Hoover Dam Construction: Boulder Dam (Part I) (1931) - CharlieDeanArchives / Archival Footage 

What a beautiful film and time to have been alive . Things were simple but at the same time incredibly difficult . No machinery, tools like we have today, yet hard working men with a pride and passion in what they were doing . Thanks to each and everyone of you who built such impressive structures back then. Sorry for the mess in which we have created today

There’s no question that it was a truly epic project, and the benefits of it would be felt for decades to come. Worker safety was not really a thing in those days and as such many lives were needlessly lost. We should never forgot any of those who lost their lives, and those that completed the project.

I was just there for the 4th time in the last 52 years. While the dam has not changed, the surroundings sure have. There is a multi-story parking garage and a " new " bridge downstream to allow for the much- increased traffic and to assure that no trucks cross the dam. The original part of Bolder City is very beautiful and quaint. A nice place to visit. My hat is off to those brave and hard-working men and women who built this dam. It was, and still is, a marvel. Thanks for posting this informative and well-done documentary.

Words are not enough. I will only say this; remarkable.

We are *not* going to gloss over the fact that at 16:43 dude is steering a reverse moving truck with his feet!

It has only overflowed twice in its lifetime. I was there one of those days. Absolutely incredible. And the gold elevator tours. Epic

Leading edge engineering and lots of hard work is what you’re looking at here. Brilliant.

What an amazing display of American ingenuity. The workers of this era were a different breed, just relentless.

The Hoover Dam tour was epic during my visit in 2006 & 2009

2000 years from now archeologists will look at the Hoover Dam and speculate that extraterrestrials must have been involved in the building of such a staggering engineering challenge. The vid shows what America once was and why it really was an extraordinary country.

Incredible the ingenuity they had in 1934👍

The size of those pipes are incredible!!!

My grandfather, Wilfred Ooley, was one of the real men who worked as an iron worker on the dam for four years. He was born in 1903 and Passed away in Idaho Falls, ID 1966.

This story is simply amazing. Done during a time when the potential of what America was capable of, seemed unlimited. The world has moved on, a project like this will never be accomplished again in America. The last truly great accomplishment by America was when we went to the moon. We will never be that country ever again.

It was the Great Depression, folks. You took what jobs you could find to keep your families alive. Safety? That was up to you, for the most part. Zane Grey did an excellent, if romanticised, job of describing the dam building process in BOULDER DAM. Recommended reading!

Absolutely mind-blowing the scale and scope of this undertaking and finishing ahead of schedule and under budget. Did the tour many years ago and was just awe struck. Down in the generation room you coukd eat off the floor and so quiet with the turbines perfectly balanced. Damn what they did is nothing short of humans at their peak potential. Hats off to all those men who made this magnificent engineering achievement.

Mind bogling brilliance.

My great uncle died during the construction. He was working on the diversion tunnel when there was a collapse.

American: "The Colorado is the most dangerous river in the world" Amazon, Ganges and Yangtze rivers: "Are we a joke to you?"

This never gets old

Heres a wild story. My grandfather Jacob was involved with all of the dams built with allis chamlers turbines. My dad said Jake was the Guy they went to in the constuction of the powerhouses. Anyway im a kid gramps is about 85 years old. My dad is giving him a haircut when the phone rings. Dad picks it up. Hello is this Jacob Jablonski. No. This is his son Louis. A guy from AC was calling and wanted to speak to pa. He said they were having some problems with one of the turbines at the dam. My gramps said. Your getting vibration on the number 2 turbine. Silence on the phone. Did someone call you mr Jablonski. No but when you said you were having trouble i knew it was the number 2 turbine. When they built them in Milwaukee. They ran fine. When they installed the turbine #2 it had a vibration. Pa said they had ro shim something and that fixed the vibration. He even told them how thick the shims were and what they torqued the nuts down to. My dad said . Pa how dido you remember that stuff. Pa said every job was differant. So you made adjustments. He was 85 years old when they got the call. My dad thinks his dad was a genius. . Pretty cool eh.

When men were men, and America knew where it was going. How did it all go so wrong.

NO AIR CONDITIONING!!!!!! Tough tough people.

Officially, 96 people died creating the boulder dam.

Lovely. A very informative video thanks.

Hey, get there and look at that big sucker. Its is one of the only places near Las Vegas that are a win win situation for you!!! I love visiting there. Now that the new highway is there to the west of the dam it is even easier on your wallet to go and see and have a good time. Trust Me!!!

From what these Great Americans had built, those of us in the west still benefit greatly from. Unfortunately I don’t think this could have been archived today. Actually I know it wouldn’t be possible.

Was there in June 98. The first time in years they opened the spillways. Not so much today!

JFK files and Patterson-Gimlin footage dove tail nicely here! Thanks guys at the archives, and that raises more questions than it answers!

Man them guys was tough no A/C no shocks on them dump trucks spring ride dam it

Incredible

Choosing the proper location was vital

Is there a part 2 to this? What’s the link ?

Thank you

Is there anny stuff in museums somewhere like the cableways and stuff used? Just asking from the Netherlands 🇳🇱🇳🇱

safe to say osha wasn't a thing back then

Amazing💯👍

Are you claiming copyright on these pd films like others do

1931 - its almost century has passed, clean electricity for a whole City

I lived in Boulder City. Notice my user name?

JUST AMAZING!!!!

WOW!

This documentary had lots of great footage and details, but I really want to know how the cooling system worked for the dam. allegedly there was a cooling water system because concrete heats up when it solidifies. also, I am curious why they pour concrete in forms the shape of boxes when you would expect this damn to be one straight piece.... Lastly, around 20:00 they say work commences day and night, rain and shine.... they poured crete at night in the rain? that sounds nuts.

Not one fat guy

Epitome of the American dream.

Wow....

wow people actually working hard thing of the past u dont see that now days

First generator placed on September 11, 1936.

The guy at 16:50 driving backwards with his foot

And how many men were killed during the dams construction??

16:50 Dude steering the truck backing up with his foot looking at the back of the truck! OSHA, did you see this? lol

I heard they used ice in the concrete mixes.

Must have bern miserable at 125 degrees

4:18 I felt like that was about to fall over

1931 125 degrees average summer temp.

great 👌🏼

Anyone see guy steering with his foot a dump truck😊

indonesia masih bentuk kerajaan jaman ini, diluar sudah sangat modern

arc welding at 24:00

My Dad knew young guys who worked there and said they had grey hair by the end of dam completion.

Finally, sure made 2023 not much fun, and expensive, that's farmin. Next year will be better

Is it possible Powell was right?. In a speech around 1870 or so he stated the American Southwest was not suited for human settlement because of a lack of water. All we humans do is only temporary, nature makes the final judgement.

What inland sea was he speaking of? That created the rush of water that “created” the Colorado river…

New drinking game: drink if he says concrete or dam

The amount of bodies thats in that construction is absolutely horrible!

I broke the dam.

96 people died but no memorial.

Imagine accomplishing this now with the ‘woke’ victims hiding from effort

Terrible audio track. Too bad because it's a pretty good film.

Osha smosha bulid the dam thing

X Ray

World before ww2...

Lol . Sigh

My great grandfather worked on that dam! He lost his testicles by using a sledgehammer! Use you imagination on that situation!

It's sad as hell though that Russell Crowe paid the labor help chicken feed.

How amazing barley any views. Flat earth

Biden will say he voted for it and was there when building it

Amazing how everything was exactly perfect.. propaganda propaganda propaganda geeeesshhh

Ameryka stop glorified your long past build something big again like china does