Desperate Times: The Building of the Hoover Dam

Page 6 of 7

• 1. Introduction
• 2. Ragtown
• 3. Surviving Ragtown
• 4. Working life
• 5. Fighting for progress
• 6. Completion
• 7. Find out more
• Print entire article

Completion

Workers moved up the hill into Boulder City, with its green parks and wide streets, its cottages and bungalows provided with clean, running water and electricity. The construction of the Hoover Dam moved rapidly, it was completed two years ahead of schedule, and it was dedicated by President Franklin Roosevelt on 30 September 1935.

'All that remains of it are the spirits of those first workers and their families, drifting in the current where the river used to be.'

As Lake Mead rose behind the dam, Ragtown vanished under 150m (500ft) of dark water. All that remains of it are the spirits of those first workers and their families, drifting in the current where the river used to be.

Even though its foundation was laid in a mire of economic misery and personal tragedy, Hoover Dam stands today as an inspiring example of ingenuity and perseverance. As more years divide the dam's present from its past, those who were involved in its construction regard it with pride and affection.

Its place in the history of the United States and in the development of engineering methods remains unchallenged. Long after the story of its making has been forgotten, Hoover Dam will endure, its origins lost in time, its builders passed into myth.

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Published: 2003-09-23