Imagine a cold crisp evening, the smell of gasoline, and the sound of engines echoing in the mountains. Are you with me? It was a time, when nearly every rural community of East Tennessee and Virginia housed it's very own little racetrack. Even the areas of Knoxville, Greeneville, Johnson City, Rogersville, Morristown, Maryville, Newport had one track and some even had two. The Broadway Speedway is located in Maynardville, TN. This is a small suburb of what has become Knoxville. From first hand stories of those who drove this track in their youth, it was the heart of the community and it was a pretty difficult course, of both dirt and pavement. While the racing seen survived and thrived for many years, most of its elders and contemporaries faded away and are now either gone or abandoned. Amanda and I spent a long day hunting for an adventure, following our guts. In doing so, we stumbled upon the track. It has been reopened, however, the original stands still exist. I must admit it is a creepy feeling seeing the empty bleachers and the dilapidated storage buildings, it certainly has seen better days, but there is a certain quaint beauty to it. This was a time before everyone was comfortable with just watching a race on TV, instead of getting behind the wheel themselves. Have you ever seen the movie Heavenly Kid? Imagine 50's greasers who love to wrench on cars, drive with girls and of course mess with each other. SPOILER ALERT! The main character plays chicken with the big bully at school, he can't get out of the car fast enough and crashes over the edge of the ravine falling to a gruesome and firing death? While doing some research into the drag-strip and speedway scene, I discovered that most of the locations have been turned into either shopping malls, airports or even neighborhoods, losing all trace of the past. Rumor has it some famous NASCAR names actually raced at the Knoxville Track, including someone name Earnhardt. It's sad thinking about how little is known or recorded about these places. I urge you to talk to your parents, talk to your grandparents and find out where they raced! I bet you if they didn't race themselves, they watched one! If you have any information about an abandoned Drag Strip or Speedway in your town, please reach out to us at [email protected].
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Manhattan Project
Einstein influenced the beginning of the Manhattan Project. In collaboration with Leo Szilard, Einstein wrote a letter to President Roosevelt in 1939, warning of possible German nuclear weapons research and proposing that the United States begin its own research into atomic energy. Worried that Nazi and Fascist countries would invent the Nuclear weapons first. The Manhattan Project was a research and development program during WWII that produced the world's first nuclear weapons It was led by the United States with the support of the United Kingdom and Canada. From 1942 to 1946, the project was under the guidance of Maj. General Leslie Groves of the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers. Nuclear physicist Robert Oppenheimer was the director of the Los Alamos Laboratory that designed the actual bombs. The Army component of the project was designated the Manhattan District and Manhattan gradually followed the official code-name. Along the way, the project absorbed its earlier British ally, Tube Alloys. The Manhattan Project began in 1939, but grew to employ more than 130,000 people and cost nearly US$2 billion (about $24 billion dollars in today's estimation). Over 90% of the cost was for building factories and to produce fissile material, with less than 10% for development and production of the weapons. Research and production has taken place at more than 30 sites across the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. The decision to build a nuclear development site in East Tennessee was made personally by General Leslie Groves on September 19, 1942. Groves had only been appointed the commander of the Manhattan Project two days prior. A number of locations for the nuclear site were considered over the summer, including Shasta Dam in California, two spots outside of Chicago, and several areas in Washington state, as well as a few other locations in East Tennessee. However, all of these potential sites were deemed either too small or too vulnerable to enemy attack. Some of the reasons Oak Ridge, Tennessee was chosen was due to it's remote location, land, water, and electricity. Under orders from General Groves, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers purchased 59,000 acres of land along the Clinch River. Originally known as Site X or Clinton Engineer Works, the nuclear site was eventually renamed Oak Ridge. With its promise of jobs, the new city drew in tens of thousands of families, becoming the fifth-largest city in Tennessee. Throughout the war, Oak Ridge was protected by guarded gates, and workers at the plants were sworn to secrecy. Few people in town were aware that the military was pursuing an atomic bomb onsite; they only knew information relevant to their specific job duties. It was not until the attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 that the true purpose of the Secret City became clear to the masses. The four production facilities were located in valleys away from the town. This provided security and containment in case of accidental explosions. The Y-12 area, home of the electromagnetic plant, was closest to Oak Ridge, being one ridge away to the south. Farther to the south and west lay both the X-10 area, which contained the experimental plutonium pile and separation facilities, and K-25, site of the gaseous diffusion plant and later the S-50 thermal diffusion plant. K from Kellex the corporation that designed the plant and 25 a WWII code designation for Uranium-235 (derived from element 92 atomic mass 235). K25 became designation for entire complex even after other "K" buildings were added. Constructed by J.A. James Construction Co. Over 25,000 workers worked the site at height of construction. Gaseous diffusion was but one of three technologies used by Manhattan Project. Enriched product from this facility was used in "little boy" the bomb used in atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Japan. A mile-long, U-shaped building, the K-25 plant was the world’s largest roofed building at the time. British scientists working on the “tube alloy,” code for the atomic bomb project, first advocated the gaseous diffusion method in March 1941. Because of the Nazi bombing of England, any production plants had to be located elsewhere. Columbia University’s John R. Dunning and Eugene Booth began working in 1941 on the gaseous diffusion process. The goal was to separate the isotopes of Uranium-235 from Uranium-238 by turning uranium metal into uranium hexaflouride gas and pumping it through a barrier material that had millions of microscopic holes. Developing an effective barrier material was the greatest challenge. SAM Labs, Kellex Corporation, and Union Carbide all pursued major programs addressing this extremely difficult problem, and all contributed to its final solution. Major General Groves ordered construction to begin and the plant was one-third complete before a solution was actually found. Columbia University’s John R. Dunning and Eugene Booth began working in 1941 on the gaseous diffusion process. The goal was to separate the isotopes of U-235 from U-238 by turning uranium metal into uranium hexaflouride gas and pumping it through a barrier material that had millions of microscopic holes. Developing an effective barrier material was the greatest challenge. Columbia University’s SAM Labs, Kellex Corporation, and Union Carbide all pursued major programs addressing this very difficult problem, and all contributed to its final solution. General Groves ordered construction to begin and the plant was one-third complete before a solution was found. After the war effort K-25 plant was more reliable and efficient than anyone predicted. After the war, the K-25 was expanded with the construction of K-27, K-29, K-31 and K-33 plants built as additional stages of the process. The plants produced the majority of the U-235 for the Cold War arsenal. The K-25 plant was the first large-scale fully automated factory in history. Because of the complexity and size of the plant, 9,000 employees working in three shifts were needed to monitor its operations at one time. Until 1985, K-25 produced fuel for civilian nuclear power reactors around the world. In addition, K-25 developed a commercially competitive gas centrifuge technology. K-25’s innovative technologies served the nation in World War II and the Cold War with great distinction. So we took the 40 minute drive from the house, found the exit and just after a few miles it was into a what seemed to be a nature preserve with side roads littered on each side but gated and warning of U.S. Property and no access, or it was TVA roads with clear signage saying no hunting. To think people would want to hunt near here? Not me. After a few short miles this large business park seems to emerge on your right and you realize this is it. Looks like an old business complex I have seen once in Florida, until you pull in and realize what the signs are saying. So we might of misread, or what you would call misinterpreted the signs. Not too long after we got on foot we noticed in the distance a Police vehicle watching us from the wood line. We snapped a few pics and within seconds I saw another vehicle coming our way. By the time we got into our vehicle, we were being asked for our security clearances. I had to kind of laugh and say “No we don't, we thought it was public access since most of it is demolished these days. We were told we were being exposed to the site and that we had to leave, he followed us out of the facility. Followed us onto the highway and made sure we exited. We then traveled through the main parts of The Secret City, saw the memorial to the Research and Development that happened there in the 1940's. This is a city with such a feeling of being watched and listened to. Almost every corner was graffiti or stenciled art of surveillance camera's. The police presence is like no other I have seen while living in the state of Tennessee. I find this state to lack a police presence compared to living in Florida where there is a police office on almost every corner or behind you in traffic. Random check points and radar traps. So in my research I found what seems to be a historic church off Bethel Valley Rd. New Bethel Baptist Church is what I was seeing in my research with a cemetery connected. I followed GPS to this location and ended up at a Military/Private security force checkpoint. Guys armed with machine guns and side arms had camo flack jackets with extra banana clips hanging off . Immediately told us to reverse and leave, I asked about this church and was given the run around and I guess we irritated this gentleman and quite possibly he thought we were a diversion or rouse from the questions etc. At one point Panda noticed a restroom to our right hand side and asked if we could use it. The gentleman at one point says “ I wouln't” and I asked “why”, he replied “ because if you stay here any longer something else is going to happen”. I popped it in reverse and got the hell out of there, 100k minimal fine and 1year in prison for trying anything or going behind any fence, gate, or inside the walls of any building or under any roof. Today was a 2 for 1 adventure. We stumbled upon the Holston Chilhowee swimming pool on a day that we had planned to search for the abanoned Mountain Dew factory. Unfortunately we didnt find the factory, but we found this amazing pool instead. We had searched for this location for a while but by now, had forgotten about it. The first stop was the Holston Chilhowee Swimming Pool. It was established in 1954 after George W Bounds donated the land that the pool sits on. It's a membership pool and always has been. It is believed the pool could accommodate 450 families or 1800 people. The pool was 50feet wide by 50meters long. The pool area offered a volleyball arena, racquet ball courts, playgrounds, a ping pong room. We also located a building with at least a ten person changing room area. Amanda and I are into all things historic and abandoned of course, we have been meaning to stop off at this site for about a year now. Sunday Dec/2/2018 seemed like the perfect day to do so, the weather in Tennessee has been miserable nothing but rain for weeks. Low to mid 30s and suddenly today it is 70degrees and sunshine! We packed the pups up for a exploration walk kind of day, we took the old sidewalk trail in and got a nice walk in with the dogs. Before you knew it you find yourself at a building with most of it's roof missing and barb wire fence surrounding it but the gate was open lol. Now I am sure that some sketchy people sleep here at night or hang out here. Seems to be the same artist at almost every site we explore with a divine passion in painting male anatomy all over the ground or walls. We toured the facilities like we were old patrons and stopped at the diving board for a photo op with my oldest Shiba Inu Mimi. We then found a playground in the tall weeds which I should of taken better pictures of. We slowly found our way around to the pumphouse and then down to the river to see where it all leads. I guess with kids and lets be honest, most of the population staring off into their phones instead of getting outdoors and living life, no one needs to be a member of a local swimming pool anymore. No one is interested in swimming lessons as young children? Is this not a necessity is life? To know how to swim? Why would such a place sit abandoned at an already established city park with batting cages, baseball fields, football field, concessions, restrooms, playground and walking path etc. I can see this place open seasonally and slides as additions to the main pool. Children still need to learn to swim those programs need to be offered, not everyone has a swimming pool of their own. What a day next we head just across the river to our next stop. Part2 River Breeze Drive-in The second location on the list for today was an abandoned Drive-In that we had been wanting to stop by for a while. We had passed it many times, but since it is not in a very great spot to pull off, we never did. It was directly across the river from the Chilhowee Pool, and you can almost imagine how a hot summer day would take you from the pool, to the movies at night. The River Breeze Drive-In opened in July 1950 and was operated by the Simpson chain. Three hundred cars could park and watch a movie on spring, summer and fall nights. Unfortunately, it would close by 1990 just like the other five drive-Ins in our area, Knoxville Drive-In, and Twin Aire Drive-In, Chapman Highway Drive-In, Cinema Drive-In. This place was used as a flea market at some point, as we noted an obvious booth and the sign also mentions it. I cannot be sure if someone lives or lived in the home adjacent to the ticket booth, so we made our stop here brief. After walking around, I couldn't help but think to myself, what generation does this culture of going out to the drive-in die off? I talked to my nine year old cousin over the holidays and she has no clue what a Drive-In is! Even I have never been to one. I have seen them, but sadly have not attended. Amanda has been multiple times in her childhood growing up in Boston. Who of my readers still remembers the car hop girls and the radios on the doors? How about when it changed to tuning your radio station to the appropriate channel and hearing the movie over your own speakers. Things these kids of the now will most likely never get to know. Not much to see here except a big open field with concrete rows. The screen was torn down some time ago and had it's back to the over pass behind it. You could see the traffic pass behind it as you watched a movie. This was one of the first drive-in's in Knox County to install radio sound. Please let's all do our part to impart the ideals of the past in the kids of the future. It is up to us to make sure that they have the same experiences, if not more than we did! Let's keep their heads, and ours for that matter out of our phones, and get out exploring! If you are local and looking for ideas, why not try taking the family to one of the Movies in the cave at the Caverns here in Knoxville? Check out the link below. https://cherokeecaverns.com/special-events |
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January 2019
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