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1886 Map of Saint Thomas

Name: 1886 Topographic Map of Saint Thomas
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1900
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1900

About this map

The Virgin River valley serves as the primary corridor for settlement in this late 19th-century reconnaissance of southern Nevada and northwestern Arizona. Established agricultural outposts like Saint Thomas and Overton are shown alongside earlier locations such as Old Overton and Saint Joseph. The landscape is dominated by the complex hydrology of the Colorado River at the bottom of the sheet, where Stone Ferry and Scanlon Ferry provided crucial river crossings for early travelers and freight.

Transit patterns are defined by the Old California Trail and the Old California Crossing, highlighting the area's importance as a waypoint for westward migration before the era of major dams. Geographic landmarks like the Muddy Mountains and Boulder Canyon provide context for a region then characterized by its reliance on remote springs such as Bitter Spring and the commercial potential of the local Salt Mine.