One of the tours the Local Host Committee has put together is the Hoover Dam/Ethel M. Chocolate Factory. This tour starts with an awe inspiring view and an informative tour of the running of the dam and its importance to the southwest. There’s a bit of a respite while you enjoy lunch at a local buffet and ends with a very tempting array of chocolates.
While you’re touring the dam, think of these fun facts.
- The dam was completed 2 years ahead of schedule in 1935. When is the last time anyone remembers this happening in a project of this size?
- There is enough concrete in the dam to pave a strip 16 feet wide and 8 inches thick from San Francisco to New York City. That’s a lot of concrete!
- The wages for a Hoover Dam worker ranged from 50 cents an hour to $1.25 an hour.
- Sometimes, when the foremen weren’t looking, the daring workers who hung by ropes from the canyon walls to jackhammer and pack dynamite, would swing off the walls and perform stunts for the workers below.
- As you take the escalator to the dam tour, take a peek at the plaque dedicated to the dam mascot. A stray dog adopted the dam and its workers. It’s buried close by.
- Be sure to rub the toes of the two 30 feet tall winged figures on the Nevada side approach to the dam. Legend has it that doing so will ensure you good luck. (Nice thing to have when in Las Vegas. Right?)
Thanks to Betteann Myers, Publicity Chair, Local Host Committee
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