Oak Ridge- The Secret City

The Secret City? I bet many of you are curious about it and of course the story behind it. I had the same curiosity too when my hubby told me for the first time that we are moving to a town called 'the secret city'. Oak Ridge is just a small city but known famous because of the Oak Ridge National Lab (ORNL) .
Why Oak Ridge is called The Secret City? Beside The Secret City, Oak Ridge's other nicknames are The Atomic City, The Ridge and The City Behind The Fence. We even have a restaurant named The Atomic here in Oak Ridge, it sounds hilarious. :-) I tell you, it’s really fascinating and all of it was part of the world history.

Yes, it's kind of amazing how this little town played a major role in ending the war between the United States and Japan. The birth of Oak Ridge was tied of the birth of the atomic bomb. The town was literally built for the The Manhattan Project. The city born of war in 1942, existed for seven years as a truly ‘Secret City’. 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.

Manhattan Project Signature Facilities- The K-25 plant courtesy; Atomic Archive

It is really interesting how the peoples who involved in the project keep everything a secret. Fascinating stories how the citizens of Oak Ridge describe life in the Secret City during World War II. It's worth reading, folks. :-)