Did you know Arizona is home to some impressive engineering marvels? That’s right! Our bridges, canals, buildings and other structures are among some of the most innovative engineering projects for their day. One such place? Hoover Dam.

Construction on Hoover Dam began in 1931 to control the flow of the Colorado River and to provide a source of hydroelectric power for Arizona, California and Nevada. Construction finished in 1936 and since then, it has become a major tourist attraction for the area for the beauty of the dam’s engineering and for containing the country’s largest reservoir, Lake Mead. I think most of us have visited the dam at least once in our lives—and for those of us old enough to remember—even slowly drove over the top of the dam on U.S. 93. Let’s take a look at what construction of this marvel looked like!

Let’s start by checking out the area before construction began. This area is Black Canyon (though not the same as the Black Canyon in central Arizona) and was one of the last areas considered for the project. Initially, an area called Boulder Canyon was considered but fault lines caused those plans to be changed. The name, Boulder Dam, stuck for some time.
Eekster/Wikimedia Commons
At the time, the site was known as Boulder Dam and renaming it after the 31st president was a bit of a controversy at the time.
Allen/Flickr
The team on the jumbo drilling rig poses for a photo amidst construction. The rig was built on a 10-ton truck and enabled up to 30 drills to operate at the same time!
Wikimedia Commons
This photo shows an evening view of construction on June 18, 1934. Those were some powerful lights!
Amber Case/Flickr

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Crews had to be somewhat fearless! Here are some construction workers drilling into the canyon wall with just a rope tied around their waist. Yikes!
Wikimedia Commons
These two photos show another view of the dam (top) in the middle of pouring concrete in 1934 and workers scaling the dam walls for drilling and installation (bottom). Those were some brave souls!
Allen/Flickr
These gentlemen are posing for a photo in one of the massive pipes used in the dam’s construction.
Amber Case/Flickr
Did you know President Franklin Delano Roosevelt toured construction of the dam? This photo was shot on September 30, 1935 as he drove through one of the pipes.
FDR Presidential Library & Museum/Flickr

Eager to learn more about the phenomenal history of Hoover Dam? You’ll want to read Most People Don’t Know These 5 Things Are Hiding At Arizona’s Hoover Dam.

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