Hoover Online • Digital Archives

Before Building the Dam

For hundreds of years the turbulent Colorado River cut its way through seven states and created some of the most beautiful canyons in the world. The river periodically flooded vast areas of land in California and Arizona. In addition, the canals which had been created to transport the water to irrigate and provide drinkable water, were inundated and destroyed by the periodic flooding. The water for the Colorado was needed to irrigate the arid southwestern states and provide drinking water for the growing urban populations. This section presents some of the political, economic, and social concerns and activities that led to the decision to build a dam and reservoir.

Table of Contents

	Desert Scene south of Boulder City, Nevada; May 4, 1932

	Rock formations caused by erosion; June 5, 1932

	Colorado River flowing through Boulder Canyon; April 18, 1932

	Picture of washed out railway during flood of 1905

	Recommendations of the All-American Canal Board; July 22, 1919

	Colorado River Basin below Boulder Dam; September 29, 1929 Courtesy of Southern California Business Pamphlet 1930

	Kinkaid Act; May 18, 1920

	Map of Colorado River Basin; 1961

	Black Canyon

	Government engineers on boat trip down Colorado near dam site; September 16, 1930 Erma Godbey Oral History

	R.F. Walter, Chief Engineer of the Reclamation Service, and Dr. Elwood Mead, Commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation; September 16, 1930

	The Fall-Davis Report; February 28, 1922

	Map from Colorado River Aqueduct Pamphlet, from the Ray Wilbur Papers

	Editorial Providence Journal; June 12, 1922

	Letter from The Spreckels “Savage” Tire Company; June 16, 1922 Acknowledgment; June 26, 1922

	Freemont Street, Las Vegas

	Start of highway from Las Vegas to Hoover Dam

	Union Pacific Station at Las Vegas, gateway to Hoover Dam

	Erma Godbey Oral History

	Article from Las Vegas, Nevada “Review Journal;” October 22, 1946

	Secretary of Interior drives the silver spike connecting the Hoover Dam Project to the Union Pacific Railroad; September 17, 1930

	Erma Godbey Oral History

	Erma Godbey Oral History

	Fresno scrapers early construction of railroad to Hoover Dam Courtesy of the University of Nevada at Reno Oral Histories Erma Godbey Oral History

	Ragtown (Williamsville) 1st shantytown on dam site; Aug, 1931 Courtesy of the University of Nevada at Reno Oral Histories Erma Godbey Oral History

	Mary Ann Merrill Oral History

	Mary Ann (Vaughn) Merrill at Smith’s rootbeer stand Courtesy of the University of Nevada at Reno Oral Histories Mary Ann Merrill Oral History

	Mary Ann Merrill Oral History

	Mary Ann Merrill Oral History

	150 man worker transport to dam site; 1932 Courtesy of Southern California tourism guide Mary Ann Merrill Oral History

	Manix department store Boulder City; 1931 Courtesy of the University of Nevada at Reno Oral Histories Mary Ann Merrill Oral History