Lost and found

Mon, Mar 10, 2008 (2 a.m.)

The town of St. Thomas was abandoned to the rising waters of Lake Mead in 1938, yet it has resurfaced from time to time as the level of the lake varies. Archaeologists and historians are taking advantage of the dry spell to study St. Thomas once again.

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1. By reid5570

   March 29, 2008

   7:46 p.m.

   Flag

   There are still a few former residents around, my Dad, his brother, and a few cousins and I have discussed St. Thomas many times with them.

   Yes, they have a lot of nostalgia and love for their childhood home. They didn't all move up to Overton and Logandale. Many of them moved to Las Vegas, St. George and Hurricane, some even went up into Idaho.

   St. Thomas was the crossroads for shipping and the largest town in the area. There are many fond memories and humorous stories told over the years.

   Contrary to the tone of tragedy and injustice that outsiders generate by their perception of St. Thomas, there was also a good side. These people were struggling to make a livelihood, and they were bought out by the government, given good money for their poor little farms and struggling businesses. They were given cash, a very good stake, more money than they had ever had before, that allowed them to move to St. George, or Hurricane and buy farmland, build a new home and set themselves up free and clear. Financially, the buyout of St. Thomas was a godsend to most of these people.