oppenheimer, the manhattan project, and dayton, ohio - part 3

In November 1943 Monsanto leased these buildings at 1601 W. First Street in the Wolf Creek neighborhood. At first the buildings were used as laboratories to investigate methods for producing and purifying polonium.  

Once the process was designed, Monsanto leased the building on Runnymeade Road in Oakwood to use for producing polonium. These buildings became the place where they learned how to manufacture triggers for the atomic bombs using the polonium made in Oakwood. 

The trigger of the first atomic bombs was developed only a half mile from Orville Wright's home. In 1903 The Wright Brothers took the first flight in their airplane and the airplane was the technology needed to deliver the bomb.  

When Monsanto took over these buildings they were in sad shape. They needed a lot of work before they could be used for laboratories. But these buildings and the Runnymeade Playhouse had an important advantage. They were far away from most of the area's industrial activity. Who would guess that one of the most important activities in the country was happening in the quiet residential neighborhoods of Oakwood and Wolf Creek?

Photo and research: Dayton at Work and Play