Who Built Hoover Dam?
Updated by AZ Leisure Staff Writers on
© Dona MyersHoover Dam was built by thousands of workers who came to Black Canyon during the Great Depression in search of steady employment. Over the course of the project, about 21,000 men worked on the dam, performing jobs ranging from drilling and blasting canyon walls to excavating diversion tunnels, operating heavy equipment and placing millions of cubic yards of concrete. Many workers brought wives and children to southern Nevada, where families endured primitive camps, extreme desert heat and uncertainty while Boulder City was being built to house the growing workforce.
- Hoover Dam Workers
- Jobs During The Great Depression
- Life In Ragtown
- Boulder City
- Dangerous Construction Work
- Black Workers & Discrimination
- Native American Workers
- Workers & Families
- Legacy Of The Hoover Dam Workforce
- Hoover Dam Workers FAQ
The Workers Who Built Hoover Dam
Approximately 21,000 men worked on the Hoover Dam project during its construction, with an average workforce of about 3,500 and a peak of more than 5,200 workers. They included miners, tunnel workers, truck drivers, carpenters, electricians, mechanics, concrete crews, equipment operators, high scalers and many other skilled and unskilled laborers.
The project demanded extraordinary effort in an isolated desert canyon. Workers excavated diversion tunnels, stripped unstable rock from canyon walls, built roads and rail lines, installed power facilities and poured the enormous concrete structure that became Hoover Dam.
Hoover Dam Jobs During The Great Depression
The Hoover Dam project became a powerful magnet for unemployed Americans during the Great Depression. Men traveled to southern Nevada hoping to secure one of the limited construction jobs, often bringing their families and nearly everything they owned.
Las Vegas was still a small desert community and was poorly equipped to absorb the sudden influx of job seekers. Housing was scarce, money was limited and many families lived in improvised camps while waiting for employment or for permanent worker housing to become available.
Life In Ragtown
One of the best-known temporary settlements was Ragtown, located near the Colorado River in Black Canyon. Families lived in tents, makeshift shelters, cardboard structures and other improvised housing while permanent accommodations were being developed.
Conditions were extremely difficult. Black Canyon summer temperatures could reach about 120 degrees, shade was scarce and dust was constant. Families improvised ways to stay cool and protect children from the heat while dealing with limited services and primitive living conditions.
Although the official Hoover Dam construction fatality count records industrial accidents, the Bureau of Reclamation notes that its official total does not include deaths attributed to heat, pneumonia, heart problems and other natural causes.
Murl Emery & The Ragtown Store
Murl Emery and his family became important figures in Ragtown. Emery, who had worked on the Colorado River, opened a store serving workers and families and transported food and supplies from Las Vegas. Historical accounts describe Emery as extending flexible credit and helping families obtain necessities during a period when services near the dam site were extremely limited.
Black Workers & Discrimination At Hoover Dam
Black workers faced severe racial discrimination in obtaining Hoover Dam jobs. Early hiring by Six Companies excluded African Americans almost completely, prompting protests from Black residents and civil-rights organizations. After pressure on the contractor, a small number of Black laborers were eventually hired.
The number remained extremely small compared with the overall workforce. Historical records indicate that only about two dozen Black men were working on the project in 1933, when the workforce numbered several thousand. They also faced segregation in employment and housing.
Native American Workers At Hoover Dam
Native American men were also among the Hoover Dam workforce, although their numbers were small. Some worked as high scalers, the highly skilled crews who descended Black Canyon walls on ropes to drill, blast and remove loose rock.
The Bureau of Reclamation notes that high scalers came from many backgrounds, including former sailors, circus workers and American Indians. Their dangerous work became one of the most recognizable parts of the Hoover Dam construction story.
Boulder City Was Built For Hoover Dam Workers
Boulder City was created specifically to house Hoover Dam workers and their families. The planned community provided dormitories, cottages, stores, schools, churches and other services that were largely absent from the temporary camps near Black Canyon.
As housing became available, many workers and families moved from temporary camps into Boulder City. The community outlived the construction project and remains closely identified with Hoover Dam and Lake Mead today.
Dangerous Work In Black Canyon
Building Hoover Dam required dangerous work with explosives, heavy equipment, tunnels, steep canyon walls and extreme heat. The Bureau of Reclamation records 96 official industrial fatalities during construction, including deaths from falls, blasting accidents, falling rock, heavy equipment, truck accidents and drowning.
Among the most famous workers were the high scalers, who descended Black Canyon's near-vertical walls on ropes. Using jackhammers and dynamite, they removed loose and unstable rock so the dam could be anchored securely to solid canyon walls.
Hoover Dam Workers & Their Families
The story of Hoover Dam extends beyond the men employed on the construction site. Wives and children shared the hardships of migration, temporary camps, desert heat and uncertain employment. Families established homes, raised children, created informal communities and eventually helped transform Boulder City from a construction settlement into a permanent town.
Their experiences are an important part of Hoover Dam history because the project was not simply an engineering undertaking—it was also a large human migration shaped by the Great Depression and the search for work.
Legacy Of The Hoover Dam Workforce
Hoover Dam remains a monument not only to engineering but also to the people who built it. Thousands of workers spent years excavating, drilling, blasting, transporting materials and placing concrete in one of the most challenging construction environments of its era.
The workers, their families, the communities of Ragtown and Boulder City, and the men who lost their lives on the project are inseparable from the history of Hoover Dam. Their story gives a human dimension to a structure often remembered primarily for its enormous size and engineering achievements.
For more about the construction itself, see Building Hoover Dam, Hoover Dam High Scalers and the Hoover Dam Historic Photo Gallery.
Hoover Dam Workers FAQ
How many people worked on Hoover Dam?
The Bureau of Reclamation states that approximately 21,000 men worked on the Hoover Dam project over the course of construction. The average workforce was about 3,500, with a peak of more than 5,200 workers.
When was Hoover Dam built?
Major construction began in 1931. Concrete placement in the dam was completed in 1935, and all major project features were completed by March 1936.
What was Ragtown?
Ragtown was a temporary settlement near the Colorado River where workers and families lived in tents and makeshift shelters while waiting for jobs and permanent housing during Hoover Dam construction.
Why was Boulder City built?
Boulder City was created to provide planned housing and services for Hoover Dam workers and their families during construction of the project.
How many workers died building Hoover Dam?
The Bureau of Reclamation records 96 official industrial fatalities associated with construction. That official number does not include deaths attributed to heat, pneumonia, heart problems and certain other natural causes.
What did Hoover Dam high scalers do?
High scalers descended the walls of Black Canyon on ropes and used drills, jackhammers and explosives to remove loose rock and prepare the canyon walls for construction.
Did Black workers help build Hoover Dam?
Yes, but African American workers faced substantial hiring discrimination and made up only a very small part of the workforce. Historical records indicate about 24 Black workers were employed on the project in 1933.
Did Native Americans work on Hoover Dam?
Yes. A small number of Native American workers participated in the project, including men who worked as high scalers on the walls of Black Canyon.
Photos compliments of: Boulder City Museum
Related Hoover Dam Interest
Hoover Dam
Building Hoover Dam
Hoover Dam Diversion Tunnels
Hoover Dam High Scalers
Hoover Dam Historic Photos
Hoover Dam Map
Hoover Dam Pictures
Along The Colorado River
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Lake Powell
Lake Mead
Lake Mohave
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