Our Story Series: Atomic Appalachia

Did you know that East Tennessee had a major role in the Manhattan Project?

Learn more with renowned local storyteller Kathy Gwinn at Anna Porter Public Library on Thursday, September 10, 2026, at 6 p.m. Kathy will be presenting her program, Atomic Appalachia, in the library’s successful Our Story series. The series was established in the Spring of 2024, and its mission is to teach and preserve Appalachian culture and Gatlinburg’s Smoky Mountain heritage.

This particular program touches on the contributions East Tennessee made during World War II, why East Tennessee became the foremost site of the Manhattan Project, and what all was involved in keeping “the city behind the fence” (the biggest military secret of the 20th Century) quiet.

Originally from Fargo, North Dakota, Kathy moved to the Smokies in 1999. She is a former history teacher and has worked as a Step-On Guide / Historian in the National…