The Manhattan Project Heritage Preservation Association, Inc.

"Preserving, Exhibiting, Interpreting and Teaching the History of the Manhattan Project"

Back to Directory

Fran to Her Father.  June 17, 1946

Fran to her Father in Conn.

 From Lenoir City, Tenn.

                                                                                        Monday, June 17, 1946

 Dear Father on the day after Father’s Day or any old day for that matter,

   How are you getting along in these confusing days or perhaps you do not read the Knoxville papers?  More darn people murder each other in this Southland and get ten years for it.  You have your Mr. Oakley Christoph.  We have Bert Vincent. (Somewhat related to murder.)

 I bought a couple of these maps cause it gives such a good idea of where we are & how much room we take up.  You remember Kay Dryer, the small blond girl we went over to Canton to see one time—she lives over in Brevard, N. Carolina, over to the right and down from the Smoky Mts.  I’m hoping to visit her one of these weekends.  I didn’t realize how very far Louisville was from Oak Ridge last weekend till we were well into the trip, although I knew the mileage.  It was further than from our house to Maine & back & we packed it into a weekend.  It was fine going up as we started Friday night & got half way there, but coming back was far too far.  We didn’t get to touch Man of War but saw his front yard.

 We’ll probably be moving to the Area this month.  We are 4^th on the list for a K-1 apartment!  K-1’s are unfurnished one-bedroom apartments- ugly things- in the very best location – ugly on the outside, that is, & darling on the inside.  It is going to hurt to leave our house which is better than most of the abodes on the Area.  On account of we are dependent-less and on account of the Army passed a rule couples without dependents are not eligible for 2 bedroom houses & apartments & because all the houses are 2 bedroom, we can’t get a house which is what we’d like.  Bill brooded for some time about the fact that we were promised a house when he hired on & then couldn’t get one so that we almost departed & went back to school, which I think is a bad idea right now.  But now we’ve decided to stay here till we acquire the precise amount of cash to purchase a new Buick.

 This booklet tells some interesting details correctly which is more than I can say for the papers.  As for the size of Our plant, we went riding last night & viewed the Alcoa Aluminum plant near Maryville & I have never seen such an expansive affair.

 I wish you & Ma would take a trip down here.  Don’t you yearn to see The Atomic City?

                         Love, Fran

                                                                                     Overà

Much later, 6-25

  We had a wonderful weekend!  Sunday we went out early fishing.  Though there were already 4 boats out & nobody had anything & my first cast bang!  A big striped bass.  One of the men in the other boats told me later it just about killed them.  Course it had a lot to do with the exact spot Bill anchored us. Then I cast again and Wham!  Bill is struggling with the first fish & the stringing of him & he tells me to wait (hold the fish under water till he can grab the line & flip him in fast).  Lacking a net, we used to flip the fish from water to boat (with rod) till we snapped our best rod.  Now we reach out & catch the line just beyond the rod & flip it in.  If one person does it all, Bill always does- it’s quite a stretch.  So I tried it myself & I took too long from water to boat.  Held the fish just long enough for everyone to see & then the fish danced off the line & away up the river.  Everyone jeered & guffawed.  However, later in the day, I caught another.  Bill cast hours ‘fore he caught anything but finally beat me by several pounds!

 Then we went up the Little Tennessee & found masses of blackberries for pies which I make divinely and eating.  And then we went swimming- freezing cold- like spring water almost.

 Kathleen told me about hearing indirectly about the pearls Bobbie sent Mother.  Would like to see ‘em.

               Love, Francois