A Guide to the Manhattan Project in Washington State

The guide includes personal testaments to life in the secret installation at Hanford, Washington. Documentary photographs and excerpts from AHF’s extensive oral history collection bring to life the experiences of Hanford area residents before, during, and after World War II. For the Manhattan Project, the Army Corps of Engineers speedily built hundreds of standardized “alphabet houses” to accommodate the influx of workers from across the country. With rows of identical houses, children often had a hard time finding their home. The DuPont Company signed on to manage the entire operation, from designing the reactor and other plants to building the sprawling industrial complex connected by 158 miles of railroad tracks. The Manhattan Project transformed the Tri-Cities area from small agricultural communities to bustling frontier towns. The Army’s development paved the way for Richland, Pasco, and Kennewick to become the large and economically successful cities they are today, proud of their seminal role in World War II.