The Construction of the Hoover Dam in Detail

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As the United States was growing and expanding in the early 20th century, westward towns needed a stable supply of electricity and water to ensure survival. Given much of the barren landscape in the western U.S., a hydroelectric dam seemed to be the best solution to stabilizing westward expansion.

In 1928, Congress authorized the construction of the Hoover Dam, then known as the Boulder Dam. This structure was to be located in the Black Canyon area in Nevada and Arizona, which is ultimately where the modern dam sits. Construction began in 1931 and was completed in 1936. At the climax of the project, it employed 5,251 workers in an environment that would regularly reach 120 degrees Fahrenheit (49˚C).

The Hoover Dam is the largest concrete framework dam in America and is a massive tourist attraction for people across the globe. It supplies water to farms in the surrounding desert region, water to cities like Los Angeles and Los Vegas, and it generates electricity for nearly 8 million people in the U.S. states of Arizona, California, and Nevada. While certainly not the largest dam in the world, this impressive feat of engineering changed the course of American history.

Taking a look back at the construction of this massive project presents us with a mesmerizing look at a time of engineering past.

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