge High School as part of President
Eisenhower's order to integrate schools on military bases. Cohn circulated . . . — — Map (db m293576) HM
At nearly seven feet tall and five feet wide, the 8,300-pound bronze bell symbolizes peace and reconciliation between the United States and Japan. The concept of the bell came about when Oak Ridge residents Dr Ram Uppuluri and his wife, Shigeko . . . — — Map (db m215325) HM
Town Center No. 1, later renamed Jackson Square, in 1945, served as the town's primary
commercial center and social hub for off-duty residents. It provided 24-hour shopping.
banking, entertainment, and a barbershop to a non-stop population. . . . — — Map (db m293579) HM
In 1940 Columbia University scientists led by John Dunning began their research to beat Germany to the atomic bomb. But it took four years before they learned how to make the key to the gaseous diffusion process a very porous, strong barrier . . . — — Map (db m112350) HM
As a part of the Manhattan Project, the K-25 plant was designed to house work on separating U-235 from U-238 through the gaseous diffusion process. At the time of its construction, it was the largest industrial complex in history. Plant construction . . . — — Map (db m159562) HM
In 1943, General Leslie R. Groves, commander of the Manhattan Project, delegated to Colonel Kenneth D. Nichols the responsibility for administering what was to become a $2.2 billion effort. The Colonel had his headquarters here in a rambling, . . . — — Map (db m112345) HM
Housing the 75,000 Manhattan Project workers and residents came with challenges, including a shortage of building materials and construction workers. Solutions were found; the use of alternative building materials such as gypsum board instead of . . . — — Map (db m264295) HM
The Midtown Community Center first opened on February 2, 1945, in support of the World War II Manhattan Project workers and residents. The building's first use was a meeting place and recreation hall for the Middletown area, which included . . . — — Map (db m215324) HM
In 1943, Oak Ridge was created as the residential center for the Clinton Engineering Works. Located on the northeast corner of a 59,000-acre reservation acquired by the government in 1942, the community was designed by Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill, . . . — — Map (db m81358) HM
In 1943, Oak Ridge was created as the residential center for the Clinton Engineering Works. Located on the northeast corner of a 59,000-acre reservation acquired by the government in 1942, the community was designed by Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill, . . . — — Map (db m82315) HM
In November 1942, Army Engineers were ordered to build a town for 13,000 people. A year later their target grew to 42,000, and the actual population reached 75,000 in September 1945 – almost three times the citys 2005 population. Shown on no . . . — — Map (db m112549) HM
In August 1945, citizens of this Secret City learned, most of them for the first time, that their hard work had made possible a weapon that was instrumental in bringing peace to a world anguished by the brutal, six-year war in which 54 million . . . — — Map (db m112346) HM
During World War II, one of the few organized recreational opportunities available to African American men in Oak Ridge was baseball. In early August 1944, an African American baseball league was formed of six teams named after Clinton Engineer . . . — — Map (db m263876) HM
The medical director responsible for the nationwide Manhattan Project, Colonel Stafford L. Warren, M.D., had his headquarters in Oak ridge. A professor of radiology at the University of Rochester School of Medicine, Warren was recruited specifically . . . — — Map (db m112352) HM
The Oak Ridge Institute of Nuclear Studies Medical Division was one of three hospitals the Atomic Energy Commission set up after World War II to explore the use of radiation in cancer treatment. Physicians and scientists-built scanners and . . . — — Map (db m263880) HM
This large spring-fed swimming pool was once a watering hole on Tollunteeskee's Trail, later Emery Road, first road cut and cleared through this area In 1787. In 1944, the Manhattan Project improved and opened the new swimming pool on July 29, . . . — — Map (db m215322) HM
The need for good schools here posed special problems. The large transplanted population wanted schools at least as good as those they left behind, and the school population was destined to skyrocket from 830 in October 1943 to 8,223 in October 1945 . . . — — Map (db m112550) HM
The rapidly increasing population of Oak Ridge during the early 1940s led to a high demand for housing. At one point, homes within the Secret City were being completed every 30 minutes. Oak Ridge needed a school system to meet the educational needs . . . — — Map (db m215320) HM
Known as the Gate House, the checking station that you see before you was constructed in the post WWII years. It was operated by the United States Atomic Energy Commission , and controlled access to the K-25 Gaseous Diffusion Plant from . . . — — Map (db m215327) HM
In 1946, 14 southern universities formed the Oak Ridge Institute of Nuclear Studies (ORINS) – the first peacetime institution of this Secret City – to help faculty and students benefit from the outstanding research staff and facilities . . . — — Map (db m112344) HM
Wheat Community Citizens established the Poplar Creek Seminary in 1877 as a center of higher education for area children. The Seminary's name was changed in 1886 to Roane College, chartered by the state of Tennessee as an accredited college. At its . . . — — Map (db m88463) HM
The Robertsville Community was settled in 1804 by Collins Roberts, who had received a 4,000-acre land grant in this region. Robertsville was one of four communities in the area that predated Oak Ridge. The community was dispersed in 1942 when the . . . — — Map (db m176887) HM
During the war, African American families were separated and segregated in drafty plywood-walled one-room hutments near today's Illinois Avenue. After the war, couples were reunited and allowed to move into housing euphemistically named "Victory . . . — — Map (db m264301) HM
The Scarboro Community was founded by three brothers in the early 1790s. Jonathan, David and James Scarborough traveled from Virginia and settled here. Scarboro was one of four area communities that predated Oak Ridge. The community remained largely . . . — — Map (db m32575) HM
It was also the home of the only elementary, Junior high, and Black High School in Oak Ridge. Under the leadership of Principal Arizona Officer, the Scarboro School with grades one through six continued to operate as a community school until 1967. . . . — — Map (db m263874) HM
Before the Manhattan Project, a spring-fed lake known as the "Duck Pond once provided water for horses and cattle along Emory Road, an early route used in the settlement of Middle Tennessee. During World War II, a town sprung up seemingly . . . — — Map (db m215321) HM
Outdoor recreation was essential for Oak Ridge residents' morale
during the Manhattan Project. Tennis courts, baseball diamond
and a pool were built. Tennis courts, however, were used for
more than just tennis. Being one of the few places in town . . . — — Map (db m293572) HM
About 7,000 Black Americans came to Oak Ridge to work on the Manhattan Project. They
came from across the country, primarily from Tennessee and the Deep South. These workers
faced economic hardships and racism throughout the country. Abroad, they . . . — — Map (db m293581) HM
With the threat of war looming, Anderson County residents voted overwhelmingly against secession in 1861. When Confederate forces occupied East Tennessee and established a conscription center at nearby Clinton, Unionists slipped into Kentucky to . . . — — Map (db m112103) HM
In late summer 1943, Manhattan Project administrators awarded a construction contract to
Ford, Bacon, and Davis, Inc. to build support facilities for the K-25 plant. A new housing camp,
Wheat Colony, was quickly built to provide housing, stores, . . . — — Map (db m293582) HM
John Henry and Elizabeth Inman Welcker owned and operated a plantation named Laurel Banks as early as 1810, and possibly 1805. This plantation was located along the banks of the Clinch River, where the East Tennessee Technology Park (formerly the . . . — — Map (db m159564) HM
The Wheat Community was settled during the middle of the 19th century and took its name from the first postmaster, Frank Wheat. The area had originally been known as Bald Hill. Roane College, a liberal arts college, operated here from 1886-1908. . . . — — Map (db m270970) HM
In December 1942 University of Chicago physicists demonstrated that the newly discovered element plutonium could be made using a “pile” of uranium and graphite blocks. Aware that Germany was seeking to develop a weapon of unprecedented . . . — — Map (db m112351) HM
The top priority of the secret wartime Oak Ridge project was the Y-12 plant. That was the code name given to the process considered the best bet for separating weapon-grade uranium-235 (U-235) from U-238. This isotope separation process was the . . . — — Map (db m112349) HM
The Electromagnetic Separation Plant was a Manhattan Project facility built in 1943 to separate U-235 from U-238. Material for the first atomic bomb was produced here. In place of unavailable copper, nearly 14,000 tons of silver were borrowed from . . . — — Map (db m263872) HM
