The ONLY Photographer Allowed to Photograph the Making of the Atomic Bomb in Oak Ridge, TN

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Some of our favorites. In 1938 German scientists learned the power of splitting an atom and with that they gained a huge head start and what was truly the first nuclear arms race.

But instead of a stockpile. The race was to just get it right and then maybe they could replicate the results in the town that houses the bulk of the work of the Manhattan project, Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

There was a single photographer Ed Wescott. This is the story that led to the end of World War II and the one man that photographed it all is Arthur Richard Cook with the story.

In August 1934, Pres. Hindenburg of Germany died Chancellor Hitler moved quickly to consolidate the office of president and chancellor and molded it into a new position as dictator's new title was Farah national referendum.

Weeks later was approved by 90% of the photo. Meanwhile in Nashville, Tennessee and Wescott father after saving for a year. 12-year-old and his first camera, they found a used mobile launch wagon which they renovated into a dark room, family, friends and neighbors could get film developed for $0.50 a role he was largely self-taught. He started working with portrait studios in Nashville while still a teenager. There were clues in East Tennessee in September 1942.

A press release published in newspapers, said the military was building an ammunition testing range outside of Knoxville, Tennessee. This partially explains the condemnation of 58,000 acres by the government. The reports in newspapers were a total lie. Farmers who own the land were totally in the dark surveying crews ask permission to be on their land in November.

Owners found a single piece of paper attached to the screen front door, announcing that the owners of the land had three weeks to vacate the property, it was being confiscated by the federal government. Many of these families had farmed their land for generations. The farmhouses were bulldozed down in a matter of days after the eviction date, the ammunition testing range. Excuse was done on purpose discouraged squatters and it worked. The families viewed their farms as a personal garden of Eden. The land provided for all their needs, both physically and spiritually. Most families never ever got over the quick harsh action. They were compensated for their land that hundreds of farmers were looking for new farmland at the same time, prices went through the roof.

Many of the farmers ended up working at the industrial plants which were built on their former land. Meanwhile hundred 60 miles to the west, Nashville, a 20-year-old man had a decision to make.

Ed Wescott was a photographer for the Nashville office of the Army Corps of engineers.

The office was being closed and was offered two options. He could transfer to the Alaskan highway to document the construction of it, or he could go to a new installation outside of Knoxville.

Ed had spent all of his entirely too brief life in Tennessee.

He recently got married and had a newborn son, Knoxville. It was, he accepted the job in November and would start in January 1943.

His employee number was 29. Little did he know that in less than three years he would create the most important photographic archive of 20th century American history and said there wasn't much going on when he reported to work putting in roads and rail lines was the first order of business. Ed said if this was a war project.

It wasn't much of a project and dove into his work from January 1943 until the end of the war in August 1945.

He took somewhere between 15,000 to 20,000 photographs in an error where everyone has a camera on their cell phone that doesn't sound like much, 16 to 21 photographs every single day, but it was a different time. The cameras were heavy and often he needed heavy tripods to mount his camera on during the war. Ed had a 4 x 5 speed graphic wish used roll film with six exposures on each role and then he had an 8 x 10 Deardorff, which used a single sheet of film for each photograph, if he was shooting inside, he had to use both the floodlights which took a long time to set up and often times for just a single shot and at the end of the day. He had to go back to his dark room and develop today's film and print cruciate then there might be a dance to shoot. Later that night cameras were banned in the secret city. His was the only camera in a town of 75,000, and for a guy with ambition's side hustle as a photographer was almost a full-time job on its own. There were many weddings each weekend. The fastest growing department at the hospital was the maternity ward if you needed photos of your firstborn, Ed was the man and when we come back will continue this remarkable story of a man the town in a time and Wescott story here on our American stories to about this great country and especially the stories of America's rich past. Know that all of our stories about American history. Reward innovation culture and faith are brought to us by the great folks at Hillsdale College placement. Students study all the things that are beautiful like all the things that are good in life. If you can't get the Hillsdale that will come to you with her free and terrific online courses go to Hillsdale.edu to learn more. Geico asks how would you love a chance to save some money on insurance, of course, the way when it comes to great rates on insurance. GEICO can help like with insurance for your car, truck, motorcycle, boat and RV either help with homeowners or renters coverage by setting easy to use mobile app available 24 hour roadside assistance and more. And GEICO is an easy choice switch today and see all the ways you can save it's easy.

Simply go to Geico.com or contact your local agent today will will all will American stories in the story of the Manhattan project perfecting of atomic weaponry in the building of the 75,000 person town in less than three years.

We continue with Richard Cook the speed and scale of the group was unlike anything the country had ever seen. From the time the farmers were evicted until the day Japan surrendered was a mere thousand and 20 days, this top-secret installation went from cows grazing pastureland to the fifth largest city in the state and one of the largest industrial complexes in the history of mankind splitting an atom was an astonishing new energy source and it was fully realized in Oak Ridge, Tennessee timing, both good and bad can be a terribly random December 1938 to scientists in Germany discovered the uranium atom could be split and release a massive amount, barely 8 months later Germany invaded Poland in World War II started the first perception of atomic power by the world be during a war general Dick grows green in the Manhattan project. He was a no-nonsense inpatient taskmaster's second-in-command was Col. Ken Nichols. They were hired in September 1942. Things happened quickly.

They made the decision to step up the process to condemn 60,000 acres of farmland west of Knoxville, Tennessee.

They also obtained from the war production Board, a AAA priority rating. It was the highest rating possible. There were shortages of thousands of materials during the war the Manhattan project would be first in line for anything and everything.

Another objective was to borrow from the US treasury 13,000 tons of silver for the industrial plants in Oakley that is equal to the weight of 9000 cars and finally they also contracted with the uranium mine owner Belgian Congo for 1250 tons of high quality uranium or tic and can complete these four vitally important objectives during the first four days on the job. In 18 months. They built the fifth largest city in the state during the peak of the home was completed, every 30 minutes. There were over 6000 massive industrial machine separating two isotopes of uranium Oak Ridge devoured 10% more electricity than New York City during the war. New York had over 7 1/2 million residents, Oak Ridge, about 75,000 for safety reasons workers live 2 miles from the industrial sites. These were new experimental processes creating a new type of uranium there were worries an accident would be catastrophic. So, to ferry workers to and from the plans they built the ninth largest bus system in the country. A bus arrived or departed from the main terminal every 60 seconds, 24 hours a day seven days a week. Even with the industrial plants. The speed of construction was head spinning the problems were huge for every 2000 pounds of raw uranium.

There was only 14 pounds of the precious uranium 235. The plants were named S 50 K 25 and Y 12.

The names were total gibberish. They were created to make sure.

Absolutely nothing was conveyed to the workers or the outside world about the purpose of these plants normally after the theory is proved out in the laboratory. A prototype is built to see if the ideas scalable.

There was no time for that K 25 used a filter method.

There was a 2% difference in the size of uranium 238 and the smaller uranium 235.

A filter would have holes small enough that the larger 238 did not pass through it easily, but the smaller 235 could a filter. The size of your thumbnail would have over 15 million holes when they started building K 25. The scientists had not developed a filter which worked. The scientist just kept grinding out possible solutions until they develop one which worked much of what happened in Oak Ridge was based mostly on blind faith. Why such a rush.

Only people in the highest echelons of the military government in science is a horrible secret with you All of them awake at night. Hitler had his own atomic weapons program. We knew almost nothing about it. But what was known was nightmarish, Hitler had a two-year head start this was the original arms race.

If Hitler got the weapon first London would be gone. Moscow most likely to give Hitler to get an airfield in Greenland the entire East Coast of the United States would be under threat. The resulting combination would make the Holocaust look like a tiny blip on a moral radar screen.

There were 75,000 workers in Oak Ridge, only 2 to 300 workers knew the purpose of the giant industrial side, but all the workers were highly motivated to end the war. They had family and friends dying in distant lands. The loss of American life. During World War II would equal 911 attack every five days for 3 1/2 years from the bottom up.

Workers were pleading with their bosses.

What can we do in the killing and from the top down. The leaders did their own pleading faster just work faster. Forces from the very top of the Manhattan project and the fears of workers on the bottom rung of the labor pool all came together in Oak Ridge Tennessee. Unlike anywhere else in the nation.

The officials kept the purpose of this play secret almost against all odds, but there were two aspects of the top-secret project which could not be hidden from the workers.

One was the scale of what was going on.

Nobody knew what it was that it was the biggest effort they had ever seen in their young lives, and it would be the biggest effort of their entire lives. The other aspect which could not be hidden was the speed of the effort everyone could see it was moving at a blistering pace.

It seemed that housing in industrial plants were built almost overnight. These two elements speed and scale made the atmosphere electric throw into the equation. Youth and hormones, and it was the most amazing place in the country. The worker said it was the most exciting time of their lives in the scariest two the tear and carnage of war was the backdrop for everything and even listening to Richard Cook telling the story of Oak Ridge, Tennessee in the Manhattan project, which by the way they should be a story that every schoolchild knows right from them help how we don't know the story will shame on all of us in the end in a very short time.

Going from eviction of farmers to the fifth largest city in the state.

Most of the people there not knowing precisely what was going on.

Folks there.

The folks fighting generals. The president had no idea what was going to happen and that's why the rush and the speed when we come back we continue with Richard Cook. The story of the Manhattan project here on our American story will earn her for her back with our American stories in the story of the Manhattan project America's World War II project.

It was hell-bent on beating Germany to the atomic bomb. The immense size and scale of this enterprise and all the people involved, how the heck did they keep it a secret back to Richard Cook. You can't hide a town 75,000 people well what was going on out there folks in Knoxville and wonder, and other military plans. The narrative was straightforward thousands of railcars of raw materials would be shipped in, and thousands of jeeps or tanks would come out or the locals could see thousands of newly finished planes taking off no mystery at all. Oak Ridge was different thousands of railcars delivered raw materials and nothing absolutely nothing was coming out well. Something was coming out itwasasinglepieceofgreat-lookingmetalthesizeofavolleyball.Itwasmadeupof90%uranium235notthousandsofvolleyballsbutasingleoneover75,000workerswereworkingdesperatelyaround-the-clockmakingofvolleyballandiftheycouldmakeone.Theymightbeabletomakethesecondin20$20theywouldspend$14billiononasinglehundredand40poundvolleyball.Ofcourse,ifthiswasaHollywoodmovietheentirevolleyballwouldbedeliveredtoLasPalmas,NewMexicoenoughsecurityconvoy.There'dbe40trucksandsecurityguardswithmachineguns,Americanflagswaving.Itdidn'thappenthatwaythoughhasenoughuraniumwasseparated,themilitaryofficerdressedinabusinesssuitwouldbegivenasealedbriefcaseinsidethelinescasewastoteacupsizecontainerswithsquarelidsnestledinaspecialcarrier.TheofficerwouldgotoKnoxvillegetonapublictrainandtraveltoChicagoatthetraindepot.HewouldmeetanotherofficerdressedasabusinessmanwouldtakethebriefcaseandgetonatrainboundforAlbuquerque,NewMexico,andthenhewoulddrivethelossontheofficergoingtoChicagoforMcRaeneverknewwherethebriefcasewasgoingintheotherofficerneverknewthepriestcasecame.SometimesworkerswenttoKnoxvilletoshoporeat,andtheyweretraininghowtoanswerquestionsfromnosynatives.Sowhatareyoumakingoutthere.Anyway,about$0.85anhour.Whatdoyoudooutthereanyway.I'minprojectmanagement.Howmanypeopleworkoutthereknowabouthalfoftheobsessionwithsecrecyandsecuritywaswell-founded.OfficialsweredeeplyconcernedthattheGermanswouldlearntheextenttheAmericaneffortandwoulddoubledownontheirownprogram.FormoreliketheGermanswouldinfiltrateOakRidgeandsteelindustrialsecretsaboutAmericanmethodssotheycouldaidtheirownandallworkerswerehiredinthegradeterminateourorientation.Sixhoursofitwas.Keepyourmouthshut.Don'ttalkaboutyourworktoanyone,includingyourspouse,youcouldbefiredandpossiblygotoprisonforespionage.Therewerebillboardseverywhereintownwhichsaidshutup,doyoueverysixmonths.Therewasarefreshercourseincaseyoucouldn'tgetthemessage.Theotherfourtimes.Outgoingmailwasopenedredandportionswereblackedout.IfnecessaryoneofthetragicunintendedconsequencesofthesedictateswasthatnobodyDiariesortermsworkerswerepetrifiedthatmilitarypolicewouldfindthemiftheysearchtheirhomesoralhistoriesdonedecadesafterthewar,willbetheonlyrecordofthememoriesoftheseignoredheroes.TherewassomethingveryconflictedaboutworkingandlivinginOakRidgeduringthewar.Atworktherewasalittletonojobsecurity.Therewereprohibitions,proceduresandprotocolsandsecuritystandardsaskingtoomanyquestionswasasurewaytobefired.OfallthepeoplewholefttheManhattanproject.40%ofthemwerefivebutofficialsweregreatlyconcernedworkerswouldupandquitindrovestheywereallstrangers.Manyofthemwereawayfromhomeandfamilyforthefirsttime.Thesecrecygradedsomealltherulesthatwereputstrainsonothers.SometimescoworkersimplydisappearmythologywasthattheywerereassignedtoaradartrackingstationinAlaska.Hedidn'tdareaskaboutworkersitwouldbringyouunwantedattentionbecauseofallthestrainsoutsideofwork.Officialsweredeterminedtokeeptheworkerssototheextentpossible,theworkerswerepamperedmovietheaterswerepackeddancehallswerefullbecausemostoftheworkerswereworkingrotatingshiftseachweek.Athleticleakscompetedaroundtheclock.TherewasaSymphonyOrchestramadeupofvolunteers.Theplayhousewasopen,whichisstillinoperationtoday.Hewantedaspecialinterestclubforahobby,youwouldtellauthoritiesandtheywoulddothepublicityatonetimetherewereeightdifferentmarketclubshadWescottcreatedavividrecordofthesocialhistoryofthetown.Hetookthousandsofpicturesoftheindustrialplants.Honestly,thesearephotosonlyascientistcouldloveamachineisamachinebutphotosoffolkslivingtheirliveswhereEd'stalentsreallycametothefore.ThosephotostellahumanstoryandadolescentmasteratthatpartandyoubeenlisteningtoRichardCooktellingthisremarkablestoryofatownthatwasbuiltfromscratchtocompetewiththeGermans.Bethefirstcountrytocreateanuclearbombinmygoodnesswhatacomplicatedplacetoliveandwhatacomplicatedplacetowork.40%ofthepeoplewholefttheManhattanprojectwerefired.Secrecyofcourseputtingstrainsoneverybodyandeverything.Youcertainlydidn'taskquestionsaboutworkerswhodisappearedtherewerenodiaries.Peoplewerejusttooafraidtokeepwrittenrecordsintheoralhistorieswehavearefineandfairbutnothingfromtheimmediatetime.ButMr.Wescott'spictureswhenwecomebackmoreofthisremarkablestoryofatownoftime,place,andaphotographerbeeronourAmericanstoriesandwerebackwithourAmericanstorieswiththerestofthestoryoftheManhattanprojecttheendofWorldWarII,andEdWescotttheonlymanwithacamerainOakRidgeTennessee.Let'sgobacktoRichardCooktherestofthisremarkablestory.Therewasasenseofexpectation.Inthesummerof1945.Amongsomeoftheaccruedworkers.Someworkersgotaheadsupfromtheirbosses.Somethingwasafoot.Certainly,headwestsomethingwastowardtheendofJuly1945andhewasinstructedtoprinthundredsofcopiesof18ofhisphotographsforpresspacketstobesentouttohundredsofnewspapersacrossthecountryandevensomeformernewspapers.HeprintedthousandsofithadinthelastfewmonthspiecedtogetherwhatwashappeningintheGreek.Hewenteverywhereandsawalmosteverythinghewasn'ttotallysurethathewasmostlysureinlateAugust1945hewassentrollsoffilmformilitaryphotographersinHiroshimaandNagasaki.ThiswasafterJapanhadsurrendered.Hewastheonlyoneallowedtodevelopthefilmandprintthephotographs.Ittookthemthreedays.Armedguardswerepostedoutsidehisdarkeneddoor.Theentiretime.Pres.TrumangaveamiddayaddresstothenationonAugust6,1945.HerevealedthattheUnitedStateshaddevelopedadevastatingnewweaponcalledanatomicbomb.TheyhaddroppedanatomicweapononHiroshima,Japan.Itwasequalto15,000tonsofdynamite.Almostasanaside,TrumansaidtheweaponhadbeendevelopedinPascoeWashingtonandLosAlamos,NewMexicoandinOakRidgetooutsideofKnoxville.ThatishowalmostalltheworkerslearnedaboutwhattheyhadbeenworkingyouBarnettjoinedtheManhattanprojectwhileitsofficeswereactuallyinManhattan,NewYorkCity.HelearnedthepurposeoftheManhattanprojecthisfirstdayatwork.HemovedtoOakRidgein1943inthesummerof1945.Itwasobvioustohearthattheprojectwasclosinginontheamountofuranium238Ineededforweapon.HecarpooledouttoK.25eachdaywithfourotherworkers.Theyallknewthepurposeoftheirworkingout.August14wasHughBarnett's29thbirthdayHiroshimawasbombedonAugust6andNagasakionAugust9theentirecountrywasonpinsandneedlesexpectingthesurrenderoftheJapaneseherowasnotcelebratinghisbirthdaythatday.Buthewasalsoonpinsandneedlestohiswifehadgoneintolaborwiththeirfirstchild.Theywereatthehospital.ItwasthreeblocksfromthemaintownsitecalledJacksonSquare.Therewasnoair-conditioningsothewindowswereopentofighttheintensesummerheat.Hisfirstsonwasbornat7PMthecommotioninthehospitalroomsubsidedbutyouandShirleycouldheardistantsharingoutsidetheroom.YouwonderedhowwordhadspreadsoquicklyaboutthebirthoflatePres.Trumaninanationwideradioaddressat7PMannouncedJapanhadsurrenderedthatWorldWarIIafter65milliondeathswasfinallyover.TherewasgreatjoyinthehospitalroomthatnightandintheentirenationtoseeJacksonSquareblocksawaythatWescottwastakingphotosofOakRidgearecelebratingtheendingofthewarthereisafamousphotographofahugecrowdcelebratinglookingdirectlyatEdwasstandinginthebedofthetruck.ManyheldattheKnoxvillenewspaperwithahalfpageheadlinewhichshoutedoutwarandwiththatphoto.Wescottmust'vewonderedwhatthefutureheldforhim.Hisjobassignmentwasessentiallydonewiththatphotograph.Edhadbroughttoaclose.Themostimportantworkofhisprofessionallifeonthatnighthefinishedthemostimportantphotographicarchiveof20thcenturyAmericanhistoryonthatnightEdWestwas23yearsold.Asitturnedout,EdstayedinOakRidgeasagovernmentphotographerforanother20years.In2017hewasnominatedforthepresidentialmedaloffreedomournation'shighestcivilianhonorand2016,thehonorairprograminKnoxville,whichis25milesdecidedtoexpandtheirdefinitionofaveterantoincludeManhattanprojectworkerswhoworkedenough.Theprogramfliesover130veteranseachtriptoWashingtonDCtotourthewarmemorials.ThistripisdoneatnochargetotheveteranstheyleaveinthemorningandarebackinKnoxvillethesameevening.It'salongdayforallveteransandthevolunteerswhomakeitallpossible.InOctober201640creditorstookthetrip.AmongthemwasatAlaska.Iwasnotthereforthesendoff,butIwastherethateveningfortheirwelcomehome,alongwiththousandsofWarrenBuffettalongwithBillGateswereinterviewedbyCharlieRosein2017.Itwasasetupquestion,butfascinatingnonetheless.CharlieaskedWarrenwhathethoughtwasthesecondmostimportantdocumentinAmericanhistory.WarrensaidofcoursetheConstitutionandtheDeclarationofIndependenceweremostimportant,butBuffettsaidthesecondmostimportantdocumentwaswrittenbytwoimmigrantstoPres.Rooseveltin1939.Theyweren'treallyimmigrantsbutratherrefugeesfromNaziGermany,onenotquiteaswellnowasLeoSavard,abrilliantphysicistfromHungary.TheotherletterwriterwasarefugeefromGermanyandhappenedtobethemostfamousscientistintheworld.AlbertEinsteininBuffett'sestimation.Thesetworefugeessavetheworld.ThetwotoldRooseveltthatHitlerwasworkingondevelopingatomicweaponsinGermanyhadahugeheadstartifGermanyonethisarmsrace,Nazi-ismandJapanesemilitarismwouldrulemostoftheglobe.ThelettergottotheWhiteHouseinAugust1939andeightweekslater.TheearliestversionoftheManhattanprojectwascreatedinaveryspecialthankstoRichardCookthatremarkablestorytellingandgreatjobonthisbyRobbiearecrackerjack.ProducerhereatourAmericanstoriesandRichardistheauthorandcompilerofignoredheroesofWorldWarII,theManhattanprojectwork.AsofOakRidge,TennesseeandoralhistoryandbythewayEdWestgotonMarch29,2019past.Hewasstilltakingphotographs.Aweekbeforehisdeath.YoucanfindhisphotosbypunchinginandWescott,inthewordsOakRidgeintoyoursearchengine.TherearethousandsofpicturesouttheretakenbythisonemanstoryofatownOakRidge10.IsheaphotographeratWesthereonourAmericanstory