Hoover Dam

Dam in Nevada and Arizona, US

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Hoover Dam
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Overview

What happened

May 15, 1905, marked the official founding of Las Vegas, a city that would grow from 25 people to over 24,000 by 1940, according to the US Census Bureau.

Date

May 15, 1905

Location

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

Key people

Helen J. Stewart

Why it matters

The article’s specific value lies in its focus on the Las Vegas Land and Water Company’s 1905 water rights acquisition and its long term impact on municipal infrastructure, a topic a...

What was Hoover Dam?

The Hoover Dam is a concrete arch-gravity dam in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River, on the boundary between the U.S. states of Nevada and Arizona. Constructed between 1931 and 1936, during the Great Depression, it was dedicated on September 30, 1935, by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Its construction was the result of a massive effort involving thousands of workers, and cost over 100 lives. Bills passed by Congress during its construction referred to it as Hoover Dam (after President Herbert Hoover), but the Roosevelt administration named it Boulder Dam. In 1947, Congress restored the name Hoover Dam. Since about 1900, the Black Canyon and nearby Boulder Canyon had been investigated for their potential to support a dam that would control floods, provide irrigation water, and produce hydroelectric power.

Hoover Dam
Related books
You wouldn't want to work on the Hoover Dam! cover You wouldn't want to work on the Hoover Dam! Ian Graham · 2012 Hoover Dam cover Hoover Dam Craig A. Doherty · 1995 Colossus cover Colossus Michael A. Hiltzik · 2010 The Hoover Dam cover The Hoover Dam Patra McSharry Sevastiades · 1997 Building Hoover Dam cover Building Hoover Dam Andrew J. Dunar · 1993
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Background and consequences

In 1928, Congress authorized the project. The winning bid to build the dam was submitted by a consortium named Six Companies, Inc., which began construction in early 1931. Such a large concrete structure had never been built before, and some of the techniques used were unproven. The torrid summer weather and lack of facilities near the site also presented difficulties.

River view of the future dam site, c. 1904
River view of the future dam site, c. 1904
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Related on thisDay

Las Vegas Founding — May 15, 1905

25 people became 24,000 by 1940 in Las Vegas, Nevada, after its 1905 founding, transforming the US desert landscape into a city

Use the dated article for the day-specific account; use these references to check the event record and explore its wider historical context.

Date article: Las Vegas Founding — May 15, 1905Wikipedia source
Cite this page
MLA

“Hoover Dam.” thisDay, thisday.info/history/hoover-dam/. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

APA

Hoover Dam. (n.d.). thisDay. Retrieved October 19, 2026, from https://thisday.info/history/hoover-dam/

Chicago

“Hoover Dam.” thisDay. Accessed October 19, 2026. https://thisday.info/history/hoover-dam/.

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