The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, triggered by devices made in Dayton, Ohio, ended World War II but Dayton’s scientific work continued after the war. In 1948 the work being done in the rented facilities in Dayton and Oakwood transferred to newly constructed buildings in Miamisburg set on 300 acres. This was the first site designed and operated to manufacture atomic weapons components. The Mound Laboratory in Miamisburg, Ohio, was an Atomic Energy Commission (later Department of Energy) facility for nuclear weapon research during the Cold War. It was named after the nearby Miamisburg Indian Mound.
The building that was used for polonium purification was built underground, with 16-foot thick walls and roof. At the Mound, they made atomic weapons in buildings built to withstand atomic weapons.
Later on, the people at Mound Laboratories used their skills in nuclear science to make products not tied to weapons. When Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon they left behind two instruments to record seismic moonquakes. Each of those instruments had a small radioisotopic heater designed and built at the Mound. The heaters kept the instruments warm enough to operate during the extreme cold of the lunar nights.
After the September 11 terrorist attacks, the decision was made to move atomic research to locations away from population centers. Nearby Wright-Patterson AFB was considered at target for an attack. All Mound operations were moved to a facility in Idaho.
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| Photo and research: Dayton at Work and Play |
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