Soon after the dam was authorized, increasing numbers of unemployed people converged on southern Nevada. Las Vegas, then a small city of some 5,000, saw between 10,000 and 20,000 unemployed descend on it. A government camp was established for surveyors and other personnel near the dam site; this soon became surrounded by a squatters' camp. Known as McKeeversville, the camp was home to men hoping for work on the project, together with their families. Another camp, on the flats along the Colorado River, was officially called Williamsville, but was known to its inhabitants as "Ragtown". When construction began, Six Companies hired large numbers of workers, with more than 3,000 on the payroll by 1932 and with employment peaking at 5,251 in July 1934. "Mongolian" (Chinese) labor was prevented by the construction contract, while the number of black people employed by Six Companies never exceeded thirty, mostly lowest-pay-scale laborers in a segregated crew, who were issued separate water buckets.
soon after the dam was authorized increasing numbers of unemployed people converged on southern nevada las vegas then a small city of some 5000 saw between 10000 and 20000 unemployed descend on it a government camp was established for surveyors and other personnel near the dam site; this soon became surrounded by a squatters' camp known as mckeeversville the camp was home to men hoping for work on the project together with their families another camp on the flats along the colorado river was officially called williamsville but was known to its inhabitants as "ragtown" when construction began six companies hired large numbers of workers with more than 3000 on the payroll by 1932 and with employment peaking at 5251 in july 1934 "mongolian" (chinese) labor was prevented by the construction contract while the number of black people employed by six companies never exceeded thirty mostly lowest-pay-scale laborers in a segregated crew who were issued separate water buckets