The construction of Hoover Dam is considered to be one of America's finest
             engineering achievements. However the dam that rose from the floor of Black Canyon
             was not only a structural accomplishment, it was a proposition firmly rooted in
             practicalities. The necessity of such a dam had been obvious for more than two
             decades. The Colorado River's cycles of drought and flood in the American southwest
             incapacitated the growth of the agricultural industry. It was felt that a dam that could
             control the river would also provide hydroelectric power, eventually rendering the dam
             self-financing. The growth of Las Vegas and Southern California as major metropolitan
             centers also depended, to a large extent, on the availability of water and power. Almost
             from the beginning of its construction, the dam possessed an epic quality that
             stimulated the national imagination. It was apparent that the meaning of the dam itself
             was beyond even that of a structure that equaled the vast landscape it inhabited. The
             dam, and the people who built it , began controlling nature in a new and powerful way.
             Although construction actually began on the Hoover Dam in 1931, site testing
             for the project had begun early in the 1920's. In 1927 the Swing-Johnson bill was
             passed by Congress and President Coolidge, which gave the go ahead on Hoover Dam
             project. So many construction companies around the country began to evaluate the
             proposals. Most agreed that the plan was too ambitious, too difficult, the landscape
             was too unforgiving, and the technology was not advanced enough to build a dam of
             that size. But on March 11, 1931; Six Companies Incorporated, a conglomeration of
             six smaller construction companies, won the job with a bid of $48,890,955. (The Story
             Since this dam site was so remote , the first task was to lay roads and railroad
             lines, so that all the materials would be easily accessible. Th...