Jffjtoffi'figADusty Hamlet Now City of 28,000
-J
FRIGIDAIRE
Electric Range
k Only 30" widel
ir Bakes 6 pies
at once!
ic Porcelain finish
inside and outl
See if now . . . at
GARRETT
Appliance Company
136 K. Broadway
"HOME OF FRIGIDAIRE"
Richland Booms as Atom City
RICHLAND. Wash. UV-Spawn-
ed by the atom and nurtured by a
frantic nuclear weapons race be
tween East and West, this once
sleepy little farm village is today
a Bustling, booming city.
To neighboring communities,
which a scant 11 years ago knew
Richland as a dusty little hamlet
ol only 240 people, the boom
seems fantastic. The town now
boasts a population of 28,000 and
it's still climbing. Its streets and
shops are jammed with construe.
tion workers, scientists, soldiers
ana their families.
BIO CHANGE
The big change look shape
when the government first eyed
this patch of desert, inhabited
only by jackrabbits and coyotes,
as the site for a new kind of fac
tory the first of its kind in the
world.
In 1943, with World War II ap
proaching climactic stage, the
government bought the land on
which Richland stood and started
construction 'of an atomic energy
plant.
More land was added lalcr un
til it eventually took in a 600-
square-mile tract, more than half
the she of Rhode Island. Within
its boundaries was the village of
SMISLIEIK'S
FOOD MARKET
Groceries Fresh Produce Meats
Mixers Beverages Magazines Ice Cream
.....TILL 11:00 Mp:
OPEN FROM 9 A.M.
DAILY & SUNDAYS .
13th at High St.
Dial 4-1342
Hanford, 30 miles north of Rich
land,
Hanford at first was the focal
point of the entire atomic reser
vation. As the giant atomic plant
grew out of the desert, Hanford
became a king-size construction
camp.
TOWN BOOMS
Abruptly, as the factory neared
completion, Hanford was aban
doned and the center of opera
tions shifted to Richland,
The little town was expanded.
New houses went up for 16,000
atom plant employes and their
families. A few businessman
came on the scene.
The government constructed the
new houses and backed the busi
nessmen. Other, more skeptical, business
men called Richland a "flash in
the pan." They turned down gov
ernment offers of buildings and
financial backing to open up in
Richland
They argued that Richland, at
war's end, would fold and so
would (he big atomic plant at
Hanford.
But, when the war .ended
Americans quickly discovered the
smile on Stalin's face did not
necessarily reflect his thoughts.
The United States was in the
atomic energy business for keeps. i
FEVERISH GROWTH
Richland continued to grow at
a feverish pace. The Atomic En
ergy Commission decided to pump
new life into the town's business
community, There was a need
not only In meet the normal de
mand for goods, but for competl
Motor Firm Reports
$10 Million Loss in '53
DETROIT Wl Hudson Motor
Car Co. reported Saturday a loss
of $10,411,060 in 1953 as com
pared with a profit of $8,307,847
in 1952.
A. E. Barit, president of Hud
son, told stockholders:
"The loss for 1953 was caused
by numerous problems among
which was the inability of dealers
to handle the anticipated volume
of cars due to a combination of
wholesale credit restrictions im
posed by finance companies and
overstocked new and used car
markets.
tion to make shopping more at
tractive. The government promptly of
fered to sell the business build
ings it owned to the operators
along with fixtures ana inventories.
Businessmen In government-
owned Buildings were given uie
green light to improve and en
large the properties they were
leasing.
A whole new business district
was a sagebrush-jammed field a
half mile north of the town. A
creek lined with willows ran
through it. ,
SHOPPING AREA
Men and bulldozers quickly
transformed the plot into a mod
ern shopping area. Storm sewers,
water lines and utility, poles re
placed the sage and willows. Con
crete sidewalks appeared where
the banks of the creek had been.
Still, outside business interests
balked.
"It's taking a chance on a city
that can turn into a ghost town
overnight," one complained.
The General Electric Co., the
prime contractor operating both
the atomic energy plant and the
town of Richland, sent two ex
perts, R. J. Pederson and M. L.
Blum, on a coast-to-coast trip to
drum up businessmen willing to
invest in Richlands future.
Their Biggest trouble was de
scribing the place to potential investors.
"How were we going to talk up
a new town in the desert as a
boom town, with tremendous po
tential for growth and ex pan
to see the great possibilities
cradled in the rapidly growing
town.
New businesses moved in and
grew with the city. Today there
are more than ZOO In the town,
School construction also
jumped. Before the government
moved In, Richland had a total
school enrollment of around 333.
Last year the enrollment was 7,-
721 and growing.
There are bright new apart
ment buildings, handsome homes
for rent, entertainment facilities
and landscaped streets and very
few jackrabbits in the thriving
town of Richland today.
An offshoot of Ihe atom, Rich
land doesn't anticipate any
trouble in selling itself to poten
tial investors from now on.
sion," Pederson recalls. "It might
seem to have advantages to one
prospect, but look like a com
plete waste of time for another.'
TALKING POINTS
They finally settled on these
talking points:
Richland had ideal location
for municipal facilities.
There was certainly plenty
of parking space.
There were good streets, ex
cellent fire and police protec
tion. There was a large and steady
payroll at the atomic energy
plant.
There was plenty of room
for competition since Richland
had only about 45 businesses.
Businessmen gradually came
Discuss Indochina
WASHINGTON Wl President
Eisenhower conferred for more
than an hour Saturday on the In
dochina situation with Secretary
of State Dulles and defense chiefs.
No announcement was forthcom
ing after the meeting. The Presi
dent held a similar discussion
with Gen. Douglas MacArthur on
Thursday.
For Fool Troubles
See Eugene's Leading Foot
Specialist Dr. Handshuh
871 Willamette Ph. 4-3133
18 Years in Eugene
Examination Free
ALL-FLEXALUM
, Venetian Bll. ' ,
. . . . . w v j Ki'pl 'I
v. v ' .EJ ggg iEf
mm .I,,;. Z ZZZ. ', J -V .
Drop-In l , .humi.fmxmi y ' " ' ,' r Combl'
Phone fPQjtffilOSb 2.'2r.. v- ,M'
5-1571 "- .inrrt'3 -fi,,,, Tj '
if ' r HifHMnnr . - m " ' ;
lor a kte ji ij- ,.fii:-,.j.f.,;a.!.. ' ' - fr- J ; :
Estimate 'am"mmt,Jti ; V" ';;,
srn I"" mi jiiiirwiM fwM.j - j
I Mmm4 ."2 - : - - ! ;
..nmwrraii mrffifflat ijo,.. . i
i i " mttuft, j y'-i- W ' ' " fW
Willamette M g MJ
. . . We
Specialize
In Complete
Installations
Iust, dirt, grime, . M
never 1 ncer n ."'I
vinyl plastic tape!
The slats and mr;. .t.. J
100 . . . hrinln-...f
& u juuriifed
day. T
Register-Guard Classified Ads Bring Results:
$
TRADE-IN
VALUE
FOR YOUR OLD RADIO or PHONOGRAPH
ON THE PURCHASE OF THIS NEW 17-inch DELUXE
HALLICRAFTER T-V CONSOLE
299"
1 iF"ffSSp'iTl I PRICE
4V 1 II Regardless of age, make or condition
VJ
'SMARTLY STYLED MAHOGANY
WOOD . . . FULL-SIZE CONSOLE
See a Hallicroftcr . . . you'll see the difference ... In engineer
ing . . . in furniture styling ... in performance! Marvelous 17
Inch console model with Hallicrafter's exclusive easy-angle tun
ing! Weisfield s big trade-in allowance puts it within your budq.
ef . . . you pay on long easy credit tcrmsl
l 1L&-
REFLECTION-FREE
TILT SCREEN
LIGHTED CHANNEL
SELECTOR
FULL RANGE F-M
TONE CONTROL
3 STAGE "LOCAL
DISTANCE" CONTROL
PICTURE TUBE GUAR
ANTEED FOR 1 YEAR.
FACTORY TRAINED IN
STALLATION AND
SERVICE.
OPEN FRIDAY
TILL 9 P.M.
881 WILLAMETTE
Penney's
1K
nHats for
every
face and
costume
Penney's head-turning
EASTER .
COLLECTION
4
98
At Pennev's vou'll find th moat flatlerlna hat-iaWon
sprino and Easinrl CMrmr,nn in Hoirm . . . perlect to clr
detailing ... and featuring a sensational variety of W1
onrl (nV.rl,. ' j M vlvaciOUS til
. : just lookll . , . cushion sailors, profiles, pill t"'
manv mnnv nuin . . . rt aVirrrlaii. white and IJ'W
pastels,
Other oulstemdlng hois for spring . .
. up K
Ml
WOMEN'S SPARKLING HAT FASHIONS
SECOND
FLOOB