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Today, the town of St. Thomas is nothing more than some crumbling remnants hiding out in the desert. Although fascinating, it’s hard to imagine that this town was once prosperous and that many early Nevadans called it home. It’s not immediately apparent why this town was left to crumble, but the story behind it is actually fascinating. In fact, this town seemed to disappear without a trace when it was completely flooded in the early 20th century. People almost forgot that it even existed—that is, until the water drained and the town reappeared.
Something pretty amazing happened when an infamous drought began in the early 2000s. A town that had once completely disappeared suddenly reappeared. The town of St. Thomas has a fascinating history, and every Nevadan should know it.
Established in 1865, St. Thomas resides in the southeast corner of Nevada in what is currently the Lake Mead National Recreation Area. In the town's beginning, the community was thriving. Consisting of mostly Mormon pioneers, it was an ideal pit stop in between Los Angeles and Salt Lake City.
During the town's heyday, it was home to a schoolhouse, farms, stores, a church, post office, and even an ice cream parlor. It was like any other early Nevada settlement, and its future looked promising.
However, everything changed when the Hoover Dam opened in 1936. The Colorado River waters began to rise and fill up valleys and canyons, creating what is now Leak Mead. As the water continued to rise, the town of St. Thomas began to disappear.
The townspeople began to evacuate, saying goodbye to their homes forever. What was once a happy, bustling community of nearly 500 individuals was in its final days. Some residents stayed until the very end, up to the point when they were forced to leave by boat in 1938. It was then that the water completely submerged the town, and it seemed to vanish out of thin air.
For nearly 80 years, you'd need a snorkel in order to explore the remnants of St. Thomas. That is, until an unforgiving drought began in the early 2000s and started diminishing Lake Mead's water levels. Today, you can view the town in a completely dry environment—well, what's left of it.
As you roam the crumbling buildings of what was once St. Thomas, you can't help but feel transported to the Wild West. You can almost imagine a scene of children sitting at their desks in the now barren schoolhouse or a family saying goodbye to their home one last time.
Visiting this amazing town is a real treat and it's a must for any Nevadan. After all, chances are that St. Thomas will be submerged for a second time in years to come, and the town will vanish from thin air once again.
