Triva Question Do you know your History?

Question

Q: What was Hoover Dam's previous name?

Congrats Caretaker for the outstanding detailed answer, I must admit, I learned something from reading this answer and I am the one who wrote the question!
Thank you very much for the info;
In a few hours, I will pick your answer as the Best Answer.....pj

Answer 1

Paul Ding is wrong Hoover Dam was built. And you're wrong because it's official name has always been Hoover Dam,

The dam, originally planned for a location in Boulder Canyon, was relocated to Black Canyon for better impoundment, but was still known as the Boulder Dam project. Work on the project started on July 7, 1930.

At the official beginning of the project on September 17, 1930, President Hoover's Secretary of the Interior Ray L. Wilbur, announced that the new dam on the Colorado River would be named Hoover Dam to honor the then President of the United States. Wilbur followed a long-standing tradition of naming important dams after the President who was in office when they were constructed, such as Wilson Dam and Coolidge Dam.

Furthermore, Hoover was already campaigning for re-election in the face of the Depression and sought credit for creating jobs. A Congressional Act of February 14, 1931, made the name "Hoover Dam" official.

In 1932, Hoover lost his bid for reelection to Franklin Delano Roosevelt. When Roosevelt took office on March 4, 1933, he brought Harold Ickes with him to replace Ray Lyman Wilbur as Secretary of the Interior.

On May 8, 1933, Ickes issued a memorandum to the Bureau of Reclamation, which was in charge of the dam, stating, "I have your reference to the text for the pamphlet descriptive of the Boulder Canyon Project for use at the Century of Progress Exposition. I would be glad if you will refer to the dam as 'Boulder Dam' in this pamphlet as well as in correspondence and other references to the dam as you may have occasion to make in the future."

Ickes could not "officially" change the name of the dam, as that had been set by Congress, but the effect was the same: all references to "Hoover" Dam in official sources, as well as tourist and other promotional materials, vanished in favor of "Boulder" Dam.

Roosevelt died in 1945 and Harold Ickes retired in 1946. On March 4, 1947 California Congressman Jack Anderson submitted House Resolution 140 to "restore" the name Hoover Dam. Anderson’s resolution passed the House on March 6.

A companion resolution passed the Senate on April 23, and on April 30, 1947, President Harry S. Truman signed Public Law 43 which read: "Resolved … that the name of Hoover Dam is hereby restored to the dam on the Colorado River (note he did not refer to Boulder Dam) in Black Canyon constructed under the authority of the Boulder Canyon Project Act … . Any law, regulation, document, or record of the United States in which such dam is designated or referred to under the name of Boulder Dam shall be held to refer to such dam under and by the name of Hoover Dam."

It was never officially known as Boulder Day. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoover_Dam

Answer 2

I must admit I learned something here. I thought for sure it was originally Boulder Dam.

Trivia: My dad was a child of the depression. He went to his grave never having called it anything but "Boulder Dam" and the depression "Hoover Days". Needless to say he revered FDR.

Thanks for the good information.

Answer 3

Boulder Dam?

Answer 4

A better trivia question would be "When was Hoover Dam built?"

The answer, of course, is "Never". It was built as Boulder Dam, and renamed.

Answer 5

Yes i know this one it was called."boulder canyon dam"and "boulder dam".But it never was officially called any of these.Only by the name hoover dam.

Answer 6

vacum cleaner lake.lol

Answer 7

dyson