One hell of a post. I grew up post WWII within 20mi of Oak Ridge. That kind of secrecy is something to behold.
Its interesting that there exists a photo of Zinn showing initial construction but supposedly no other photos. Someone must have blown a gasket when they found out about someone taking shots and put an immediate stop to it, perhaps Zinn’s boss, Fermi.
As a side note, the second photo shows University of Chicago All American Jay Berwanger who would be awarded the first Heisman Trophy. He is reported to have left a scar forever visible on the face of Michigan opponent and future president Jerry Ford.