In what was known as the Muddy section, comprising the valleys of the
lower Virgin River and its main lower tributary, the Muddy, were seven
settlements of Mormon origin, during the time when the locality was
included in the area of Arizona. These settlements were Beaver Dams
on the Virgin, St. Thomas, on the Muddy, about two and a half miles from
its junction with the Virgin, Overton, on the same side of the Muddy
Valley, about eight miles northwest of St. Thomas, St. Joseph, which lay
on the opposite side of the stream, five miles to the northward, West
Point (now Logan), on the west bank, possibly fifteen miles west of St.
Joseph, and Mill Point and Simonsville between St. Joseph and Overton. To
these was addition of the port of Callville. Nearly westward from the
last-named point was Las Vegas Springs, distant about twenty miles, a
camping point on the road between San Bernardino and Salt Lake, and
permanent residence of missionaries. In later days were established
Junction City, otherwise Rioville, at the mouth of the Virgin,
Bunkerville on the east bank of the Virgin, three miles west of the later
Arizona line, and Mesquite, which lay east across the river.
The valley of the Virgin offered very limited opportunities for
settlement, as the stream, an alkaline one, usually ran between deep
cliffs. The Muddy, however, despite its name, was a clear stream of
slight fall, with a lower valley two miles wide, continuing, upstream,
northwesterly for eighteen miles. A number of swamps had to be drained by
the first residents. These people constructed a canal, nine miles long,
on the southwest side and were preparing to dig a similar canal on the
opposite side when there was abandonment.
St. Thomas has been described as a beautiful village, its streets
outlined by rows of tall cottonwoods that still survive. There were 85
city lots of one acre each, about the same number of vineyard lots, two
and a half acres each, and of farm lots of five acres.
St. Joseph mainly comprised a fort on a high bluff, from which the town
had been laid out on a level bench west and northward. It included a
flour mill, owned by James Leithead. In August, 1868, the fort was almost
destroyed by fire, which burned up nineteen rooms and most of their
contents, the meetinghouse and a cotton gin also being included in the
destruction. There was a stiff gale and most of the men were absent.
Every settlement along the Virgin and Muddy was organized into a communal
system, the United Order. Of this there will be found more detail in
Chapter Twelve of this work.
At St. Joseph, June 10, 1869, was organized a cooperative mercantile
institution for the Muddy settlement, with Joseph W. Young at its head,
R.J. Cutler as secretary and James Leithead as business agent.
There were the usual casualties of the desert country. In June, James
Davidson, wife and son died of thirst on the road from the Muddy
settlements to St. George, their journey delayed on the desert by the
breaking of a wagon wheel.
On a visit made by Erastus Snow and company in the summer of 1869, the
Muddy settlements subscribed heavily toward the purchase of stock in a
cotton factory at St. George, and toward extension of the Deseret
telegraph line. In the record of this company's journey it is told that
the Virgin River was crossed 37 times before arrival at St. Thomas.
The condition of the brethren late in 1870 was set forth by James
Leithead as something like destitution. He wrote that, "many are nearly
naked for want of clothing. We can sell nothing we have for money, and
the cotton, what little there is, appears to be of little help in that
direction. There are many articles we are more in need of than the cloth,
such as boots and shoes and tools of various kinds to work with."