1931: Hoover What?

Construction on Boulder Dam began in 1931. Boulder Dam, you say? That’s what they had planned to call it as the original site for the dam was actually 10 miles north upriver at Boulder Canyon. The name was later changed by the Hoover administration. Before they could start construction, the Colorado River had to be diverted. Four tunnels were dug so that the water could be rerouted around the dam site and joined with the Colorado River downstream. It took about 4,250,000 cubic yards of concrete, and 14,800 miles of steep pipe to complete the dam and the power plant. Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicated the newly completed Hoover Dam on September 30, 1995.

Other notable news for Vegas that year was that the Nevada legislation legalized gaming. Casino owners signed up for licenses and were plenty happy they no longer had to pay local law enforcement to look the other way.

>>More information about the Hoover Dam.