Oak Ridge Wayside: Planting Gardens to Win the War

The Oak Ridge Victory Gardens wayside.

NPS/KLEIN

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Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Parking - Auto

Main Text 

With the pressing demands of feeding the nation’s fighting forces and the nationwide rationing of canned foods there was a desire and need for people to grow locally. Victory Gardens could be found all over the country during WWII, from the backyards in Oak Ridge to the rooftops in New York City. Near the end of the war there were approximately 20 million Victory Gardens producing 40 percent of vegetables consumed in the United States. Gardeners would can any extra food to last them through the winter months. 

Photo text: An Oak Ridge resident diligently tending to his garden, while a spectator looks on. 1940s Courtesy -- Ed Westcott  

 
Exhibit Panel Description 
A black and white exhibit panel on a black frame approximately four feet tall. The panel has a black band at the top and a title underneath that reads “Planting Gardens to Win the War”. The center of the panel is covered by a black and white photo of a child on a tricycle and a man tilling a small garden in front of a house with rolling hills in the far distance. The text on the panel is located in the upper left just below the title. 
 
Visit This Exhibit Panel 

The Victory Garden wayside is located on the grounds of the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge. The address is 461 W. Outer Dr. Oak Ridge, TN 37830