In 1928, when the federal government decided to build a dam on the lower Colorado River, Las Vegas was at its low point. The railroad, which was Las Vegas’ main business for many years, had left and little had come in its stead. The community seemed washed up, without a future. The dam rescued Las Vegas, made it anew, and set the stage for an era in which the city depended on federal dollars.

The economic benefits of the dam were unparalleled in the history of Las Vegas. Beginning in 1931, dam construction provided four years of paychecks to almost 5,000 workers at the height of the depression. The dam was a technological miracle that only the twentieth century could produce. It created life, infrastructure, business, and even tourism.

In the desperate 1930s, Las Vegas was little different than most western towns. The region’s economy survived or thrived on the size of the federal contribution. Compared to many places, Las Vegas fared well. The dam pumped $19 million into the region.

The west was filled with many towns bustling with government funded projects, but Las Vegas stood apart from other western towns in a very significant way. It allowed activities that other places forbid, specifically gambling (since 1931) and legalized prostitution. Las Vegas presented itself as a place left over from an older western past, but in reality it just hadn’t changed while everyone else had. Las Vegas allowed you to get away with things that you couldn’t do at home.