Manhattan Project Changes Richland
A Small Eastern Washington Town is Changed Forever
During World War II, a top secret government project to extract plutonium for an atomic bomb changed Richland from a farming community to a technologically advanced city
Though World War II was fought in other countries, the United States was still impacted. There were labor shortages all around the country. There were shortages in commodities such as sugar, gas, and tires, since all available supplies were diverted to the military. War time manufacturing brought prosperity to cities across the country. Some towns were transformed completely by war time projects. Perhaps Richland, a small eastern Washington town, was more affected by war time than any other town in the state. The Manhattan Project brought a top secret government project to this small town and changed it forever.
Prior to 1943, Richland was a small farming town. There were also small settlements in nearby White Bluffs and Hanford, in which ranchers and orchardists plied their trade. In 1943, General Leslie Groves selected the Richland area for a secret government project. The project involved chemical extraction of materials to be used in the making of an atomic bomb. Huge plants would be needed to do the chemical extraction. An abundant water supply was needed, which could be supplied by the nearby Columbia River. Stable bedrock was needed so that natural disasters did not damage the important structures. The area was remote, so that any accidents or leaks that might happen would affect few people. Ultimately, the plant produced the plutonium that fueled the bomb dropped on Japan on August 9, 1945.
The first immediate affect was felt by residents of White Bluffs and Hanford, who were forced to sell their property to the government. This area was needed to build the required factories and to create a buffer zone around the top secret site. Between 500 and 600 families were affected. Many families moved to the growing town of Richland, which was receiving many displaced families as well as housing government officials. New businesses and schools began springing up all over town to support the influx of people. Richland grew from a population of 240 to 11,000 in just one year.
Along with the new government houses being built, there was a huge trailer park. This trailer camp was built solely for the purpose of employees on the Hanford project. The city of Richland had to provide services for all these employees, which reached 51,000 during the peak war years. New stores, drug stores, post office, barber shops, schools, and churches opened. The new school district had 2,135 students in 1944. A new multiple-building hospital was built in downtown Richland. A community center, park, theater, and civic groups were organized to provide entertainment to residents.
Unlike most communities, the building was government financed and controlled. "Alphabet" houses were built with particular floor plans and uses. Appliances and services were provided by the government. Electrical energy came from a government-owned coal fired plant in downtown Richland. School buildings followed the same basic construction and layout. Richland could have been classified as a "company town," with the only difference being that the company was the federal government.
The end of the war did not spell the end for Richland. The Cold War brought additional research projects to the Hanford site, the name then in use for the site built by the Manhattan Project. Research in using nuclear power for energy and other constructive uses has also been a top priority. Today, the site also conducts research for the Department of Homeland Security. And Richland keeps growing, today having a population of 43,000.
SOURCE: "The Courier," East Benton County Historical Society, Kennewick, WA, October 1995; "The Long Road to Self Government: The History of Richland, Washington, 1943-1968," Paul Beardsley
