Construction of the dam took less than five years and was completed in 1936. Faqs hoover dam and the shaping of the american west. Includes historically significant documents and photos, a timeline, maps, and more. The photo essay is a good way to tell the hoover dam experience, because the hoover dam is very hard to describe with just words. It was the highest dam ever built, the costliest water project, home of the largest power plant of its time. American experience, originally titled the american experience, is an american television program. Participants should expect physical activity on a daily basis, occasionally in very hot conditions. Hoover dam bus tour with helicopter papillon grand canyon tours. Turrentine jackson prize of the western history association. Hoover dam a dam built in the 1930s, with funding from the federal government, to control the colorado river. Visit the building big web site for handson activities that help you understand the engineering secrets behind the worlds most spectacular structures. American experience companion site to the pbs documentary on hoover dam. The hoover dam is located in a canyon of the colorado river between nevada and arizona.
He also photographed native americans in the west, and some of these. Learn more about american experience hoover dam on imdb. Dunning prize of the american historical association, and the w. American experience hoover dam tv episode 1999 imdb. Hoover dam build photos reveal the wonder of human invention. The institute will be located in las vegas and boulder city, nevada, and will run from july 1224, 2020. Bureau of reclamation decided the best solution for the arid southwest would be to dam the river and create a yearround water supply. Hear stories about the dam in the visitors center, the exhibit areas, theater, observation deck, and the generator room. The colorado, which begins high up in the rocky mountains has a lot of water during the spring months when he snow melts. But the real story behind hoover dam is the thousands who built it and the families that endured the living hell to bring it all to realty. Watch hoover dam american experience official site pbs. American experience is a television program airing on public broadcasting service pbs. The dam itself attracts about 7 million visitors a year, and another 10 million.
The online companion site of a documentary film produced about the dam for the american experience history series on pbs. The hoover dam, built during the great depression, drew men desperate for work to a remote and rugged. At over 700 feet tall, hoover dam is a nevada spectacle and visitors can easily road trip from las vegas to hoover dam. In particular those that died on the job or resulting from the harsh conditions. This structure demonstrated hoovers belief in business and government and harnessed the power of a river to provide electricity and water supply to 7 states. Hiltzik seems to make absolutely no mention of the environmental impact of the dam. Explore one of americas most spectacular feats of engineering on one of our hoover dam tours. There they struggled against heat, choking dust and perilous heights to build a colossus of concrete that brought electricity and water to. Bureau of reclamation engineering achievements bureau. At the time of its construction, which began in 1930 and was completed in 1935, the hoover dam was the largest electricpower generating site and largest concrete structure in the world. The hoover dam, built during the great depression, drew men desperate for work to a remote and rugged canyon near las vegas. Combine your hoover dam tour with a trip to the grand canyons west rim, a leisurely cruise down the colorado river, a relaxing boat tour of lake mead, or experience this manmade wonder from the comfort of a luxury helicopter. The hoover dam is a national historic landmark, and has been rated one of americas seven modern civil engineering wonders by the american society of civil engineers.
It is definitely a must visit place when tourists are in nevada and arizona. When hoover dam was built in the 1930s, the great dam was known for its engineering superlatives. Hoover dam, built during the great depression, drew men desperate for work to a remote. An american adventure, was published by the university of oklahoma press in 1988. Climate data, the average july temperature in boulder city is 99 degrees. Perhaps it is because it is one of the only interesting stopping points in. It was necessary to build the dam became the colorado river flooded the region very often. You must see the hoover dam to truly appreciate its grandeur and beauty as much as i do.
Rising more than 700 feet above the raging waters of the colorado river, it was called one of the greatest engineering works in history. Wgbh educational foundation firstlight pictures pbs distribution firm. Hoover dam, built during the great depression, drew men desperate for work to a remote and rugged canyon near las vegas. A man stands inside part of one of the dams enormous turbines.
Sloan foundation an ambitious engineer turned a ragtag army of unemployed into a. If this was done just because id like to question the wisdom of spending money to change all the logos and promotional material, and redo all the voiceovers and promotions. Hoover dam continues to supply water and power to the southwest and is a major tourist attraction. During the great depression, americans built the hoover dam, overcoming technical challenges to erect one of the greatest engineering works. It was the highest dam in the world when it was completed in 1935. Initially used as a commerce route for transporting supplies to the black canyon area, the. Hoover dam tours are offered daily and tickets are purchased on site.
Hoover dam stands 726 feet tall from foundation to crest, the height of a 60story skyscraper, and weighs more than 6. It also produced smaller quantities of aggregate for purposes as diverse as sand for sandblasting steel and providing stone to riprap railroad grades. Walk across the top of the dam and experience the awe of the magnificent. American experience hoover dam season 11 episode 3 pbs. The hoover dam was built in black canyon, a short distance from boulder city, nevada. Hoover dam vip tour with knowledgeable guide boulder. In 1994, the american society of civil engineers named it one of americas seven modern civil. But unlike many other of the nations icons, be they mount rushmore or the washington monument, hoover dam was built, above all else, to be useful, to store water for irrigation, for municipal supplies, and to create.
The hoover dam and its importance charlotte kruses blog. Construction of hoover dam would not begin until april of 1931, but men and families began drifting into las vegas 30 miles from the dam site in early 1929 in hopes of dam. So big and strong, yet beautifully graceful is hoover dam that it stands as an american icon, a symbol of a nations strength, ingenuity, and spirit of enterprise. The site covers the engineering challenges faced by the builders and explores the dams cultural significance for a country struggling to come out of the great depression. Hoover dam and the shaping of the american west, is a twoweek nehfunded summer institute for middle and high school teachers. It was constructed between 1931 and 1936 during the great depression and was dedicated on september 30, 1935, by president franklin d. It received the western writers of america spur award, the john h. It tamed a wild river and, for a time, renewed faith in. American experience is a television program airing on the public broadcasting service pbs in the united states. Hoover dam is a concrete archgravity dam in the black canyon of the colorado river, on the border between the u.
The hoover dam, originally titled the boulder dam, is located on the colorado river in black canyon sits between two states. Named one of the top 10 construction achievements of the 20th century, the hoover dam now attracts over 1 million visitors a year. The program airs documentaries, many of which have won awards, about important or interesting events and people in american history the series premiered on october 4, 1988 and was originally titled the american experience, but the article the was dropped during a later rebrand. Building the hoover dam bridge slide show scientific. Hoover dam was without precedent, the greatest dam of its day. Our local pbs channel is running an american experience documentary on the building of hoover dam right now and its really interesting.
I missed a little bit of the first part the other night but caught all of the 2nd half, which is where they really show the creation of boulder city super neat photos and history. One of the most popular tourist destinations of the southwest lies on the arizonanevada border. Hoover dam and the making of the american century is a fascinating read, authoritatively researched, and made very personal by author michael hiltzik, who tells stories of the personalities involved in the dam construction project, from presidents to wage laborers. Glaha was an employee of the unites states bureau of reclamation in the 1930s, and was assigned to document the construction of the boulder dam now called hoover dam by photographing all aspects of the project. The boulder canyon project, including the imperial dam, hoover dam, and the american canal, commissioned by the bureau of reclamation, required 165 million dollars to finance, a total of 21,000 men and 4,400,000 cubic yards of concrete hoover, 2011. It was built in the 1930s during the great depression by thousands of workers. In the early 1900s, after many failed efforts to control the lower colorado river with levees and irrigation canals, the u. Known for the beauty of its canyon settings, as it flows through mountainous regions, the colorado also has another important feature. Hoover dam building the dam the colorado river, which flows through five u. Building the hoover dam, 19311936 rare historical photos. Hoover dam, often called boulder dam, is located on the colorado river at the southern tip of nevada and the arizona border. There they struggled against heat, choking dust and perilous heights to build a colossus.
This hoover dam experience begins with complimentary shuttle service. What can we learn from the hoover dam project that. The hoover dam aggregate classification plant was designed and operated by thomas m. Peter coyote adds his usual high quality narration and makes this. Perspectives on the american experience cambridge, massachusetts. Hoover dam is in black canyon on the colorado river approximately 30 miles southeast of las vegas. This scenic bus tour from las vegas to thehoover dam includes a guided trip into the. Eventually renamed hoover dam in 1947, the dam was the largest manmade structure in the world when completed, and created lake mead, the largest reservoir in the united states.
Hoover dam was constructed between 1931 and 1936 during the great depression and was dedicated on september 30, 1935, by president franklin d. Located in black canyon between nevada and arizona, the dam is a national historic landmark and a national historic civil engineering landmark. Hoover dams electrical output helped build the ships and planes used in world war ii. Its construction was the result of a massive effort involving thousands of workers, and cost over one. This tour takes you from your strip hotel to the hoover dam, where youll be.
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