Editing Manhattan Project (section)

=== Hanford ===
{{Main|Hanford Engineer Works}}
By December 1942 there were concerns that even Oak Ridge was too close to a major population center (Knoxville) in the unlikely event of a major nuclear accident. Groves recruited [[DuPont]] in November 1942 to be the prime contractor for the construction of the plutonium production complex. The President of the company, [[Walter S. Carpenter Jr.]], wanted no profit of any kind; for legal reasons a nominal fee of one dollar was agreed upon.<ref>{{harvnb|Groves|1962|pp=58–59}}.</ref>

[[File:Hanford workers.jpg|thumb|Hanford workers collect their paychecks at the Western Union office.|alt=A large crowd of sullen looking workmen at a counter where two women are writing. Some of the workmen are wearing identify photographs of themselves on their hats.]]
DuPont recommended that the site be located far from the existing uranium production facility at Oak Ridge.<ref>{{harvnb|Groves|1962|pp=68–69}}.</ref> In December 1942, Groves dispatched Colonel [[Franklin Matthias]] and DuPont engineers to scout potential sites. Matthias reported that [[Hanford Site]] near [[Richland, Washington]], was "ideal in virtually all respects". It was isolated and near the [[Columbia River]], which could supply sufficient water to cool the reactors. Groves visited the site in January and established the Hanford Engineer Works (HEW), codenamed "Site W".<ref name="Jones 1987 108–111" />

Under Secretary Patterson gave his approval on 9 February, allocating $5&nbsp;million for the acquisition of {{convert|430000|acre|ha}}. The federal government relocated some 1,500 residents of nearby settlements, as well as the [[Wanapum]] and other tribes using the area. A dispute arose with farmers over compensation for crops, which had already been planted. Where schedules allowed, the Army allowed the crops to be harvested, but this was not always possible.<ref name="Jones 1987 108–111">{{harvnb|Jones|1985|pp=108–111}}.</ref> The land acquisition process dragged on and was not completed before the end of the Manhattan Project in December 1946.<ref>{{harvnb|Jones|1985|p=342}}.</ref>

The dispute did not delay work. Although progress on the reactor design at Metallurgical Laboratory and DuPont was not sufficiently advanced to accurately predict the scope of the project, a start was made in April 1943 on facilities for an estimated 25,000 workers, half of whom were expected to live on-site. By July 1944, some 1,200 buildings had been erected and nearly 51,000 people were living in the construction camp. As area engineer, Matthias exercised overall control of the site.<ref>{{harvnb|Jones|1985|pp=452–457}}.</ref> At its peak, the construction camp was the third most populous town in Washington state.<ref>{{harvnb|Thayer|1996|p=16}}.</ref> Hanford operated a fleet of over 900 buses, more than the city of Chicago.<ref>{{harvnb|Jones|1985|p=401}}.</ref> Like Los Alamos and Oak Ridge, Richland was a gated community with restricted access, but it looked more like a typical wartime American boomtown: the military profile was lower, and physical security elements like high fences and guard dogs were less evident.<ref>{{harvnb|Jones|1985|pp=463–464}}.</ref>