It’s a nondescript yellow brick building just down the hill from the Jack Case Center at the Y 12 National Security Complex. The building could be easily ignored as an inconsequential structure, but looks can be deceiving. Recently, the look improved a bit. Building 9731, known as the Pilot Plant, is Y-12’s oldest structure.
This “Historically Speaking” column is intended to introduce readers to one of Oak Ridge’s prized museums that is not usually included when I mention heritage tourism assets in the “Secret City” of Oak Ridge.
Click here for links to a few local podcasts and video series that we haven’t promoted yet. Included are DOE EM 101 Site Videos; ORNL Podcasts: The Sound of Science; AMSE Cast; UCOR’s Conversations with Ken.
Acclaimed Oak Ridge historian Ray Smith, who knows just about everything there is to know about the Manhattan Project that created Oak Ridge and everything that has happened since, sat down with host Michael Holtz to talk about ORAU’s place in Oak Ridge’s history.
The Atomic Trades and Labor Council (ATLC) has always represented members who are most highly skilled in their craft. It is not uncommon to talk to people who are third-generation union members following the footsteps of their parents and grandparents. Atomic Trades and Labor Council’s legacy continues to be passed on to the next generation and then the next.
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee honored the history-making steps of the Oak Ridge 85 and the Clinton 12 during a ceremony in the Scarboro Community Center recently. He gave out proclamations declaring Aug. 31 as Clinton 12 and Oak Ridge 85 Day. The students of the Clinton 12 also received honorary high school diplomas from Anderson County Schools.
The public will soon be able to get a sneak peek inside Y‑12 National Security Complex’s Building 9731 – a historic Manhattan Project-era building – without ever stepping foot on‑site. A virtual tour of select areas of the building is being developed in cooperation with the NNSA Production Office, DOE, Oak Ridge Consolidated Service Center, and the National Park Service.
