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Although Boulder City was initially slotted to be only a temporary town, a sense of community quickly began to develop.
Residents made friends with one another, went to dances, and even made long-term plans for the community. One of the first things community members planned was a church. Church services were originally held in Anderson Mess Hall and Wilbur Square. "On Sunday night, they would have church services. One Sunday, the Catholic priest spoke, the next Sunday the Episcopal priest spoke, and the third Sunday the [Grace] Community Church minister spoke. That was our excitement through the week, to go to church service Sunday night." Frank Baker In a show of multi-denominational support, members from seven different traditions cooperated to build the Grace Community Church in 1933. Whether they wanted it to or not religion played an important part in the lives of the unemployed. Many men were still looking for work and camped out around the Bureau of Reclamations Employment office in Las Vegas. Most of these men had no idea where there next meal would come from. Some, however, found food through salvation. "All these poor men who were trying to get work, who were sleeping on the Union Pacific lawn and the courthouse lawn, and hadn’t maybe had a meal in three days, went to hear Ma Kennedy preach. If they came to God, they also got some food . . . If they would walk up and kneel down, she would pat them on the head and pray with them. Then she’d kiss them on the head and give them a little slip of paper which entitled them to a free meal." Erma Godbey |
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