Six Companies
Encyclopedia
Six Companies, Inc. was a joint venture
of construction companies that was formed to build the Hoover Dam
across the Colorado River
in Nevada
and Arizona
.
They later went on to build the Parker Dam
, a portion of the Grand Coulee Dam
, the Colorado River Aqueduct
across the Mojave
and Colorado Desert
s to urban Southern California
, and other large projects.
A consortium
was formed by six smaller general contractor
s in order to submit a bid for the Hoover Dam
construction contract. Because of the immense size of the first dam
on the Colorado River
, no single contractor had the resources to make a qualified bid alone. Harry W. Morrison of Morrison-Knudsen (Washington Group International
, a division of URS Corporation) formed the joint venture and was elected president of it. He selected FrancisFrank Crowe
, an employee of Morrison-Knudsen as the General Superintendent. Crowe was the true project manager of the undertaking; he drafted the bid, costed the projected, won the project selection process, and hired each of the men who were employed during the course of the project. The Six Companies started working in about June 1931.
Six Companies Inc. was composed of:
The Six Companies Inc. won the contract in 1931, after a bid
of US$48,890,955 (US$711,604,200.81 inflation adjusted). The project was so complex and large in scope that only 3 bids were received. The Six Companies Inc. bid was $5,000,000 lower than the next bidder, meaning a bid-spread of almost 10%. The Six Companies completed construction of "Boulder Dam—Hoover Dam" two years ahead of schedule in 1935, although It took nine years (1938–47) under relative secrecy, to fix serious leaks with a supplemental grout curtain.
, to the U.S. Government Hoover Dam
Railroad at Lawler, Nevada, a location also known as "U.S. Government Junction". From Lawler the railroad went north for 7 miles to Saddle Island and then east to the Three-Way Junction gravel plant, now submerged under Lake Mead
. From the gravel plant the line split into two branches. One branch ran south for 4.8 miles to Hoover Dam via Cape Horn, Lomix (the Low Level Concrete Mixing Plant) and Himix (the High Level Concrete Mixing Plant) and the dam face. The other branch is now also submerged under Lake Mead and ran north for 7.3 miles across the Las Vegas Wash, crossed the Colorado River
on a bridge into Arizona
and the Arizona gravel pit (Arizona Gravel Deposits) at a location 2 miles from Callville.
The line was constructed by railroad contractor John Phillips of San Francisco, California
. The dam was dedicated in September 1935 and the Six Companies, Inc. railroad line is now submerged beneath hundreds of feet of water.
The Western Pacific Railroad
purchased several of the Six Companies dump cars for company service after the dam was completed and the equipment declared surplus. One of these cars is now preserved at the Western Pacific Railroad Museum
at Portola, California
.
The U.S. Government Railroad had a 10-mile branch that brought supplies by rail from a connection with the Boulder City Branch of the Union Pacific Railroad
at Boulder City, Nevada
.
in Sunnyvale, California
. Hendy was most known for its record breaking assembly line production of 754 two story tall Liberty Ship
EC-2 Reciprocating Steam Engines, producing one engine every 40.8 hours. They were used at the Richmond Shipyards
building the Liberty Ships
Joint venture
A joint venture is a business agreement in which parties agree to develop, for a finite time, a new entity and new assets by contributing equity. They exercise control over the enterprise and consequently share revenues, expenses and assets...
of construction companies that was formed to build the Hoover Dam
Hoover Dam
Hoover Dam, once known as Boulder Dam, is a concrete arch-gravity dam in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River, on the border between the US states of Arizona and Nevada. It was constructed between 1931 and 1936 during the Great Depression and was dedicated on September 30, 1935, by President...
across the Colorado River
Colorado River
The Colorado River , is a river in the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, approximately long, draining a part of the arid regions on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. The watershed of the Colorado River covers in parts of seven U.S. states and two Mexican states...
in Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
and Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
.
They later went on to build the Parker Dam
Parker Dam
Parker Dam is a concrete arch-gravity dam that crosses the Colorado River downstream of Hoover Dam. Built between 1934 and 1938 by the Bureau of Reclamation, it is high, of which are below the riverbed, making it "the deepest dam in the world". The dam's primary functions are to create a...
, a portion of the Grand Coulee Dam
Grand Coulee Dam
Grand Coulee Dam is a gravity dam on the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington built to produce hydroelectric power and provide irrigation. It was constructed between 1933 and 1942, originally with two power plants. A third power station was completed in 1974 to increase its energy...
, the Colorado River Aqueduct
Colorado River Aqueduct
The Colorado River Aqueduct, or CRA, is a water conveyance in Southern California in the United States, operated by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California . The aqueduct impounds water from the Colorado River at Lake Havasu on the California-Arizona border west across the Mojave...
across the Mojave
Mojave Desert
The Mojave Desert occupies a significant portion of southeastern California and smaller parts of central California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona, in the United States...
and Colorado Desert
Colorado Desert
California's Colorado Desert is a part of the larger Sonoran Desert, which extends across southwest North America. The Colorado Desert region encompasses approximately , reaching from the Mexican border in the south to the higher-elevation Mojave Desert in the north and from the Colorado River in...
s to urban Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
, and other large projects.
Hoover Dam
On January 10, 1931, the Bureau of Reclamation made the bid documents available to interested parties, at five dollars a copy. The government would provide the materials; but the contractor was to prepare the site and build the dam. The dam was described in minute detail, covering 100 pages of text and 76 drawings. A $2 million bid bond was to accompany each bid; the winner would have to post a $5 million performance bond. The contractor would have seven years to build the dam, or penalties would ensue.A consortium
Consortium
A consortium is an association of two or more individuals, companies, organizations or governments with the objective of participating in a common activity or pooling their resources for achieving a common goal....
was formed by six smaller general contractor
General contractor
A general contractor is responsible for the day-to-day oversight of a construction site, management of vendors and trades, and communication of information to involved parties throughout the course of a building project.-Description:...
s in order to submit a bid for the Hoover Dam
Hoover Dam
Hoover Dam, once known as Boulder Dam, is a concrete arch-gravity dam in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River, on the border between the US states of Arizona and Nevada. It was constructed between 1931 and 1936 during the Great Depression and was dedicated on September 30, 1935, by President...
construction contract. Because of the immense size of the first dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
on the Colorado River
Colorado River
The Colorado River , is a river in the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, approximately long, draining a part of the arid regions on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. The watershed of the Colorado River covers in parts of seven U.S. states and two Mexican states...
, no single contractor had the resources to make a qualified bid alone. Harry W. Morrison of Morrison-Knudsen (Washington Group International
Washington Group International
Washington Group International was an American corporation which provided integrated engineering, construction and management services to businesses and governments around the world. Based in Boise, Idaho, it had approximately 25,000 employees working in over 40 states and more than 30 countries...
, a division of URS Corporation) formed the joint venture and was elected president of it. He selected FrancisFrank Crowe
Frank Crowe
Francis Trenholm Crowe was the chief engineer of the Hoover Dam. During that time, he was the superintendent of Six Companies, the construction company that oversaw the construction project....
, an employee of Morrison-Knudsen as the General Superintendent. Crowe was the true project manager of the undertaking; he drafted the bid, costed the projected, won the project selection process, and hired each of the men who were employed during the course of the project. The Six Companies started working in about June 1931.
Six Companies Inc. was composed of:
- Henry J. Kaiser Co.Henry J. KaiserHenry John Kaiser was an American industrialist who became known as the father of modern American shipbuilding. He established the Kaiser Shipyard which built Liberty ships during World War II, after which he formed Kaiser Aluminum and Kaiser Steel. Kaiser organized Kaiser Permanente health care...
of Oakland, CaliforniaOakland, CaliforniaOakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
and Bechtel Corporation of San FranciscoSan Francisco, CaliforniaSan Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
(Bechtel-Kaiser) - 30% - MacDonald and Kahn of Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
- 20% - Utah Construction CompanyUtah Construction CompanyThe Utah Construction Company was a construction company founded by Edmund Orson Wattis, Jr, Warren L. Wattis and William. H. Wattis in 1900.-History:...
of Ogden, UtahOgden, UtahOgden is a city in Weber County, Utah, United States. Ogden serves as the county seat of Weber County. The population was 82,825 according to the 2010 Census. The city served as a major railway hub through much of its history, and still handles a great deal of freight rail traffic which makes it a...
- 20% - Morrison-Knudsen of Boise, IdahoBoise, IdahoBoise is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho, as well as the county seat of Ada County. Located on the Boise River, it anchors the Boise City-Nampa metropolitan area and is the largest city between Salt Lake City, Utah and Portland, Oregon.As of the 2010 Census Bureau,...
- 10%, - Pacific Bridge Company of Portland, OregonPortland, OregonPortland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
- 10% - J.F. Shea of Portland, Oregon - 10%
The Six Companies Inc. won the contract in 1931, after a bid
Bidding
Bidding is an offer of setting a price one is willing to pay for something. A price offer is called a bid. The term may be used in context of auctions, stock exchange, card games, or real estate transactions....
of US$48,890,955 (US$711,604,200.81 inflation adjusted). The project was so complex and large in scope that only 3 bids were received. The Six Companies Inc. bid was $5,000,000 lower than the next bidder, meaning a bid-spread of almost 10%. The Six Companies completed construction of "Boulder Dam—Hoover Dam" two years ahead of schedule in 1935, although It took nine years (1938–47) under relative secrecy, to fix serious leaks with a supplemental grout curtain.
Six Companies Railroad
The Six Companies also built the 19.1 mile Six Companies Railroad. It connected along the Hemeway Wash, present day Las Vegas BayLas Vegas Bay
Las Vegas Bay is a bay at the western edge of Lake Mead in the U.S. state of Nevada. The bay is located within the Lake Mead National Recreation Area to the northeast of the city of Henderson, Nevada, near the junction of Lake Mead Drive and Lake Mead Boulevard. A public campground and boat access...
, to the U.S. Government Hoover Dam
Hoover Dam
Hoover Dam, once known as Boulder Dam, is a concrete arch-gravity dam in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River, on the border between the US states of Arizona and Nevada. It was constructed between 1931 and 1936 during the Great Depression and was dedicated on September 30, 1935, by President...
Railroad at Lawler, Nevada, a location also known as "U.S. Government Junction". From Lawler the railroad went north for 7 miles to Saddle Island and then east to the Three-Way Junction gravel plant, now submerged under Lake Mead
Lake Mead
Lake Mead is the largest reservoir in the United States. It is located on the Colorado River about southeast of Las Vegas, Nevada, in the states of Nevada and Arizona. Formed by water impounded by the Hoover Dam, it extends behind the dam, holding approximately of water.-History:The lake was...
. From the gravel plant the line split into two branches. One branch ran south for 4.8 miles to Hoover Dam via Cape Horn, Lomix (the Low Level Concrete Mixing Plant) and Himix (the High Level Concrete Mixing Plant) and the dam face. The other branch is now also submerged under Lake Mead and ran north for 7.3 miles across the Las Vegas Wash, crossed the Colorado River
Colorado River
The Colorado River , is a river in the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, approximately long, draining a part of the arid regions on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. The watershed of the Colorado River covers in parts of seven U.S. states and two Mexican states...
on a bridge into Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
and the Arizona gravel pit (Arizona Gravel Deposits) at a location 2 miles from Callville.
The line was constructed by railroad contractor John Phillips of San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
. The dam was dedicated in September 1935 and the Six Companies, Inc. railroad line is now submerged beneath hundreds of feet of water.
The Western Pacific Railroad
Western Pacific Railroad
The Western Pacific Railroad was a Class I railroad in the United States. It was formed in 1903 as an attempt to break the near-monopoly the Southern Pacific Railroad had on rail service into northern California...
purchased several of the Six Companies dump cars for company service after the dam was completed and the equipment declared surplus. One of these cars is now preserved at the Western Pacific Railroad Museum
Western Pacific Railroad Museum
The Western Pacific Railroad Museum in Portola, California, formerly known as the Portola Railroad Museum before , is a heritage railroad that preserves and operates historic American railroad equipment. The museum's mission is to preserve the history of the Western Pacific Railroad and is...
at Portola, California
Portola, California
Portola is the only incorporated city in Plumas County, California, United States. The population was 2,104 at the 2010 census, down from 2,227 at the 2000 census...
.
The U.S. Government Railroad had a 10-mile branch that brought supplies by rail from a connection with the Boulder City Branch of the Union Pacific Railroad
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
at Boulder City, Nevada
Boulder City, Nevada
Boulder City is a city in Clark County, Nevada, United States. It is approximately from the City of Las Vegas. As of the 2010 census the population of Boulder City was 15,023.Boulder City is one of only two cities in Nevada that prohibit gambling....
.
World War II
During World War II, The Six Companies also held a majority ownership interest in Joshua Hendy Iron WorksJoshua Hendy Iron Works
The Joshua Hendy Iron Works was an American engineering company that existed from the 1850s to the late 1940s. It was at one time a world leader in mining technology and its equipment was used to build the Panama Canal, amongst other major projects...
in Sunnyvale, California
Sunnyvale, California
Sunnyvale is a city in Santa Clara County, California, United States. It is one of the major cities that make up the Silicon Valley located in the San Francisco Bay Area...
. Hendy was most known for its record breaking assembly line production of 754 two story tall Liberty Ship
Liberty ship
Liberty ships were cargo ships built in the United States during World War II. Though British in conception, they were adapted by the U.S. as they were cheap and quick to build, and came to symbolize U.S. wartime industrial output. Based on vessels ordered by Britain to replace ships torpedoed by...
EC-2 Reciprocating Steam Engines, producing one engine every 40.8 hours. They were used at the Richmond Shipyards
Richmond Shipyards
The four Richmond Shipyards, located in the city of Richmond, California, United States, were run by Permanente Metals and part of the Kaiser Shipyards, and were responsible for constructing more ships during World War II than any other shipyard in the country. The shipyards are part of the Rosie...
building the Liberty Ships