Saturday 13 April 2013

Hoover Dam


Hoover Dam


I was lucky enough to fly over the Hoover Dam on the way to the Grand Canyon.  It was such a spectacular sight that I did some further research into it afterwards.

It is on the border between Arizona and Nevada – on the Colorado River.  It was originally called the Boulder Dam but came to be known as the Hoover Dam (not without controversy) after the President of the Day.

Hoover Dam

There were 112 deaths associated with the building of the dam!  This would never be acceptable today.  In a twist of fate the last person to die was the son of the first.  Fact is often much stranger than fiction.

Hoover Dam decorative tilework

While the structure of the dam is stunning, it also had decorative elements inside – which, also, would never happen in today's more cost conscious world.

Decorative relief on Elevator Housing at the Hoover Dam

It was a major construction achievement.


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4 comments:

  1. Did you know, in 1997, they filmed the movie "Fools Rush In" there (well, part of it). Before the movie was filmed, there was no Arizona/Nevada "border" painted on the highway that spans the Hoover Dam. When it was added for the movie, local officials decided to keep it intact after the filming of the movie. Unfortunately, as of September 2005 the border painted in the street is no longer there.

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  2. Thanks for always sharing such wonderful worldly information! ~ Cares

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  3. I, also flew over the Hoover dam on the way to the Grand Canyon earlier this year, my impression was that it was created as much to get out of the depression. I don't think a proper evaluation was made over the benefits or downsides of the project as there would have been in this day and age. A Stunning achievement all the same.

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  4. Wow! Just stunning! Thanks for sharing!

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