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Because of the Depression, the government strongly suggested that Six Companies begin construction on the dam six months early.
This left no time for barracks or family housing to be built. As a result, the first people to arrive at the dam site either
had to find housing in Las Vegas or make do in Black Canyon. Since most people equated being close to the construction site with
the success of getting a job, many decided to live at Black Canyon.
Perhaps the most infamous community to develop because of dam construction was Ragtown. Located on the floor of Black Canyon near the construction site, Ragtown consisted of tents, cardboard boxes, and anything else families could get their hands on. Ragtown provided very dismal living conditions. While temperatures in the Las Vegas Valley were in the mild 90s, temperatures on the floor of Black Canyon soared to well over 120 degrees. As men flooded the construction site to work or to find jobs, wives and children coped with the harsh comforts of Ragtown. "You were really just existing." Helen Holmes Because of the closeness of the Colorado, there was plenty of water. Although sufficient for bathing, the water caused health problems.
The women of Ragtown had to be creative to provide for their families. Placing an ironing board over two crates created a bench. For women with babies, diapers were cleaned by boiling them in bleach over campfires. Foremost on most mothers' minds was the care of their children. In an attempt to keep her baby cool, Erma Godbey draped wet sheets over the cradle. Storage caches dug into the earth offered no protection from the heat, so essentials like fresh milk were not an option. Instead, canned food had to be purchased. Lunches packed for husbands often spoiled because of the heat. |
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