Arizona lost one asset of large value in the transfer of the Virgin River
section to Nevada. Therein is an enormous salt deposit, locally called
the Salt Mountain, though three such deposits are along the Virgin
between St. Thomas and the Colorado River. One of them is described as
cropping out along the foot of a high bluff of brown clay, exposed for 80
feet in height from the base of the hill, though the depth below its
surface is unknown. The salt is obtained by blasting, as it is too hard
to dig with picks. It is of excellent quality and of remarkable purity.
In early days, from this deposit was obtained the salt needed in southern
Nevada, southwestern Utah and much of Arizona, steamers carrying it down
the Colorado southward. W. H. Johnson was in early charge of the salt
mines. His widow now is resident in Mesa.