OAK RIDGE, TENNESSEE

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IMAGES From Nostalgiaville
TENNESSEE- OAK RIDGE, TN- 5/21/98

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Your help is needed to make this site better for all the people inside and outside of ANDERSON County, Tennessee. We are particularly interested in documenting the history of ANDERSON County. If you have useable information we are anxious to publish it on this site or will provide a link if you have it already posted on the net. Many thanks.

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OAK RIDGE, TENNESSEE

HISTORY of OAK RIDGE

THE ROBERTSVILLE COMMUNITY
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 land was acquired by the federal government. The area now comprises most of the central portion of Oak Ridge.

CASTLE ON THE HILL
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 directed, 1943-1945. The Atomic Energy Commission assumed control of the property on January 1, 1947. "The Castle" was demolished and replaced by the Federal Building in 1970.

OAK RIDGE
In 1945, 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, architects. In 1945, Oak Ridge reached a peak population of 73,000. On January 1, 1947, the Atomic Energy Commission assumed control of the community. In 1959, Oak Ridge became an incorporated municipality.

OAK RIDGE BEFORE 1942:

City is nestled in the Cumberland Mountains of East Tennessee. Oak Ridge did not exist until 1942

Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Germany declared war on the United States

Germany was known to be experimenting with the splitting of uranium atoms

President Roosevelt initiated the top secret Manhattan Project to build a bomb before the Germans could

General Leslie Groves was chosen to head the Project

1942:

In September 1942, Groves picked a 60,000 acre tract in East Tennessee for three production facilities

The site was known locally as Black Oak Ridge

As many as 80,000 construction workers were used on the project

Three mystery plants known only as K-25, Y-12, and X-10 were built

Housing for thousands of workers for the plants were also built

At the height of construction contractors were completing houses at the rate of one every 30 minutes

1943:

In mid-1943, Oak Ridge's first permanent residents arrived

Originally planned for a population of 13,000, the city grew to 75,000 in less than three years

Security was tight and no one over 12 entered or left without an identification badge

People were prohibited from discussing their work

J-25 and Y-12 plants were massive facilities responsible for enriching uranium

X-10 housed a nuclear reactor that was a prototype for the Hanford, Washington Facility

The reactor produced plutonium in Hanford

Bombs were made from uranium and plutonium

1945:

Germany surrendered in May 1945

Japan's continued war effort resulted in the first atomic bomb being dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945

A second bomb destroyed the seaport of Nagasaki on August 9th

Five days later the Japanese surrendered, ending World War II

With the end of the war, the people of Oak Ridge successfully adapted their wartime skills to peacetime applications.

The city of Oak Ridge was incorporated in 1959

DOWNTOWN OAK RIDGE

OAK RIDGE TOUR MAP

Located one block off Oak Ridge Turnpike on S Tulane
Presents the Oak Ridge Story
City built in 1942 as part to the World War II Manhattan Project
Age of the Automobile exhibit chronicles the history of the car

American Museum of Science and Energy (Tour Map #2)

Located on Edgemoor Road
One of the world's largest and most efficient coal-fired generating plants

Located one block N of Oak Ridge Turnpike to N Illinois Ave then one mile E on Outer Drive
A display of Appalachian cultural heritage, the arts, and natural science and history
Exhibits also include traveling collections from the Smithsonian and other sources

Bull Run Steam Plant (Tour Map #9)

Children's Museum (Tour Map #8)

Houses the Graphite Reactor
Reactor is the first nuclear reactor to operate continuously
Is a National Historic Landmark

Honors Manhattan Project workers

The Graphite Reactor (Tour Map #6)

International Friendship Bell and Pavilion

Located on Bethel Road Is the nations largest and most diverse energy research and development institution	Located one block N of Oak Ridge Turnpike turn right on Tyler Road and one block to Tennessee Ave Area was the original downtown Oak Ridge It was constructed during the Manhattan Project Retail stores are featured in park A centerpiece is a fountain and kiosks with photos of early Oak Ridge
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (Tour Map #5)	Jackson Square Historic Park	Oak Ridge Museum of Fine Arts (Tour Map #3)

		Located on Highway 58 The worlds largest original nuclear facility An overlook of the plant features exhibits and an audiovisual display
Oak Ridge Civic Center	Oak Ridge Barrens	Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant (Tour Map #7)

Located 5 miles E of Oak Ridge Turnpike on Illinois Ave
Is a forestry experiment station designed for research and education
Has many scenic trails winding through forest
Features over 2500 species of trees, shrubs, and flowering plants

University of Tennessee Arboretum

Opened: July 30, 1943 Closed: Still Operating
OAK RIDGE POST OFFICE	OAK RIDGE PUBLIC LIBRARY

CLUBS & ORGANIZATIONS of OAK RIDGE

KIWANIS

ROTARY

CIVITAN

SERTOMA

ALTRUSA

PILOT

MASONS

LIONS

	Building Erected 1958
BPOE Lodge 1684	Masonic Faith Lodge 752	Moose Lodge


Oak Ridge Senior Center	Army Reserve Center	Tennessee National Guard

CHURCHES in OAK RIDGE

THE CHAPEL-ON-THE-HILL
Built in 1943 near the main business district (Jackson Square), this standard Army chapel was soon known within the Manhattan Project as "The Chapel-on-the-Hill." On 30 September, 1943, it was dedicated for Jewish, Catholic, and Protestant worship. The United Church, a non-denominational congregation founded 16 July, 1943, purchased the chapel in 1955 and continues to worship here. More than 4,000 weddings were celebrated in this ecumenical chapel during the first fifty years.


Calvary Baptist Church	Calvary Lighthouse Church	Central Baptist Church

Christian Outreach Assembly of God	Christian Science Society Church	Covenant Presbyterian Church

Faith Baptist Church	Faith Lutheran Church	First Assembly of God
Abandoned		Organized 1954 Building Erected 1956
First Baptist Church	First Christian Church	First Cumberland Presbyterian Church

First Free Will Baptist Church	First United Methodist Church	Glenwood Baptist Church
Established 2004 100C Adams Lane
Grace Covenant Church	Grace Lutheran Church	Highland View Church of Christ
		Building Erected 1950
Kern Memorial United Methodist Church	Kingdom Hall Jehovah Church	New York Avenue Church of Christ

Oak Ridge Alliance Church	Oak Ridge Church of Christ	Oak Ridge Church of God

Power House Ministries Church	Robertsville Baptist Church	Seventh Day Adventist Church


Saint Mary's Church & School	United Methodist Church	St Stephens Episcopal Church	Trinity United Methodist Church

Woodland Park Baptist Church

SCHOOLS in OAK RIDGE

Roane State Community College

Jefferson Middle School

Robertsville Middle School

HOSPITALS in OAK RIDGE

Methodist Medical Center

PARKS in OAK RIDGE

14 Lighted Tennis Courts	Football Field Soccer Field
Alvin K Bissel Park	Blankenship Field	Big Turtle Park
Picnic Area- Playground- Ball Field- Walk/Jog Track	Playground- Picnic Area	Ball Fields
Cedar Hill Park	Highland View Park	King Community Field
Soccer Field- Playground		8 Lighted Tennis Courts- Horseshoe Pits
Milt Dickens Park	Municipal Swimming Pool	Park