Describes the engineering, construction, and social and historical contexts of the Hoover Dam.
Features some of the most famous and important construction projects that have shaped the American landscape, along with triumphant stories of great feats of engineering, the innovations in technology, the coming together of a motivated workforce, and the unification of the country.
The Hoover Dam is recognized as one of the seven engineering wonders of the modern world. The construction of this vast dam was an astonishing feat on many levels. Years-long political disputes had to be settled. Individuals and companies in the engineering and construction realms had to bond together to form a single company capable of taking on such a groundbreaking project. Thousands of workers from around the country flocked to the construction site to flee the poverty of the Great Depression. Roads, houses, and electricity had to be built and installed in the untouched environment of Black Canyon. Then, with almost unbelievable speed, the Hoover Dam rose from the dry dust of the western United States to become one of the most incredible engineering accomplishments in history.
