In Nevada, the “great flood” isn’t only a biblical reference. As it turns out, the man-made creation of the Hoover Dam and Lake Mead in the 1930s led to the intentional flooding of St. Thomas, a small Nevada town. St. Thomas has since been referred to as the sometimes-underwater ghost town. According to the National Park Service, it has appeared and disappeared several times over the years, depending upon Lake Mead’s water levels.

Founded in 1865, St. Thomas was a thriving Mormon settlement with farms, a school, a hotel, a grocery store, a post office and an ice cream parlor.
Flickr / Lake Mead NRA Public Affairs
Townspeople at the Arrowhead Store in St. Thomas.
Flickr / Lake Mead NRA Public Affairs
Gentry Hotel in St. Thomas, Nevada (1934).
Flickr / Lake Mead NRA Public Affairs
St. Thomas school bus (mid to late-1920s).
U.S. President Calvin Coolidge signed a bill in 1928 authorizing the construction of the Hoover Dam (then the Boulder Dam).
Flickr / Boston Public Library
With the damming of the Colorado River came the creation of Lake Mead and the flooding of St. Thomas.
Flooding took place from 1935 to 1938, and residents were paid to relocate.
Lake Mead NRA Public Affairs/flickr
One of town’s last residents was Hugh Lord, who paddled away from his home once the rising waters approached his front door in 1938, according to the National Park Service.
As Lake Mead’s waters rose, St. Thomas became completely submerged.
Flickr / Lake Mead NRA Public Affairs
At its highest point, St. Thomas was under about 60 feet of water. Other settlements flooded by Lake Mead included Calville and nearby Anasazi Indian sites.
The underwater ghost town has reemerged several times over the years.
Google Earth
Currently Lake Mead's water level is historically low and St. Thomas has been uncovered since 2002.

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The ghost town is open to visitors interested in exploring its ruins.
Wikimedia / Jkotto
Visitors will find cracked earth,
Flickr / Jim Sage
The foundations of old buildings,
James Marvin Phelps/flickr
The foundation of the St. Thomas School House.
Wikimedia / Prosfilaes
And federally protected cultural artifacts.
Flickr / Lake Mead NRA Public Affairs
Additional artifacts from the area are on display at the Lost City Museum, 721 S Moapa Valley Blvd., Overton.
The formerly underwater ghost town is located in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, about 60 miles from Las Vegas and seven miles from Overton.
Google Maps
Open for roaming and exploration, it is accessible via a three-mile dirt road.
Flickr / NPS photo by Chelsea Kennedy
Aerial shot of St. Thomas (2015).

What do you think about the story of this underwater ghost town?

Interested in more Nevada ghost towns? Check out this article!

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