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St. Thomas: Nevada’s Ghost Town That Won’t Stay Dead

By TOM GARRISON
Special to the PROGRESS

A crumbling foundation at the St. Thomas town site in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area / Photo by Tom Garrison.

We all love a good ghost story. How about a ghost (town) periodically inundated, then uncovered, and repeat several times since 1938? St. Thomas, Nevada is a ghost town that will not stay dead. Whether or not St. Thomas is submerged beneath Lake Mead depends upon the vagaries of precipitation in the Colorado River basin. Mostly submerged, in times of extended low rain and snowfall the town rises zombie-like from the primal muck of the lake bed.

St. Thomas is in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area (LMNRA). The nearly 1.5 million acre recreation area, administered by the National Park Service, follows the Colorado River corridor from the westernmost boundary of Grand Canyon National Park to just north of Laughlin.

St. Thomas was founded by Mormon settlers in 1865. The location was a prime farming area at the confluence of the Muddy and Virgin Rivers flowing into the Colorado River about 20 miles away. Mining later became an economic driver with substantial deposits of salt, gold, and copper being worked.

The original settlers believed they resided in Utah or perhaps Arizona. In 1870 the town’s people were informed by government officials that they lived in Nevada and the state wanted back taxes. That was a bit much and in 1871 almost all the Mormons moved back to Utah without paying any Nevada taxes.

Within a few years, others claimed the abandoned properties and the town prospered reaching a peak population around 500. In 1911 the railroad came to town, enabling the locals to ship their produce to far away larger markets. Four years later the Arrowhead Trail automobile road from Salt Lake City to Los Angeles went through St. Thomas, adding another boost to the economy.

At its height, St. Thomas boasted a school, post office, grocery stores, church, ice cream parlor, and several garages for the new-fangled automobiles. However, indoor plumbing and electricity were absent.

In the late 1920s Boulder (now Hoover) Dam was authorized by the federal government. No big deal for most people, unfortunately St. Thomas would be inundated by the rising waters of the new lake. As the lake grew the residents, compensated by the federal government, began to leave. By 1938 the town was under water. When full, the town lies 60 feet below the surface of Lake Mead.

With fluctuations of the lake levels, St. Thomas has arisen from the depths completely uncovered (and several other times partially exposed) three times since 1938. The most recent complete uncovering was 2004 which continues today.

We began our journey to explore St. Thomas in early November. My wife Deb and I left St. George early; well, 8:30 am; and headed south on Interstate 15. About 28 miles southwest of Mesquite, we took Exit 93 (State Highway 169/Moapa Valley Boulevard) and drove south through Logandale and Overton approximately 20 miles to the signed St. Thomas turnoff. Opposite the turnoff is a LMNRA entrance station, it was empty and without self-pay envelopes. I imagine that is the situation most of the time since this was a pleasant Saturday morning in the fall.

We turned left (east) and traveled 3.5 miles on a good dirt road to the parking area/trailhead. While the road is fine for regular passenger cars when dry, I strongly recommend a 4-wheel drive and high clearance vehicle when the road is muddy. The parking area/trailhead is on bluffs overlooking what was the Overton Arm of Lake Mead, now the townsite of St. Thomas. Near the end this road forks, the trailhead is to the right and restrooms to the left. No water is available, so make sure to bring plenty.

The trailhead elevation is 1,160 feet with a 90 feet elevation change—almost all of it at the very beginning of the trail. The remainder is virtually flat. With the temperature was in the low 70s we began by skirting down the bluffs in an easterly direction on the clearly marked and maintained trail. The town lies less than ¾ of a mile from the trailhead.

The trail makes a loop around the town site with several building foundations cleared of the nasty Tamarisk plants. The most impressive remains are of the public school with its entrance steps and the Hannig ice cream parlor where one corner and part of a wall stand upright. Throughout the site are many round and square concrete cistern, the water storage facilities of the day. What struck us were the great views of the surrounding red and grey mountains. You could almost hear echoes from the past, imagining the town folk enjoying life in their little slice of paradise

This is an easy 2 ½ mile round trip hike that took us about 1 ½ hours. Visitors should be aware that National Park rules prohibit the use of metal detectors at historical sites like St. Thomas. In addition, it is against federal law to disturb or remove artifacts found at the site.

After our St. Thomas adventure, we stopped in Logandale, about 15 miles north along Highway 169 from the St. Thomas turnoff, and walked around the 22nd Annual Pomegranate Festival (free admission). Some great country music by Mama’s Wranglers and we stocked up on pomegranate syrup.

If you have any desire to explore St. Thomas, don’t put it off. While the town site has been fully exposed for nearly 15 years, Lake Mead could reclaim it once again.

An avid hiker for more than 25 years, Tom’s latest book, Hiking Southwest Utah and Adjacent Areas, Volume Two was awarded (September 2016) 2nd place in the non-fiction category of the League of Utah Writers published book contest. It is available at Amazon.com and the Desert Rat outdoor store in St. George. He can be reached at: tomgarrison98@yahoo.com

 

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2 thoughts on “St. Thomas: Nevada’s Ghost Town That Won’t Stay Dead”

  1. Thank you so much for the information. I was raised in Overton and I really didn’t have no clue about Saint Thomas. I don’t know why but now my family is talking about it more and more. The next time I come home I will go check this out. To the people who live far away to see this beautiful piece of land actually a town people loved so well. Please come and get it we love to have you.

  2. My grandparents lived in Kaolin/St. Thomas. I recall the St. Thomas reunions. I often took my Aunt Lucille. She enjoyed visiting with those who lived there. The reunions came to an end when the majority of those people became to old or passed away. I would like to have the opportunity to visit St. Thomas and Kaolin when I go home to visit my family. My visits are always too short, I miss the familiar faces I knew all my life, and a few good friends.

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