The Hoover Dam
Hoover Dam
INTRODUCTION
Without the Hoover Dam, many more people would have been jobless during the hard times of the Depression which would have hindered many people needs for inexpensive power and water. While the construction of the Hoover Dam was ongoing, many workers looked to it as a representation of every American’s contribution to a better life. The Hoover Dam caused the once deserted towns in the West to flourish into booming metropolises. The construction of the Hoover Dam helped to excel economic activity and the growing population in the West in spite of environmental problems.
History of the Hoover Dam. The History behind the Boulder Dam, presently known as the Hoover Dam is extremely extensive and includes multiple variables …show more content…
During 1905 and 1907 the Colorado River flooded the Imperial Valley in California causing significant damage (Lusted 8). In 1918, Arthur Powell Davis of the Bureau of Reclamation proposes an idea for a large dam in Boulder Canyon (Lusted 8). After nine years of debate the Boulder Canyon act was passed by President Calvin Coolidge (Lusted 8). The layer of concrete is poured onto the Boulder Dam and President Franklin Roosevelt dedicates the structure in 1935 (Lusted 9). Internal hydroelectric generators are constructed inside the dam throughout 1936 (Lusted 9). In 1939 the Boulder dam went down as the largest hydroelectric structure in the world until 1949 (Lusted 9). Finally in 1947 Congress agreed to rename the dam to the Hoover Dam in honor of President Herbert Hoover (Lusted 9). When finished the Hoover Dam towered at 726.4 feet tall from its foundation to the roadway atop the dam (Bureau of Reclamation). The construction of the Hoover Dam used about 4,360,000 cubic yards of concrete which puts the dam at about 6,600,000 tons (Bureau of Reclamation). When completed, workers had excavated 5,500,000 cubic yards of rock and silt (Bureau of Reclamation). During times of low employment, like during the Great Depression about 21,000 total workers labored on the dam, while …show more content…
The history and purpose behind the dam put the needs of the people who inhabited the West before the oncoming environmental problems. While designing the dam, chief engineers took the environmental risks into consideration and designed the dam around the concept of eliminating as many possible. Once finished and opened to the public many tourists visited the site to admire the hard work and beautiful views the Hoover Dam has to offer of the wild West. Thought provoking statement; Imagine where the U.S. civilizations in the west would be without the construction of the Hoover Dam, which acted as a catalyst toward their
INTRODUCTION
Without the Hoover Dam, many more people would have been jobless during the hard times of the Depression which would have hindered many people needs for inexpensive power and water. While the construction of the Hoover Dam was ongoing, many workers looked to it as a representation of every American’s contribution to a better life. The Hoover Dam caused the once deserted towns in the West to flourish into booming metropolises. The construction of the Hoover Dam helped to excel economic activity and the growing population in the West in spite of environmental problems.
History of the Hoover Dam. The History behind the Boulder Dam, presently known as the Hoover Dam is extremely extensive and includes multiple variables …show more content…
During 1905 and 1907 the Colorado River flooded the Imperial Valley in California causing significant damage (Lusted 8). In 1918, Arthur Powell Davis of the Bureau of Reclamation proposes an idea for a large dam in Boulder Canyon (Lusted 8). After nine years of debate the Boulder Canyon act was passed by President Calvin Coolidge (Lusted 8). The layer of concrete is poured onto the Boulder Dam and President Franklin Roosevelt dedicates the structure in 1935 (Lusted 9). Internal hydroelectric generators are constructed inside the dam throughout 1936 (Lusted 9). In 1939 the Boulder dam went down as the largest hydroelectric structure in the world until 1949 (Lusted 9). Finally in 1947 Congress agreed to rename the dam to the Hoover Dam in honor of President Herbert Hoover (Lusted 9). When finished the Hoover Dam towered at 726.4 feet tall from its foundation to the roadway atop the dam (Bureau of Reclamation). The construction of the Hoover Dam used about 4,360,000 cubic yards of concrete which puts the dam at about 6,600,000 tons (Bureau of Reclamation). When completed, workers had excavated 5,500,000 cubic yards of rock and silt (Bureau of Reclamation). During times of low employment, like during the Great Depression about 21,000 total workers labored on the dam, while …show more content…
The history and purpose behind the dam put the needs of the people who inhabited the West before the oncoming environmental problems. While designing the dam, chief engineers took the environmental risks into consideration and designed the dam around the concept of eliminating as many possible. Once finished and opened to the public many tourists visited the site to admire the hard work and beautiful views the Hoover Dam has to offer of the wild West. Thought provoking statement; Imagine where the U.S. civilizations in the west would be without the construction of the Hoover Dam, which acted as a catalyst toward their