Page 46 - 2007 DT 12 Issues

June Lost City, continued from p. 1 which they paid tithes in good faith.
What malaria, dysentery and raid-
Perhaps they were intended as some con- ing Indians couldn’t do, the politicians
D e s k S c h e d u l e
tinuity as the Indians moved from home did. Nevada became a territory in 1861
to home. Perhaps they had a family or and was admitted to the Union in 1870.
Fri/1 D. Kavula D. Powers religious significance. Take a look at the Where did Nevada begin and where did
Sat/2 W. Barbuck W. Barbuck stones on your next visit. What do you it end, asked the legislators. A survey
think is their purpose? In no time, or so was commissioned and it was determined
Sun/3 T./N. Hughes R. Erickson it seemed, it was time for lunch. that St. Thomas was in Nevada; not in
Mon/4 S. Stenzel M. Gossman The second half of our trip was in Arizona, New Mexico or even Utah.
Tue/5 M. Slagle V. Sperry search of the ghost town of St. Thomas, With almost indecent haste, the Lincoln
which was lost to sight when the waters County sheriff was sent to post notices
K. Jackson of Lake Mead covered it. of tax delinquency on each house in the
Wed/6 B. Wolin D. Schoengold The Civil War had cut off supplies of town, for a town it now was. The demand
Thur/7 G. Wojciechowski F. Davis was for two years back tax. The
R. Rossnagel J. Barrett plea from the settlers that they had
already paid that tax to Utah fell
Fri/8 G. Fazio OPEN on deaf ears. The settlement could
Sat/9 P. VanDooremaal OPEN hardly be said to be thriving and
the tax demand could not be met,
Sun/10 K. Nelson OPEN
so Brigham Young agreed that if
Mon/11 R. Linsmeier J. Geier the settlers so voted, they should
Tue/12 M. Slagle J. Geier return to Utah, leaving St. Thomas
and the State “whose laws and
Wed/13 D. Schoengold D. Powers
burdens are so oppressive.”
Thur/14 V. Sperry F. Davis So it was that, in February
K. Jackson J. Barrett 1871, some 600 pioneers returned
Fri/15 B. Wolin OPEN St. Thomas foundation to St. George leaving behind not
just their homes, but the results
Sat/16 J. Kisosondi OPEN of their labors, namely, over 500
Sun/17 K. Nelson M./L. Utah cotton from the North. Brigham Young, acres of cleared land, a seventeen mile
Mon/18 S. Stenzel D. Schoengold fired by a zeal to extend Mormon influence irrigation canal and what they could not
and a desire for self sufficiency, at least carry of the current year’s crops.
Tue/19 M. Slagle OPEN as far as cotton was concerned, decided St. Thomas was a town which refused
Wed/20 G. Fazio OPEN in 1864 to send out pioneering groups to to die. The land was too good to lie idle
Thur/21 G. Wojciechowski F. Davis settle the Muddy River. He chose Thomas and soon settlers drifted back and the
Smith to lead one of them. On January 8, settlement grew in importance. By the
R. Rossnagel J. Barrett 1865, Smith, along with 11 men and three turn of the 19 century, it was served by a
th
Fri/22 T./N. Hughes OPEN women, founded the settlement named St. railroad, and the Arrowhead trail was con-
Sat/23 OPEN C. McLaughlin Thomas for Thomas Smith. They were structed. This original highway 91 went
Sun/24 T./N. Hughes M./L. Utah soon joined by others, although the condi- all the way to Los Angeles, where there
tions were difficult. There was no timber was a ready market for the settlement’s
Mon/25 R. Linsmeier J. Geier nearby for the construction of houses on fruit and vegetables. In its heyday, it was a
Tue/26 M. Slagle J. Geier the 85 one-acre plots and all wood had to thriving town with a population of around
be hauled in. The land was swampy and 500. But the town did die, submerged
M. Pults
had to be drained. The water supply was under the waters of Lake Mead.
Wed/27 G. Fazio OPEN from the geothermal spring at the head of We left the paved highway and
Thur/28 V. Sperry F. Davis the Muddy River and tasted unpleasant. turned left down the dirt road towards
J. Barrett Swampy ground was an ideal breeding St. Thomas, not knowing exactly what
place for mosquitoes, and malaria and to expect. On the way, Carol’s keen eye
Fri/29 T./N. Hughes OPEN dysentery soon became rife. Neverthe- spotted two clumps of Bear’s Paw Poppy.
Sat/30 OPEN OPEN less, the settlers persevered and were soon At the end of the road, we were met by
planting crops of cotton, barley, wheat and Park Ranger Sky McLain who gave us
vegetables and raising livestock. Their a brief introduction before leading us
Changes? Call Kate at 515-5350 ties were to Utah and to their church, to down the slope towards the lake bed, now

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