|Photo by Kuczora, Wikimedia Commons|
With Nancy J. Farrier
|Hoover Dam Site by Lee, W.T.|
|1921 Sketch of Site|
As early as 1902, talk began of building a hydroelectric dam on the Colorado. Edison Electric Company did a survey, but in the early part of the century the range was too limited for that type of power. Edison’s land options were allowed to lapse, which allowed for the later building of Boulder Dam.
|1935 View from AZ side. Wikimedia Commons|
In 1928, President Coolidge signed a bill authorizing the dam. There were still many obstacles ahead. One of those was the cost of building the structure. The companies with experience didn’t have the funds to finance the construction. In the end, six companies went together to win a bid from the government.
|High scalers setting explosives|
Pouring the concrete for the dam began in 1933. They could not do this as a continuous pour because the concrete would take
too long to
cool. The concrete would not be as stable and would be liable to crack and
crumble under pressure. Instead, they devised a way to do the dam in large
sections, but also used refrigerated water piped in to cool the concrete and keep
it from cracking.
|Columns being filled with concrete|
On September 30, 1935, they had a dedication for Boulder Dam. President Franklin D. Roosevelt was in attendance since he was on a tour of the western states. There was still much controversy about the name of the dam since some wanted to name it after Herbert Hoover. Former President Hoover was not invited to the ceremony though and no mention was made of him. The US Post Office made a three-cent Boulder Dam stamp to commemorate the occasion.
There were 112 deaths attributed to the building of the dam. Three were suicides, but many were accidents on the job site. The first, J. G. Tierney,
drowned while checking for a site for the dam. The last death was
Tierney’s some Patrick, who fell from an intake tower. Some people felt there
were more than the 112 deaths. Men died of supposed pneumonia, but may have
died from carbon monoxide poisoning from the use of gasoline powered vehicles
in the diversion tunnels.
|Workers on Jumbo Rig|
There was much controversy over the name of the dam. Early on, the name Boulder Dam or Boulder Canyon Dam was used even though the location changed to Black Canyon. President Hoover’s name was mentioned because in the early years he was the President, and he had been instrumental in working to get the dam started. However, when he lost the election in 1932, there were those who didn’t want his name on the dam. In 1947 Congress voted to restore the name to Hoover Dam instead of Boulder Dam.
|1940 Tour Group|
Have you ever visited Hoover Dam? I remember driving across the dam, although now there is a bridge you drive over because of the increase in traffic. Have you ever been to Lake Mead? Please leave a comment and your email before midnight July 18, 2017 to be entered in a drawing for my new release, Bandolero.
Nancy J Farrier is an award winning author who lives in Southern California in the Mojave Desert. She loves the Southwest with its interesting historical past. Nancy and her husband have five children and two grandsons. When Nancy isn’t writing, she loves to read, do needlecraft, play with her cats, and spend time with her family. Nancy is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of The Steve Laube Literary Agency. You can read more about Nancy and her books on her website: nancyjfarrier.com.
Yoana Armenta’s reckless behavior results in her being captured by bandoleros. Yoana fears her impulsive nature will cause irreparable disaster. Amado Castro gave a death bed promise that he intends to keep – at all costs - even if he must break a childhood vow. When his choice endangers Yoana’s life, he struggles with the decision to honor his word, or to protect Yoana, whom he has come to care for more than he could have imagined. Now as the bandoleros threaten to sell Yoana to a fate worse than death, and the rancheros want to hang Amado, they must make choices. Will they trust God, or will they do what seems right to them?