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| Fig. 1: Early construction of the K-25 complex at Oak Ridge, showing the size and speed of the war efforts. (Courtesy of the DOE. Source: Wikimedia Commons) |
During World War II, as millions of soldiers fought on the frontlines of the battlefield, many more worked to support the war effort from home. World War II was a war of courage and determination but it was also a race of technological innovations and advancements. In 1942, the Manhattan Project came under way, as scientists and researchers worked to create nuclear technology that could combat the Axis forces. [1] Aware that the Germans were also pursuing nuclear weapons, the US worked to invest extensive amounts of manpower and money to win the race. This led to the creation of three secret cities- Los Alamos in New Mexico, Hanford/Richland in Washington state, and Oak Ridge in Tennessee. [2]
As research went underway, the US government was looking to find secure locations for the development and testing of nuclear technology. Starting with site selection, the architects were looking for remote areas that would offer secure natural protection and, in the event of a disaster, minimal exposure to the nearby population. [2] Oak Ridge's series of ridges and valleys allowed for the separation of the facilities, further helping with containment. The architects also selected Oak Ridge because of the proximity to the Tennessee Valley Authority dams, which generate huge amounts of inexpensive electricity. Because the enrichment of uranium is such an energy-intensive process, this helped reduce the cost. The K-25 complex, the gaseous diffusion plant that made all the enriched uranium in the early days of the nuclear era, was built quickly. (See Fig 1.) The K-25 complex was initially called to produce 1 kilogram a day of product that was 90% U-235. Yet as researchers started to encounter technical difficulties, the target was reduced to 36%. [3]
Oak Ridge was built from scratch in half a year, initially conceived as a town for 13,000 people that eventually grew to 75,000. [2] Even though the city was a military research center and base, the architects felt it necessary to create a homely feeling in the community. Engineers created three separate neighborhoods, with elementary schools, stores, barber shops, and churches. To save money and time, single-family homes were manufactured- complete with walls, furniture and plumbing systems- and were transported to Oak Ridge on trucks. [2] At the height of production, one new home was created every half an hour.
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| Fig. 2: Postwar Oak Ridge's shopping center looks like any other in the nation, yet remnants of the nuclear past still remain in other areas of the town. (Courtesy of the DOE. Source: Wikimedia Commons) |
Because of the importance of the research conducted at Oak Ridge, there was a culture of secrecy. Billboards erected in Oak Ridge during the war read: "What you see here, what you do here, what you hear here, what you leave here - let it stay here." [2] Individuals over the age of 12 had to wear an ID badge, and words such as "atomic" or "uranium" were taboo. [2] Yet despite the urgency of the work, people still led ordinary lives in an environment that was conducive to family life.
After the war ended, Oak Ridge was settled by many academics and well-educated people. (See Fig. 2.) In the postwar period, Oak Ridge was one of the leaders in the desegregation movement, desegregating some of the first public schools in the south. [2] The city remained part of military industrial complexes, continuing to work on nuclear weapons throughout the cold war. Today, Oak Ridge remembers its history through its memorial parks and museums, educating its residents and the public about the its past as a vital member in the development of nuclear technology.
© Haiwen Gui. The author warrants that the work is the author's own and that Stanford University provided no input other than typesetting and referencing guidelines. The author grants permission to copy, distribute and display this work in unaltered form, with attribution to the author, for noncommercial purposes only. All other rights, including commercial rights, are reserved to the author.
[1] F. G. Gosling, "The Manhattan Project: Making the Atomic Bomb," U.S. Department of Energy, DOE/MA-0001, January 1999.
[2] D. Smith, "Off the Map: the Secret Cities behind the Atom Bomb," The Guardian, 3 May 18.
[3] "Manhattan District History, Book II Gaseous Diffusion (K-25) Project, Volume 3 Design," U.S. Department of Energy, April 1947.
