Hoover Dam

Hoover Dam, formerly called Boulder Dam is named in honor of Herbert Hoover, the U.S  President during whose administration (1929–33) construction began on the dam and whose work as commerce secretary in the 1920s secured agreements necessary for the project to proceed. Erected during the Great Depression, the dam was a major endeavor that employed thousands of workers; around 100 fatalities occurred during its construction. Although legislation passed by Congress in 1931 officially named the dam for Hoover, officials in the succeeding administrations Franklin D Roosevelt, and Harry S Truman referred to it as Boulder Dam, its name during the planning stages before construction. In 1947 Truman signed a congressional resolution restoring the structure’s formal name to official use.