I am showing this photo to give you an appreciation for how rugged and rocky the terrain is around Hoover dam, a portion of which is visible in the background of this photo. Think of the logistical challenges and human hardships building what was at that time the largest concrete construction project in human history, in such a remote and harsh site.Thousands of workers came to the desert in search of construction jobs during the depression. There was no town nearby. Workers camps and bunkhouses developed. A rail line was built from Las Vegas to near the construction site to bring supplies.
Sadly, the construction contracts specified that no workers of Chinese heritage would be employed, and there were never more than 30 African-Americans among the approximately 5,000 workers, and they were confined to the lowest paid jobs and had to drink out of segregated water containers.
The heat along the Colorado River is hotter than the phoenix area because it is 1,000 feet (300 m.) lower in elevation. During the summer of 1931, the average daily high temperature at the construction site was 120 F (49 C), as the canyon walls reflect and radiate the sun's heat like the inside of a brick oven.
Check out beautiful travel photos of Villa Balbianello on Lake Como, Italy at Viva la Voyage!
7 comments:
so interesting.
That is an amazing photo Julie, when you click and enlarge it, wow! I can only imagine what those workers had to endure.
Excellent photos of the dam and terrain. The history and facts about construction were enlightening. We forget the way various ethnic groups have been treated through our history.
Darryl and Ruth : )
You posts about the working conditions in building Hoover Dam -- in my father's lifetime -- show that we have made a lot of progress in a generation about hte way we treat other people
"inside a brick oven" is a very good description of what it must have felt like. I can't imagine working in those conditions.
Lot of history and stories took place in the building of this dam. Very interesting.
Never thought about the temperatures at the time of the construction!
Interesting inputs. Sad details.
Post a Comment