One of the most fascinating chapters in Montana history is the building of the Fort Peck Dam across the Missouri River in northeast Montana.  The story of  the people who built it, is another.
   Project Number 30, the Fort Peck Dam, was authorized by  President Franklin D. Roosevelt during the Great  Depression of the 1930s, and built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It provided jobs and hope for  the  thousands of unemployed Montana workers, and others across the country. It left a legacy of  flood control, electric  power,  and  recreation on Fort Peck Lake enjoyed by thousands today.  
   My family's four year involvement with "the dam" project led me to write a book:

Fifty Cents an Hour is a history of the Fort Peck dam and spillway construction from 1932-1940. It is an account of the 18-plus boomtowns that sprang up in the project area; the Hi-Line towns that furnished rock; and the nearby incorporated, also-booming towns of Glasgow and Nashua.

In this book you will meet the thousands of workers, families, tourists, transients, and others who passed through the project area. You will see how and where they lived, and how they survived the hard times.

Fifty Cents an Hour is a history with heart and humor woven into the facts and figures. It answers the questions: What happened to those four big barges and all that construction equipment? Where did the people go? What was in that Life magazine story? The 225 pages include a Preface, Chronology, Contents, Maps, Photos, Bibliography, and Index.

Thank You to everyone who has ordered my book, and for the many letters and emails I have received. Your support is sincerely appreciated. Lois Lonnquist