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USA South
OAK RIDGE, TENNESSEE, USA – Today, you could drive right through the town of Oak Ridge, Tennessee and, if somebody didn’t tell you, be totally unaware of the secrets it holds. It looks normal enough. Children play at the local swimming pool, people go to work, tend their yards, go to the movies, and raise their families here like they do in towns all over the country. Looking at Oak Ridge today, you would have no idea that back in 1942 the town went from a population of 0 to 75,000 in a mere six months. Despite the fact that all those people – men, women, and children lived, worked, and went about their daily lives in Oak Ridge -- the fifth largest city in the state of Tennessee, the city could not be found on any map.
If it sounds like real X-Files type stuff, it is. In an effort to bring an end to World War II, 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 this reason.
Family farms, some over a century old, populated this scenic area of Appalachia until the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers bought 59,000 acres back in 1942 in order to construct an entire city and three manufacturing plants of unprecedented scope. The land met specific military requirements for isolation, topography, access to abundant electric power (from the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Norris Dam), water, and labor, as well as proximity to nearby highways and railroads.
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 original community was to accommodate about 12,000 people. Homes were sited with living areas oriented toward green belts, views, and individual gardens. Five home designs designated “A” through “F” according to size (thus how the houses became known as Alphabet houses), included central heat, porches, and fireplaces. Homes were assigned according to family size or, in some instances, job importance. Construction workers lived in wooden hutment, dorm and barrack spaces, or basic no-frills trailers. Three thousand cemesto houses, which took two hours each to build, were completed at the rate of one every thirty minutes! To save time and labor in providing housing for the thousands of newcomers, prefabricated houses, complete with cabinets, plumbing, curtains, and even some furniture, were brought in by trucks, half-a-house at a time.
Even though the homes in Oak Ridge were built for a temporary reason, most of them still stand today and are in use by today’s citizens.
Oak Ridge Comes Out of the Shadows
The city of Oak Ridge was not officially on any map until 1949 when the gates were opened and citizens were allowed to come and go as they pleased. It was only then that Oak Ridge received its name (during the war years, it was referred to as Clinton Engineering Works or C.E.W. because of its location near the town of Clinton).
The Oak Ridge of today still retains much of its Secret City stature, as major government and defense projects and scientific research continue and provide a major source of the region’s economy. Attractions based on the city’s history abound, from the kid friendly displays at the Children’s Museum to the amazing American Museum of Science and Energy with exhibits and hands-on attractions to appeal to the entire family.
Even a walk around town brings reminders of the past at every turn. The public park near the city’s civic center features a walk commemorating the Oak Ridge citizens who worked on the Manhattan Project as well as the International Friendship Bell – a powerful symbol of healing and the first monument between a U.S. Manhattan Project city and Japan. The Bell features the dates of the attack on Pearl Harbor as well as the dates of the bombs used on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
When visiting the Oak Ridge area, tourists do need to be prepared to ingest significant helpings of pro-nuke propaganda along with the facts of history. After all, this industry has supported the residents of this region for generations. Regardless of which side of this controversial political issue you fall on, a visit to Oak Ridge will provide a valuable learning experience that can really cement your feelings and back you up with the data to successfully argue your side.
Aside from military history, the Oak Ridge area also offers the incredible living history Museum of Appalachia and lots of outdoor recreation opportunities (Oak Ridge boasts 1,282 acres of parkland), including boating and fishing, hiking and biking, golf and world class bird watching.
Check out the articles in the Related Travel section below and get you better acquainted with all the fascinating things to do and see in and around Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
Oak Ridge is located about 25 miles northwest of Knoxville in Anderson County, Tennessee. For more information about visiting Oak Ridge, visit the Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors Bureau website at www.OakRidgeVisitor.com.
For more information on visiting Anderson County, Tennessee, visit their tourism council's website at www.YallCome.org.
USA South
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If it sounds like real X-Files type stuff, it is. In an effort to bring an end to World War II, 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 this reason.
Family farms, some over a century old, populated this scenic area of Appalachia until the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers bought 59,000 acres back in 1942 in order to construct an entire city and three manufacturing plants of unprecedented scope. The land met specific military requirements for isolation, topography, access to abundant electric power (from the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Norris Dam), water, and labor, as well as proximity to nearby highways and railroads.
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 original community was to accommodate about 12,000 people. Homes were sited with living areas oriented toward green belts, views, and individual gardens. Five home designs designated “A” through “F” according to size (thus how the houses became known as Alphabet houses), included central heat, porches, and fireplaces. Homes were assigned according to family size or, in some instances, job importance. Construction workers lived in wooden hutment, dorm and barrack spaces, or basic no-frills trailers. Three thousand cemesto houses, which took two hours each to build, were completed at the rate of one every thirty minutes! To save time and labor in providing housing for the thousands of newcomers, prefabricated houses, complete with cabinets, plumbing, curtains, and even some furniture, were brought in by trucks, half-a-house at a time.
Even though the homes in Oak Ridge were built for a temporary reason, most of them still stand today and are in use by today’s citizens.
Oak Ridge Comes Out of the Shadows
The city of Oak Ridge was not officially on any map until 1949 when the gates were opened and citizens were allowed to come and go as they pleased. It was only then that Oak Ridge received its name (during the war years, it was referred to as Clinton Engineering Works or C.E.W. because of its location near the town of Clinton).
The Oak Ridge of today still retains much of its Secret City stature, as major government and defense projects and scientific research continue and provide a major source of the region’s economy. Attractions based on the city’s history abound, from the kid friendly displays at the Children’s Museum to the amazing American Museum of Science and Energy with exhibits and hands-on attractions to appeal to the entire family.
Even a walk around town brings reminders of the past at every turn. The public park near the city’s civic center features a walk commemorating the Oak Ridge citizens who worked on the Manhattan Project as well as the International Friendship Bell – a powerful symbol of healing and the first monument between a U.S. Manhattan Project city and Japan. The Bell features the dates of the attack on Pearl Harbor as well as the dates of the bombs used on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
When visiting the Oak Ridge area, tourists do need to be prepared to ingest significant helpings of pro-nuke propaganda along with the facts of history. After all, this industry has supported the residents of this region for generations. Regardless of which side of this controversial political issue you fall on, a visit to Oak Ridge will provide a valuable learning experience that can really cement your feelings and back you up with the data to successfully argue your side.
Aside from military history, the Oak Ridge area also offers the incredible living history Museum of Appalachia and lots of outdoor recreation opportunities (Oak Ridge boasts 1,282 acres of parkland), including boating and fishing, hiking and biking, golf and world class bird watching.
Check out the articles in the Related Travel section below and get you better acquainted with all the fascinating things to do and see in and around Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
Practicalities
Oak Ridge is located about 25 miles northwest of Knoxville in Anderson County, Tennessee. For more information about visiting Oak Ridge, visit the Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors Bureau website at www.OakRidgeVisitor.com.
For more information on visiting Anderson County, Tennessee, visit their tourism council's website at www.YallCome.org.
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