The sheer scale of the dam and duration of the project required the Bureau of Reclamation to consider the construction of a semi-permanent town rather than a temporary arrangement. The land upon which Boulder City was founded was a harsh, desert environment. Its sole reason for existence was the need to house workers contracted to build the Hoover Dam on the Colorado River (known commonly as Boulder Dam from 1933 to 1947.) Men hoping for work on the dam project had begun settling along the river in tents soon after the precise site for the dam had been chosen by the Bureau of Reclamation in 1930.
Boulder City was built in 1931 by the Bureau of Reclamation and Six Companies, Inc.
Located just 20 miles from the Las Vegas strip, Boulder City prides itself on its relaxed and small-town atmosphere and much of it originates from the day it was born. It's fair to say that without Hoover Dam ('Boulder Dam') there would be no Boulder City today.
