State Historical Society of Iowa

Construction Workers at Mercy Hospital in Des Moines, Iowa, July 1957

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Large crane and dump truck seen at excavation site for an addition to the existing Mercy Hospital, which visible in the background.
Courtesy of the State Historical Society of Iowa, Des Moines Register & Tribune, July 1957

Description

#4 Occupation: Nonmanufacturing Laborer
Mercy Hospital in Des Moines, Iowa, hired this construction company to build an addition to their building. A crane operator and dump truck driver removes excavated soil as they prepare to start the foundation for the building, which would likely be built out of sandstone or limestone. Nonmanufacturing laborers in Iowa in the 1950s did a wide variety of jobs including laying cement, painting, working at lumber mills, building roads and many more jobs.

Source-Dependent Questions

  • What is the working environment for a nonmanufacturing laborer?
  • What skills does this nonmanufacturing laborer need in order to be successful at his job?
  • What equipment is this nonmanufacturing laborer using to do his job?
  • How do the jobs in this photograph connect with the work done by the quarryman in 1900?