Lincoln County
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Junctionville is a few miles south of St. Thomas, and twenty-five miles
northeast of Callville. D. Bonelle was its pioneer settler, being attracted
there in 1875. J. Ellis arrived soon afterwards. They opened a mail station and
stopping-place for travelers, and also tried to do some farming, as the locality
was on the direct route of travel between Idaho, Utah and Nevada, Arizona and
Mexico. It stands on a small delta at the confluence of the Colorado River and
Rio Virgen, and is surrounded by barren hills, and by the mountains of the Grand
Canon of the Colorado.
The first white settlement of any part of this
region took place about the year 1856 by some few Mormon families establishing a
way-station at Las Vegas for the convenience of the overland travel between
southern California and Salt Lake City. This settlement was abandoned again by
them when the branch at San Bernardino was called to Salt Lake, about 1857, and
the station fell into the hands of other white men who have since occupied it.
In 1865 a mission of some 250 Mormon families, from northern Utah, arrived, and
settled the valley of the Muddy, establishing five villages along the course of
the stream; the lowest and largest, near the confluence of the Muddy with the
Rio Virgen, was called St. Thomas, and maintained the precedence over the rest
by reason of first rights to water and proximity to the Colorado River, which
was calculated upon as an important factor in the progress of settlements, a
large warehouse being built at Callville, and steamboats bringing goods from
California to that point. In 1868, these settlements were about doubled in
population by another influx from the north, and the Muddy Valley flourished as
Pah-Ute County, Arizona. The subsequent cession by Congress of a degree of
longitude from Arizona to Nevada placed these settlements within the State of
Nevada, and some controversies arose with the authorities of Lincoln County
about taxes of former years, during which Brigham Young ordered the abandonment
of the Muddy settlements, and the exodus of the entire population, excepting one
family, took place in March, 1871.
During the Mormon occupancy of the
valley some 400,000 shade trees, some 50,000 grape-vines and fruit trees were
planted, and about 3,000 acres of land were reclaimed and irrigated, the
aggregate expense of dams and ditches being about $200,000. The products of the
soil were wheat, barley, corn, cane, grapes, peaches, plums, and some other
fruits; cereals yielding very well; cotton flourishing better than in Tennessee
or Kentucky. Under the close and diligent culture of these people ten acres of
soil would sustain an ordinary family comfortably. Since the exodus the land has
passed into other hands, in quarter sections, taken up under the Possessory Act
of Nevada, and has retrograded in capacity of production as it has lacked
careful attendance. There are about 500 acres of swamp lands in the valley,
susceptible of drainage, and now yielding only wild hay.
The only
industry followed is farming. Lack of transportation renders mining
impracticable, except that the mills of El Dorado Canon and of northern Arizona
mining camps are supplied with rock salt from the Rio Virgen. This salt is
blasted out of solid ledges, resembling those in Poland and Bavaria, and is
carried on boats on the Colorado River, and used in roasting and chloridizing
silver ore.
The aboriginal Pah-Ute inhabitants of this region have
declined from 500 lodges to about 150 souls, during the past two decades just
elapsed.
The Colorado River forms the boundary of the county and State
for 175 miles and is or would be navigable if any industry existed sufficient to
warrant it, up to the point of intersection of the west boundary of Arizona at
the foot of the celebrated Grand Canon; although the highest point reached by a
large steamer heretofore is Junctionville at the mouth of the Rio Virgen, where
a tract of desert land is being reclaimed. At this point the mountain passes of
the State and of Utah, and the drainage of this vast region converge with the
Colorado River, thus determining also the main lines of travel which follow the
natural passes, which in primeval ages were immense water-courses. The
indications of a more advanced tribe of Indians having occupied this region are
numerous, pottery ware of superior character being often found. Also ruins of
rock forts and irrigating ditches are occasionally seen, similar to those
ascribed to the Aztecs and found among the Pueblos. The climate of this region
is semi-tropical, the maximum temperature of summer in the shade being 120°, and
the minimum temperature of winter about 20° above zero. Grapes, figs,
pomegranates, etc, etc., are in their proper sphere here, and thrive wherever
planted and attended. All crops need irrigation. No society has existed here
since the Mormon exodus in 1871, The region has been sparsely settled, and
mostly by a transient element, having no religious profession or name in which
any considerable number agreed. The Utah Southern Railroad is the nearest point
for shipment by rail, and is 250 miles distant. The rate of freight from Milford
is from $80 to $100 per ton. Supplies are brought from Utah and from El Dorado
Canon.
Extracted, 2021 Aug 25 by Norma Hass, from History of Nevada, published in 1881, pages 490-491.
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