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.v; N 00 -' ~ ~ Hoover Dam was completed. A per- manent asset had been added to the Na- tion's economy. The years of study, the plans, and the blueprints had materialized into lasting structural achievement. And within a few Sh0I1 years, far morc quickly than Reclamation designers ex- pected, Hoover Dam had amply demonstrated its economic and social wOl1h to the Southwest and to the Nation. Boulder City, Nevada A Tm~or argument against constructing a dam in Black Canyon was that no facilities existed for housing the workers who would build the project. The engineers who conducted the preliminary surveys knew that suitable living quarters would be vital to constl1lction progress. A camp in the vicinity of the dam was out of the question - the summer heat would have made living conditions unbearable. So the search began for an acceptable townsite. Several tllCtors figured in the choice of a high plateau about 7 miles southwest of the dam as the townsite. With an elevation of about 2,500 feet above sea level, the plateau is more than 1,800 feet above the Colorado River, more than 1,200 feet higher than the crest of Hoover Dam, and nearly 500 feet higher than nearby Las Vegas. Temperatures recorded during the townsite selection showed that the climate would be more tolerable here than at other locations. Named Boulder City after the Boulder Canyon Project, the new town was laid out in a triangle, with the apex pointing north. The Bureau of Reclamation's administration building was erected at this apex with the city's principal streets fanning out from it. The townsite was on Government- owned land, and title to all land was re- tained by Reclamation. Private citizens granted land leases were pennitted to erect buildings. No land taxes were levied, but the lessee was charged a ground rental by the Federal Government. 24 Boulder Ci/)', JllnulII)' 1946 Boulder City began rising from the desert early in 1931. Streets were surveyed and paved, trees and lawns planted, and spacious parks laid out. Reclamation and the contractors building the dam constructed houses and other buildings. Private businesses were li- censed and were soon in operation. Sewer, water, and electricity were pro- vidcd. By mid-1932, more than 2,500 people resided in Boulder City. By 1934, with a population of slightly more than 6,000, Boulder City was Nevada's third largest town. As the dam neared completion the contractors and many of their workers began moving to other jobs. The popula- tion gradually declined until, by 1940, fewer than 3,000 people were left. Some believed the decline would continue until the only remaining residents would be those concemed directly with project operation and maintenance. Then came World War II. Although Hoover Powerplant was the world's largest in 1940, the demand for the power in the industrial areas of the Pacific Southwest was so great that additional generating units were ordered. Workers were needed to install these units and, with other industries moving into the area, Boulder City began to grow once marc. In 1941, the Defense Plant Corpora- tion began constructing a huge magnesium plant halfway between Boulder City and Las Vegas. This new plant brought thousands of workmen and their families into the area, with resultant overcrowding in Las Vegas and Boulder City. When Boulder City was planned, only the requirements foreseen for the dam's construction were taken into account. Government buildings and some houses had been built as pemanent structures, but many of the buildings were designed to serve during the construction period