Ghost Town St. Thomas Resurfaces From Lake Mead
The remains of a vanished Nevada town are becoming visible again. Falling water levels in Lake Mead have exposed parts of St. Thomas after decades underwater. Old roads, foundations and other traces of the community can now be seen across the dry shoreline.
St. Thomas has a remarkable history. Mormon settlers established the town in 1865 near the Muddy River. They created irrigation channels and turned the surrounding desert into farmland. The settlement slowly developed into a local center for trade and transportation.
By the early 20th century, St. Thomas had several businesses and public buildings. A school, church, post office and stores served the growing population. At its height, about 500 people lived there.
The town’s future changed after the United States approved the Hoover Dam project in 1928. The dam was built on the Colorado River and created the huge reservoir now known as Lake Mead.
St. Thomas stood in the area destined to be flooded. Residents were compensated and began leaving their homes. The reservoir started filling in 1935, but one resident remained almost until the end.
Hugh Lord became the final person to leave St. Thomas. He departed in June 1938 as rising water reached the town. The community soon disappeared beneath Lake Mead.
When the reservoir was full, even the town’s tallest remaining structure was underwater. It stood roughly 18 meters, or 60 feet, below the surface. Streets, homes, businesses and public buildings were swallowed by the expanding lake.
That began to change during the 2000s, when Lake Mead’s water level started to decline significantly. As the water gradually receded, more of the long-submerged St. Thomas ghost town emerged from beneath the lake.
By 2026, visitors can once again see the remains of its former buildings, foundations, walls and streets when water levels allow.
Lower water exposed foundations and roadways. The shape of the former community could still be recognized from the surviving remains. Visitors were able to walk through parts of the site when conditions allowed.
This has happened before. One previous exposure lasted from July 1963 until November 1972. Families of former residents even returned for reunions in 1945, 1963 and 2012.
VIDEO. St. Thomas, Nevada: How Hoover Dam Erased an Entire Town From the Map.
The return of St. Thomas ghost town is fascinating, but it also carries a warning. Lake Mead is one of the most important water reservoirs in the American Southwest.
Its declining level has created serious concerns about regional water supplies. Lower levels can also affect electricity generation at Hoover Dam.
The exposed ruins therefore tell two stories at once. They preserve the history of a community destroyed by a massive engineering project. They also reveal the growing impact of water shortages on the modern Southwest.
For now, the St. Thomas ruins remain one of the strangest sights around Lake Mead. As the reservoir changes, more of the lost town could emerge from beneath the water.
Source: Times of India.. NPS — Historic St. Thomas photo gallery.
It was previously reported that archaeologists had discovered an ancient Mayan city in the Mexican jungle. Hidden for centuries, pyramids, temples, and ritual stone monuments were discovered in this ancient city.
