Ghost town revealed as Lake Mead's water level drops

A Nevada ghost town that was submerged underwater in the 1930s is now visible again, due to drought conditions.

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The receding waters of Lake Mead have revealed St. Thomas, which was founded in 1865 as a Mormon settlement. By 1918 the town boasted a hotel, garage, butcher shop, cafe, general store, and grocery, serving as a tourist attraction for people on their way from Salt Lake City to Los Angeles. Historians also say it was somewhat wild, with horse thieves and cattle rustlers, Weather.com reports.

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In 1938, the recently finished Hoover Dam backed up the waters of the Colorado River, and residents were forced to leave. Historian Aaron McArthur told News 3 that one man, Hugh Lord, waited until the last minute to evacuate. "The day that he left, he woke up with water swirling around his bed," he said. "And he put his last possessions into a rowboat and rowed away from his house, and as he was leaving, he lit his house on fire." For years after, the ghost town was under at least 60 feet of water, and would reappear at times during droughts. Now that the National Park Service has cleared a path from a parking area to the site, St. Thomas is once again a tourist attraction.