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

[@and11rew09]

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

[@bottleandscrap7626]

But there were machinery

[@patriley9449]

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.

[@tomspeed3354]

no women built this damn

[@ohsweetmystery]

@@tomspeed3354And no fatties either.

[@dennisholst4322]

Looks like the skyline the loggers use

[@dennisholst4322]

They probably tried a few loads but didn't want to keep paying the over max weight tickets

[@amtrakjohn]

Before 9 1 1, the Tours went down to the Generator floor- a fabulous place. No longer. On our last tour about 4 years ago- it was Ok but nowhere near as good as the earlier tours to the now restricted areas. @JimAllen-Persona

[@frankdeak2397]

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

[@oddvardmyrnes9040]

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

[@DiHandley]

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.

[@michaelwills1926]

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

[@togowack]

We didn't built it

[@vinumsabbathi5288]

@@togowack Who did then?

[@togowack]

@@vinumsabbathi5288Look up Tartarian Mudflood, it was all built by the ancients

[@charlescrawford584]

​@@togowack😊m .

[@dennisholst4322]

Attitude of doing

[@patrickriley195]

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

[@DOMICH59]

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

[@dmaysx6]

OSHA took the fun out of everything, on the contrary, I see why so many people died building Hoover dam now.

[@EtherealProject3D]

Yeah I saw that, this all was done back when men were men and woman knew it....

[@lwentz5510]

I caught that too. Very cool. I totally would have done that.

[@mpowful]

Had too be a concrete driver

[@davidanalyst671]

hahaha!! I was watching the footage of the double decker trucks carrying workers. lolz

[@stevebrown7190]

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

[@Level_No_Curve]

The workers of that era did not build that structure. We could not replicate this feat in modern times with modern equipment given an unlimited budget in the given time frame claimed this damn was constructed in.

[@mcschoep56]

@@Level_No_Curve If the workers didn't build it, then who did?????

[@johnsimko3379]

Different breed. 96 men died building that thing. They weren’t different they were stupid!

[@mikehoncho9344]

​@@Level_No_CurveSo you're saying space ships right? Like the pyramids?

[@laserbeam002]

@@johnsimko3379 Yeah sadly 96 men out of thousands died. But the benefits to the millions are still being felt. Men died building some of the largest bridges in the world...Men died when planes were first invented, and sometimes still do. Sooooo you saying all those people were stupid??? What if they ALL thought your way....we would not have many bridges...roads...airplanes...ships..etc. Thankfully we have people who are brave and willing to do a hard job. The rest of us benefit.

[@Alan-l6k7l]

Incredible the ingenuity they had in 1934👍

[@sebtonz1]

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.

[@Everett-xe3eg]

The size of those pipes are incredible!!!

[@DonaldTaht]

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.

[@avgjoe-cz7cb]

Sorry young-you, we should last a couple more centuries. And survive a couple more Civil Wars. The old days of this type of building may be gone now, but the future is in your kids hands now... Long live America, until it's not...

[@derrick9635]

Mind bogling brilliance.

[@Jim-mn7yq]

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.

[@davidrice3337]

no they won't - there are too many records - you watch the dude with the goofy hair way too much

[@Jim-mn7yq]

@@davidrice3337 Uh huh . . . and yet even with all the records left by the Egyptians, we're still arguing about how those big pointy things were built and by whom.

[@seatime674]

​@@Jim-mn7yq2000 years from now those people will know we had planes, high rises in New York, space ships, cruise liners, smart phones and cars and will know the Dam was easily built but time consuming...

[@Jim-mn7yq]

@@seatime674 2000 years from now the level of technology, after potential nuclear wars and species killing impacts may not have a clue what an airplane, cruise liner or smart phone is. We live under the illusion that societal technical advancement is a natural law. It isn't.

[@alaingadbois2276]

Some are claming TODAY this wasn’t built by our civilization, but it was found! Hard to believe but there are actually such people. And sadly they are Americans, mostly.

[@tedlivingstonsr.1969]

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.

[@dennisholst4322]

That's tuff work

[@davidrice3337]

Those iron workers were daredevils

[@RICDirector]

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!

[@Trenton.D]

These weren’t just random jobs. These jobs were specifically created by the government to provide employment.

[@Mtnmanmike62]

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

[@RICDirector]

Sorry for your loss...some really brave men out thrre.

[@Everythingisgoingtobealright]

This never gets old

[@user-sh2mk8ew4c]

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

[@babajee6521]

Lovely. A very informative video thanks.

[@TheDAT9]

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

[@rodneycody8746]

Laziness

[@rodneycody8746]

@user-mk2kz2bd9e true story!

[@Myhouseiscurrentlyburningdown]

Wtf are you talking about this on vid of dam construction?

[@onestopfabshop3224]

​@user-mk2kz2bd9eLiberals specifically.

[@dennisholst4322]

All of the above

[@hayeslincoln3111]

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.

[@guydaveman4344]

That is cool

[@GibbonLimbs]

Incredible

[@az80311]

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!!!

[@charlesferdinand422]

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

[@Betamax84]

Officially, 96 people died creating the boulder dam.

[@leejones518]

Unofficially, more died

[@dodgeguyz]

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

[@exvictorian3605]

Thank you

[@willieoliver2023]

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

[@joeygivan2726]

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

[@dennisholst4322]

Choosing the proper location was vital

[@HamSlicer]

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.

[@PureKNFDrake]

Folks can't even spell anymore!

[@pavelyankouski4913]

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

[@user-sh2mk8ew4c]

Try 7 states. Some 30 million people.

[@WalkingVibes4K]

Amazing💯👍

[@Curly34584]

JUST AMAZING!!!!

[@jawkman101]

safe to say osha wasn't a thing back then

[@Jah787]

Who?? Exactly

[@Hooverdarnit]

I lived in Boulder City. Notice my user name?

[@rodneycody8746]

Dammit hoover fix the vacuum

[@marcbach5880]

WOW!

[@NintenDub]

Wow....

[@worldsgreatestride9749]

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

[@BuddSwainston]

Anyone see guy steering with his foot a dump truck😊

[@OriginalJonksy]

Epitome of the American dream.

[@clintdaniel9260]

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

[@adrianprice533]

First generator placed on September 11, 1936.

[@Level_No_Curve]

A favorite date of the controllers

[@davidanalyst671]

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.

[@avgjoe-cz7cb]

It's work, you had to be there..Its concrete, rain or shine or dark...

[@hayeslincoln3111]

The cooling system was 2 inch pipe. They ran cold water through the piping to wick away the heat caused by the curing cement. This they could keep poring concrete over the previous block. When the dam was complete they ran concrete slurry through the piping. It dried to form a solid . They did this to make certain there was no weak spots in the internals of the dam. The blocks were done kinda like Legos. But no 2 blocks ever aligned with one another. This was to assure that nothing could slip .

[@17837]

@@hayeslincoln3111 Excellent (and accurate) explanation - hope the guy who asked about it sees your post

[@spencerblanchard5743]

The guy at 16:50 driving backwards with his foot

[@tmastersat]

Are you claiming copyright on these pd films like others do

[@joeykuiperij4806]

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

[@ChristopherMacLean-lj2xi]

Nope. Scraped for steel used in WW2.

[@rcstl8815]

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

[@polinung2045]

Not one fat guy

[@sadoms6426]

great 👌🏼

[@wahyuhidayat6013]

indonesia masih bentuk kerajaan jaman ini, diluar sudah sangat modern

[@arnenelson4495]

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

[@nunyabuziness8421]

Must have bern miserable at 125 degrees

[@bottleandscrap7626]

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

[@NillWill]

1931 125 degrees average summer temp.

[@standudek1372]

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

[@williamevans6522]

I heard they used ice in the concrete mixes.

[@robertfoster110]

arc welding at 24:00

[@thenevadadesertrat2713]

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.

[@noellane3861]

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

[@andy11ink]

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

[@kiowablue2862]

The Salton Sea

[@somerandomguy3313]

I broke the dam.

[@simonjackson7269]

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

[@xandervk2371]

About 100.

[@laserbeam002]

96

[@leprechaun7667]

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

[@UQRXD]

96 people died.

[@LifeOfMateusz]

Nobody’s actually buried in the dam

[@UQRXD]

96 people died but no memorial.

[@LifeOfMateusz]

There’s a memorial

[@We_All_Seek_Truth]

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

[@dmaysx6]

New drinking game: drink if he says concrete or dam

[@rubenvarela4077]

X Ray

[@panas1122]

World before ww2...

[@larrycumbo2023]

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

[@RideMoto35]

Osha smosha bulid the dam thing

[@moe5735]

No not at all. If you want unsafe working conditions then go work in Dubai or china. No osha there to bother you

[@johnsimko3379]

96 men died. That’s why we need osha.

[@laserbeam002]

@@johnsimko3379 I doubt very seriously if many of our dams and bridges would be built today of OSHA had been a thing. I have to deal with OSHA regulations on my job and I can honestly say some of them are mindlessly stupid.

[@colenewaltersmusicandother9330]

Lol . Sigh

[@chidrole]

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

[@shanecodman1842]

How amazing barley any views. Flat earth

[@Level_No_Curve]

Hoover damn wasnt build by people of the 1930s in that time frame. And yea Earth is not a globe

[@ericboyles7208]

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

[@davidanalyst671]

nobody was forced to work here.

[@cogchildofgod9647]

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

[@LifeOfMateusz]

How is it propaganda? The Hoover Dam is a testament to American ingenuity and resilience.

[@henryjanicky4978]

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

[@laserbeam002]

Hay asshole...every heard of the James Webb telescope??? The world wide web??? First apple computer, The mars rovers????

[@hayeslincoln3111]

On our worst day. We can out build out design any country in the world. Want proof. How old are these dams. My dad said the turbines in the dams were designed to run 125 years .put that in your Chinese pipe and smoke it. You can put a laser across our dams. And they still hold their lines.

[@seapy2398]

And china never mentions a big long wall???

[@hayeslincoln3111]

You can build cool stuff. But does it stand the rest of time. How old is the three gorges dam. How old is Hoover dam grand coulee dam etc etc. china certainly has done some fantastic things lately. We ll see how it holds up 50 years from now. They are very good at reverse engineering things. But the finer points of the build. Not so much. It's a learning curve. Remember when anything from Japan was considered cheap. Not today . They build great stuff . So china may get there. I have my doughts.