The search for this location included sites along the Colorado
and Columbia Rivers in California, Oregon, and Washington. The
isolated 500,000-acre Hanford site offered security for sensitive
operations. Large quantities of electricity and cooling water
(at least 25,000 gallons per minute) were available and a mild
climate allowed year-round work.
The facility encompassed three small towns -- Hanford, White
Bluffs, and Richland--and bordered the Columbia River. Sheep had
grazed the flat, rocky countryside, which was dotted with orchards,
vineyards, and farms. To build the facility, the townships of
Richland, White Bluffs, and Hanford vanished. As at Oak Ridge,
1,500 people were relocated in the process. Close to a half-million
acres were purchased for more than $5.1 million by the spring
of 1943. The new facility was named Hanford Engineer Works after
the riverside village.
