Mound Facility, Miamisburg, Ohio
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- Опубліковано 8 вер 2024
- Have you ever wanted to tour a declassified nuclear weapons research laboratory? Well here's your chance! Mound Laboratory was once an underground bunker that worked on developing polonium triggering mechanisms for the atomic bomb during WW1 and the Cold War. Follow Mike as he explores the former site of the Dayton Project, which was just one aspect of the larger and more well-known Manhattan Project!
I use to work in that building (T Building). That building use to have multiple sets of blast doors on each end of the tunnel. The typical access was by elevators, at each end of the underground working floor levels, with guard posts at the top. It was also a fallout shelter. The racks overhead in the tunnel were used to store food/supplies and the area you went into, where the wall was cut with a diamond rope, use to be a potable water storage tank before being repurposed into laboratory space.
I know you put this together quite a few years ago. Somehow through UA-cam's algorithms it showed up on my home page. I worked there in the heyday, through the '80's & early '90's. It's but a shadow of its former self. Outstanding place to work and I never planned on leaving. Loved what I did, and we knew we were part of our nation's security. T-Bldg was just a small part of the Mound. The original museum was put together by former employees and now is part of the larger Dayton History organization. If you haven't been to the Mound Cold War Discovery Center, you need to go. There's also a section within Carillon Historical Park that features work done at the Mound. Very proud to be a former employee of the Mound.
What was the place like? I was just a little kid when the feds were cleaning everything up and I can’t really remember a time where it wasn’t Mound Business Park. They taught us a little about it in school, not so much about the work done there but more focused on all the pollution. All I really know is it was used for the manhattan project and that a bunch of radioactive material leaked out and made some workers sick.
Part of poisoning our water supply and swimming pool, and giving people cancer.
My grandfather worked here for many, many years! His work was classified so he couldn't say much. He did talk about having to be decontaminated via shower and bristle brush several times! I wonder if he walked those halls....
I'm sure he did!
Yes my grandfather worked on the literal missles in the underground bunker never spoke of anything 😭
I grew up in Miamisburg. I still live like 5 miles away but I always thought the area around where the labs were at was really cool
I stood on that mound, as of course anybody can. THere's stairs. I grew up in Dayton and went to St. Henrys grade 1-4 below Mound across the tracks. I never saw the inside of the military place.
The facility is across the street and underneath where the Adena burial mound stands today!
I wish I knew about you could do a tour down there when I was a freshman in high school. I did an end of the semester project on Mound Laboratories.
I was only allowed to tour the facility as part of a college history course. Very interesting place!
Had a UFO sighting right above it in the late 70s
What did it look like?
The best one I have ever seen is the one in Ellicott City Md. Its huge and under a farmer's field and the farmer is still able to use the field because of the construction. It is amazing
I finally get to see the interior if the DOE Mound Site "T Building" Thanks!
This is nice 😘 there are a few pics floating around showing the foundations of that area being formed before the “roof” is up. It’s labeled as 1948, and shows rebar out the wazoo.
The roof and walls are 16 feet of poured concrete and rebar. It's hard to imagine!
@@MikeDoesHistory the size of some of the rebar in that building was amazing! The diameter is greater than my wrist. From what I remember, it was about 3" and the small cut section I got to see was very heavy.
The wwII site was actually an old seminary in Dayton. My aunt worked there and continued research on how to count radiation started by Marie Curie. She certified the polonium sent to be alpha triggers in the two bombs dropped on Japan. Mound Labs were built later.
Interesting story, thanks. I knew one person who worked at Mound. His sons and me and my brothers went to school together and he was my soccer coach for a few years, which was nice. Very smart family, and very nice people.
@@RiDankulous My aunt worked first at the old book despositry in Dayton and later at Mound labs after they were built. She retired in 1976 as Senior researcher and my brother worked as a mechanic there also. Of course you did not ask my aunt about what she was doing because it was hush. She work with Monsanto from the getgo in 1943 until she retired over 30 years later.
@@josephrogers5337 Very interesting, Mr. Rogers! Yes, I heard about secrecy and heavy security at the Mound plant. Best wishes to you.
Work for the Dayton Project was performed at many sites across the Dayton area!
The seminary was name Bonebrake or Bonebreak. Odd name indeed. Runnymede Playhouse in Oakwood, an NCR warehouse down the hill from there, etc. were used. In the late 1990s a garage was “disposed of” right next to the Miami Oxford campus (uptown, north side). The building had been used as a machine shop during the project. Hope they got em all 😌
I've been here my whole life and always have wanted to do this!!!! Who do I contact
There's a business development company working with the City of Miamisburg. They may be willing to give you a tour.
Been in here too. Its sweet in there
Did you take a tour or did you work there before it closed?
I live nearby and enjoy going u and looking around, I've always wanted to go in
I hope they turn it into an underground museum someday!
@@MikeDoesHistory that'd be awesome
@@MikeDoesHistorymaybe the Cold War museum could do something. It would really be a unique experience
The mound used to be a good job back in the day, I knew a guy named Amos that used to work there.....
I bet it was. I would say any job involving possible radiation contamination pays well.
First Mound Labs came after wwII, the first part was done at an old Dayton seminary. I know that from my own family history.
The story with the seminary is "cool" because by the time they were done with the building, which was contaminated, they returned it to the school system for a new school to move in. I imagine the health issues were plentiful.
Up in Marion, an identical facility to the Mound Site (before the massive expansions) was built in case they needed to move in an emergency. After it closed, they then comically moved a new school there as well. It was then emergency abandoned during the middle of a school year because a study correlated the uptick in graduates with cancer to the site. Those buildings still stand eerily.
Went to the mound in 2014!
Did you get to go into the facility?
@@MikeDoesHistory , I think the lobby but that was it! I was homeless @ that time & didn't have any money for admissions
Where is this facility, and what hours does it operate? I stop in twice a month.
The labs have been closed for years. A business park is in development on the above-ground site. It's not technically open to the public.
They have a museum where ex employees will share some stories
Are you talking about the Cold War museum around the corner from here? I haven't visited it yet.
@@MikeDoesHistory the science and energy museum right outside the gate directly across from the entrance of indian burial mound
Will do!
How long ago did you record this?
I believe it was about 2 years ago. Just found the video again.
Mike Does History I would love go get in contact with you, if you don’t mind email me at jacobagee00@gmail.com
My uncle was a welder there for 30 years. That fucker never would tell us what went on in there 😡
Welding at least :)