Spanish dancers perform on the stage at the 1925 Lost City Pageant. On the left, Escalante enters carrying a cross with followers behind him. Photo reprinted from Muddy Valley Reflections Vol. 1 courtesy of author Beezy Tobiasson.

Editor’s Note: The following are excerpts from a letter written around 1925 by Melinda Baum Jorgensen who was living in Logandale, to her sister Elisabeth Baum Ferguson living in Provo, Utah. An ancient puebloan city had been discovered in the area between St. Thomas and Kaolin, Nevada which became known as the Pueblo Grande de Nevada or the Lost City. Professor Eastmond of the Brigham Young University was asked to coordinate a pageant at the site, which was supposed to tell something about the prehistoric people who had lived there. This letter tells about this pageant. It also shows the somewhat limited information that was available about the puebloan people at this early stage of excavation. Letter reprinted courtesy of Marjorie Peterson of Logandale:

Dear Sister,

The Governor of Nevada thinks this spot is where the Garden of Eden was for there are so many hieroglyphics and the remains of many people have been found. The man who found this buried city said the hills are full of the skeletons of an ancient people. Mr. Harrington, archeologist, says the hieroglyphics written on the mountains are more ancient than the people who used to live here. He said the people were buried between 1500 and 2000 B.C. They are still finding more rooms that are buried.

The Ute Indians who live here did not understand how the houses had been built, but when they brought in some Pueblo Indians they knew all about the rooms and how the houses had been built. It cost $2,500 for five Indians to work for five weeks building houses for the pageant.

When the Governor of Nevada heard of all the findings, he wanted to celebrate. It was too big for him to plan alone, so he called the teachers together and Mr. Wadsworth, the Principal of the Moapa Valley High School wrote the play.

They claim there were ten or twelve thousand people who came to see the play. There was a string of cars for a week before the pageant started.

Now I want you to picture two stages, one low and large enough to drive teams on it and have plenty of room, and then another about a fourth of a block up high and back on the hills. You can see the picture on the book I sent you.

The first scene was on the upper stage. It was a dark night and when they turned the lights on, it showed a young brave writing. They had a large circle with hieroglyphics on it. It was just like a picture in the heavens. They had the Indian dressed in a beautiful Indian costume. They turned the lights off and the Indians on the lower stage performed.

Now I want you to imagine a whole lot about this, The houses were built in a half circle. It was the Pueblo Indians that had a big time first. It was the grandest sight to see the real Indians all dressed for a dance. They came up out of the top of one of the houses. How they danced and performed.

Their costumes were beautiful and after they got through they went in the different houses and all was quiet. The Ute Indians came and shot arrows in through the windows. Torches were on the end of the arrows and would burn their homes. What yelling I have never heard before. They surely had trouble.

Finally the Ute Indians drove the Pueblo Indians away and while they were leaving the Ute Indians scalped one of the Indians and put the scalp on a stick.

And while the Ute Indians were living here raising corn, Columbus came to America. Now picture in your mind the upper stage. We could not see the stage, it was just like it was in heaven. We saw a ship with Columbus and his men. They had their crosses and were dressed in long robes. They came down to the lower stage where the Indians were living. The Indians were frightened, they hardly knew what to think when they saw Columbus. We only saw the ship and the men get out of it and we could not see them any more.

Then Escalante came on the lower stage with some men. The picture was beautiful. Next they had the young ladies and the young men do five different Spanish dances. It was surely pretty to see them dance. Their costumes were beautiful. Escalante was a Spaniard, and while he and his men were on the stage they were dreaming of home.

Then after the stage was cleared Zedekiah Smith and four men rode on the stage with horses. Smith found the big salt mine in St. Thomas before the Mormons came to Utah. He came down by Salt Lake and Utah Lake and on south until he came to the Virgin River that runs by St. Thomas. He came in the year 1826. He was the first man to write a history of Utah. Zedekiah Smith was the first man to discover this valley. It surely looked grand to see him and his men come on the stage with their horses and look around the country, then they drove away.

Next came the (Mormon) pioneers. We could see the pioneers coming. The band was playing “Come, Come Ye Saints” when they came on the stage. They unhitched their poor old horses, had supper, and after supper an old man took out his violin and they danced the Virginia Reel. While this was going on, twelve angels were on the upper stage. They had the lights fixed so they looked just like heavenly beings. It was the prettiest thing you ever saw.

Next, three hundred school children sang “Nevada”. They had a Nevada Goddess. Maybe you can get a glimpse by what I have told you in your mind, but only a glimpse. The costumes cost close to one thousand dollars. The whole cost of the pageant was over $20,000. The Mormons did it all. They were all Mormon children that acted in the parts.

This was Saturday night. Saturday and Sunday was conference here. President Grant and Brother Hart were here from Salt Lake. This was the first time many of the people here had seen President Grant.

Many of the non Mormons attended the conference. Our meeting house was packed with people. Everybody thought it was wonderful. When they get the Buried City rebuilt, you should see it.

I forgot to tell you about the holes in the rocks where they ground their flour. There were ten or twelve of them with a round bowl in the center.

When we drove up it was a sight. It was about sundown and the hill for a mile up and all over the side was covered with people. The ladies were dressed in all kinds of colored dresses and it was worth seeing just that much.

With Professor Robert Sauers and the Brigham Young University band playing, and Professor Eastmond to produce the pageant it surely was great.

There were people from all over the United States. Wealthy people came in their own trains with Negro servants.