COMMUNITY NEWS
Join the Los Alamos Historical Society and Los Alamos Creative District for History on Tap online at 5:30 p.m., Monday, Sept. 14.
Have you ever wondered how the Manhattan Project began constructing the buildings necessary to transform Los Alamos from a boarding school campus and a patchwork of farms into a secret wartime research facility? Gerry Strickfaden will lead a conversation into these often-overlooked early construction efforts.
History on Tap is free, and you can get the link to attend via Zoom here: www.losalamoshistory.org/events.
Once the campus of the Los Alamos Ranch School was selected as the center for an army camp with an embedded physics lab, responsibility for construction was assigned to the Albuquerque District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. This discussion will examine the possibility that the Manhattan Engineer District (MED) was unprepared to operate Site Y in April, 1943, when people began arriving after the initial phase of construction. The MED relied on the Albuquerque District, which also did not have the capability. M.M. Sundt Co., the construction contractor, had its contract extended, eventually, to the end of 1943, perhaps to support post operations. The Albuquerque District was then able to disentangle itself.
Gerry Strickfaden, a native of New Mexico, is retired from LASL/LANL and has developed an
interest in Manhattan District history. History on Tap is part of the On Tap series presented by the Los Alamos Creative District. Each evening begins with a short, informal presentation followed by a lively group discussion. Learn more at https://www.creativelosalamos.com.
The Los Alamos Historical Society preserves, promotes, and communicates the remarkable history and inspiring stories of Los Alamos and its people for our community, for the global audience, and for future generations. More information about the Historical Society can be found at www.losalamoshistory.org. Stay up to date with the latest news from the Historical Society by
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