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Part of Six Companies’ contract was to provide housing for 80% of their workers. Las Vegas was out of the question because
it was over thirty miles away from the dam site and Six Companies wanted to keep their workers away from the vices associated
with the little town. It was decided that Boulder City would be constructed seven miles from the dam site. The government
would be in charge of such things as the sewer lines as well as the construction of homes for the Bureau of Reclamation workers.
So many workers wanted a Six Companies home that when the construction of the houses finally commenced, it could take up to two years
for a family to move up the waiting list. Workers were eager to end their long commutes from Las Vegas or move their families out of tents.
“A nice little house, one of those what they called two-room. Of course they all had porches, nice porches, so that doubled up as another bedroom, or an extra room. They were comfortable little houses . . . " Marion Allen For women, making a comfortable home out of these houses was sometimes a trial. “The floors were just plain old pine wood. It had no flooring, so I had to keep the children off the floor as much as I could because they’d get slivers in their little behinds and in their legs.” Mary Eaton In addition to housing, Six Companies also provided a company store for its employees. Whether looking for clothes are something for dinner, the store met many needs. Like many other company stores, Six Companies allowed their customers to use scrip - money printed by Six Companies that could only be used at the store. Workers could set up a tab in the store, and the bill would be paid with the next paycheck. Six Companies even issued credit cards for use in the store. |
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