Victor, Utah

Victor (also known as Desert Lake)[1] is a ghost town in Castle Valley in northern Emery County, Utah, United States.

Victor, Utah
Desert Lake
Victor, as seen from a dirt road near Elmo, August 2010
Victor, as seen from a dirt road near Elmo, August 2010
Victor is located in Utah
Victor
Victor
Location of Victor in Utah
Victor is located in the United States
Victor
Victor
Victor (the United States)
Coordinates: 39°24′05″N 110°42′56″W
CountryUnited States
StateUtah
CountyEmery
Founded1910
Abandoned1920
Named forGeorge W. Victor
Elevation5,525 ft (1,684 m)
GNIS feature ID1437712[1]

Description

The town was inhabited from 1910 to 1920.[2] The community has the name of George W. Victor, a postal worker.[3]

History

Victor was established in 1910, when a burst dam treated the soil near Desert Lake with alkaline water, preventing farming. Residents of Desert Lake, a town located near the lake, had to relocate to a more fertile area in order to continue farming.[4] They chose a spot 6 miles (9.7 km) east of Elmo. The town was soon named Victor. Homes and a schoolhouse were built in town. Farming was more difficult at Victor, because the area was much drier than Desert Lake.[2] Sand dunes located near the town were often blown by wind onto farmland and the surrounding buildings.[5] In 1920, the continuous lack of rain caused the residents of Victor to leave. The schoolhouse and a couple of foundations remain in the town site.[2]

See also

References

  1. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Victor
  2. Carr, Stephen L. (1986) [1972]. The Historical Guide to Utah Ghost Towns. Salt Lake City: Western Epics. p. 85. ISBN 978-0-914740-30-8.
  3. Lund, Anthon Henrik (1922). The Utah Genealogical and Historical Magazine. Genealogical Society of Utah. p. 39.
  4. Van Cott, John W. (1990). Utah Place Names: A Comprehensive Guide to the Origins of Geographic Names. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press. p. 108. ISBN 9780874803457. Retrieved March 30, 2019.
  5. Thompson, George A. (1988). Some Dreams Die: Utah's Ghost Towns and Lost Treasures. Salt Lake City: Dream Garden Press. pp. 112–113. ISBN 0-942688-01-5.

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