Boulder City Nevada

by Mimi Garat Rodden

Book Overview

The Boulder Canyon Project Act, authorized by Congress in 1928, designated funds for the construction of the Hoover Dam. This monumental undertaking affected the interests of seven states and is considered by many to be the most significant American public works project of the 20th century. A project of this scope required thousands of workers, and to meet their needs, the Bureau of Reclamation planned the town of Boulder City, Nevada. Today, the...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0738507709
• ISBN13: 9780738507705
• Release Date: September 2000
• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing (SC)
• Length: 128 Pages
• Weight: 0.74 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 6.4" x 9.4"

Customer Reviews

a beautiful overview

"Boulder City, Nevada" succinctly and graphically tells the story of the town that built the Hoover Dam. The first twelve pages feature text that describes the origins of the town. Boulder City, as it turns out, is unique for quite a few reasons. First, while most Western towns existed as a rest stop, mining area or trading center before being developed into their current form, Boulder City was truly created by the Federal Government. Second, it was the first master-planned community. Third, the town was the Fed's only reservation that wasn't affiliated with the military or Indians. The current ban on gambling can be traced back to the restrictions that were initially put on the reservation. Much of the rest of the introduction describes how the town was physically laid out and developed. For twelve pages, author Mimi Garat Rodden succinctly explains everything that a casual student of history would want to know about the place. The remaining 116 pages illustrate the town's history with black and white photographs. Images show the city grid, agricultural areas, schools, advertisements, social organizations and the like. Featuring useful captions, the photos are illuminating. If there's anything surprising about the title, it's that it doesn't show a single image of the Hoover Dam. While the town's story is part and parcel with the dam, the dam is only mentioned to the extent that it sheds light onto the community of Boulder City. Those seeking additional information on the town will want to read "Around Boulder City," also published through the Images of America series. "Boulder City, Nevada" is very well done with respect to the excellence of writing, selection of the photographs and the quality of the image reproductions. The only potential problem with this title is that with some of these books, the glue on the binding disintegrates. All in all, "Boulder City, Nevada" is a beautiful introduction to the town that built the Hoover Dam.