Stories of Secret Cities & Communities

Several women pose by cash registers in a grocery store in Oak Ridge.

US DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY/ED WESCOTT

 

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Three secret communities supported the top-secret Manhattan Project: Los Alamos, New Mexico; Oak Ridge, Tennessee; and Richland, Washington. These communities were a mix of military personnel and civilian employees from all different backgrounds. They formed the backbone of the Manhattan Project workforce with jobs ranging from cooking meals to working in grocery stores to designing atomic weapons. Each community became a beehive of activity that boasted of theaters, stores, schools, hospitals, and parks. By 1945 Richland’s population climbed from 250 to 15,000; Oak Ridge’s soared to about 75,000; and Los Alamos grew to 6,000 people. With limited connections to the outside world, residents of the secret cities built new communities and bonded over their collective sacrifices and shared patriotism. Read the articles below to learn about the joys and challenges of daily life in a secret city.