WW II's Secret City

Yesterday we drove about 20 miles to a city that during WW II "didn't exist", at least couldn't be found on any map and if you were to ask about it, no one knew anything of it. That city is Oak Ridge, TN. It had a population of around 80,000 but was the "Secret City" of World War II's Manhattan Project.

What was the Manhattan Project? It was the race against the Axis Powers to build the first atomic bomb! As we all know, we were successful in this race. "Little Boy" and "Fat Boy" were the two atomic bomb's that were dropped in Japan and brought WW II to an end.

In Oak Ridge we visited the American Museum of Science and Energy. A very interesting place to discover the history behind "the bomb" and the "secret city". They have a movie that tells how Oak Ridge was picked and why. How the farmers were given notice that the government was purchasing their land and they had only weeks to move. How this city grew, practically overnight, from farmland to a bustling city. Funny thing though, they were so busy building buildings, that no roads or sidewalks were put in so they had to put up with an extreme amount of mud! Of course, you couldn't just drive, or walk into the city, there were three checkpoints or entrances to the city where you had better have a darn good reason to want in or the answer was NO. These checkpoints were very military in look, so those on the outside would think it was just another military training base.

This sign is one of many different ones that reminded the people who lived in Oak Ridge how secret their jobs were. Others included the famous "loose lips, sink ships".



Security was so tight that only the President and a few of his top advisors knew of Oak Ridge's true purpose. Harry Truman, then Vice President, didn't find out the truth of Oak Ridge until he was sworn in as President!

The museum also houses displays on The World of the Atom, Earth's Energy Resources, plus a lot of hands-on exhibits. While very interesting for adults, it is also educational and entertaining for children. Another in the don't miss it if your in the area attractions.