Alive in Our Communities Today

St. Thomas, Nevada was an early pioneer settlement in what was originally believed to be the Utah Territory. This early Mormon village was settled near the confluence of the Virgin River, whose source flows from Southern Utah and the Muddy River whose waters flow from the warm springs in upper Moapa just north of the Old Spanish Trail. The water of these two rivers then joins the Colorado River, a meandering 24 miles to the south. The early years of St. Thomas were that of hardship for those early settlers. Yet, in spite of the hardship over time the settlement and exploration of the area expanded from the original settlement. Farming, Mining, ranching and the other economic and business activities that followed the early settlement period took root in the hills and valleys of this blossoming desert.

In the late 19th century and early 20th century St. Thomas was the hub for most all activities in the general area. It provided the goods and services to the farmers, ranchers, miners, townsfolk and weary traveler. Due to its location and differing modes of early transportation and routes, St. Thomas was also the main hub for most types of early travel. It was a stop along the way on the Arrowhead trail that connected Los Angeles and Salt Lake for the emerging automobile traffic. St. Thomas had a spur off the Los Angeles & Salt Lake Rail Road which provided the main means for transporting goods including ore and agricultural commodities which was vital to this budding landscape. St. Thomas was not far from the Old Spanish Trail which traversed much of the western territory. It also provided another means for the shipping of goods by ferry due to the close proximity of St. Thomas to the Colorado River.

The history and stories of St. Thomas are full of character, cultural milestones, and pioneer heritage which are still alive in our communities today. Though the chapter of St. Thomas in our history books may have seemed to draw to a close in the late 1930’s as the waters of the monumental reclamation project that was the Boulder Dam covered this once blossoming town, its legacy and cultural values are alive and well in the towns and villages where its descendants still reside.

Please join us on March 3rd, 2012 at St. Thomas for a community celebration as we bring this historic town alive for a day. We will have many of the descendants of those early pioneers as well as those who remember visiting St. Thomas there to reconnect. There will be music and dramatizations of the early days being performed live, where they would have been performed then, at the old St. Thomas School. There will be maps and displays as well as pictures taken in the early days displayed where they were taken to help visualize the then, now. If you have history or stories please contact me so we can share and make the most of your stories to help bring St. Thomas alive.

As parking space is limited, and a four-wheel drive is required, if you plan to attend please carpool with your neighbors so we can have room for as many as want to attend.