Norman Rockwell and his Dam Painting

Today’s post is written by Cody White, Archivist at the National Archives at Denver. “That’s a mechanical drawing . . . where’s some human interest?” posed the famous artist as he took in the vista of Arizona’s 710-foot-tall, 1,560-foot-wide Glen Canyon Dam. The Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) staffers accompanying the artist—who at that point in … Continue reading Norman Rockwell and his Dam Painting

The Great “Adobe Inn” Move of 1962

Today's post is written by Cody White, Archivist at the National Archives at Denver “It is a pleasure for me to come out here and help blow up this valley in the cause of progress.” So stated President John F. Kennedy on August 18, 1962, as he stood atop a simple wooden stage 10 miles … Continue reading The Great “Adobe Inn” Move of 1962

“Throw Dummy Off Dam;” Filming at the Hoover Dam

Today's post is written by Cody White, archivist at the National Archives at Denver. "Cut to a close-up of the turbines turning. Cut to water pouring over the dam. Cut to the kid spitting out and over the dam. Cut to the kid looking down at the water rushing past.  Voice over; 'Coming March 15th, … Continue reading “Throw Dummy Off Dam;” Filming at the Hoover Dam

The Bureau of Reclamation’s Push to Create the Shoshone Cavern National Monument

Today’s post is written by Cody White, Archivist at the National Archives at Denver. “The cave was discovered by a man and his dog.” So University of Wyoming Professor Emeritus of History Phil Roberts succinctly explained it in a 2015 Wyoming State Historical Society blog post about Shoshone Cavern, Wyoming’s second named national monument and … Continue reading The Bureau of Reclamation’s Push to Create the Shoshone Cavern National Monument

Concrete and Canyons: Senator Robert Kennedy’s 1967 Family Vacation

Today’s post is written by Cody White, Archivist at the National Archives at Denver. Nearly 50 years ago on June 29, 1967 an airplane landed at Hall’s Crossing near the upper end of Utah’s Lake Powell. On hand to meet the plane was San Juan County Commissioner Calvin Black who presented two Navajo blankets to … Continue reading Concrete and Canyons: Senator Robert Kennedy’s 1967 Family Vacation

The Unforgettable Calamity – 40th Anniversary of the Teton Dam Failure

Today's post was written by Cody White, Archivist at the National Archives at Denver “As I sit here and watch I can see it caving in. It is just coming apart, completely coming apart… my advice to people downstream that are living along the Teton River, get your belongings, get your belongings. Don’t push your … Continue reading The Unforgettable Calamity – 40th Anniversary of the Teton Dam Failure

letter written on Golden Brewery stationary showing Castle Rock

Lithograph Company v. Adolph Coors – a Case of an Unpaid Tab

Today's post was written by Cody White, Archivist at the National Archives at Denver 142 years ago this fall Adolf Coors, along with Denver businessman Jacob Shueler, recorded a deed of purchase for an abandoned tannery in Golden, Colorado. Within months the building would become home to the Golden Brewery, thus beginning a new chapter … Continue reading Lithograph Company v. Adolph Coors – a Case of an Unpaid Tab

On the Road Again: Presidential Visits to the West, Part III

Today's post was written by Cody White, Archivist at the National Archives in Denver. This is the last part in a three part series. Read parts one and two. For a president who was only in office a few short years before his untimely death, President John F. Kennedy certainly got around - we hold in … Continue reading On the Road Again: Presidential Visits to the West, Part III

On the Road Again: Presidential Visits to the West, Part II

Today's post was written by Cody White, Archivist at the National Archives at Denver. This is part two in a three part series. Read Part I. In 1930 Secretary of Interior Ray Lyman Wilber visited southern Nevada to inaugurate the construction of a long planned dam on the Colorado River. Known until then as Boulder … Continue reading On the Road Again: Presidential Visits to the West, Part II

On the Road Again: Presidential Visits to the West, Part I

Today’s post was written by Cody White, Archivist at the National Archives at Denver. Campaigns. Dedications. Even family vacations. For one reason or another United States Presidents have found some excuse to visit the American West and scattered throughout the National Archives at Denver holdings are photographs of 11 presidents on just such trips. Some … Continue reading On the Road Again: Presidential Visits to the West, Part I