Victor, Utah

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

Not to be confused with Desert Lake, Utah.
Victor, Utah

Desert Lake
Ghost town
Victor, as seen from a dirt road near Elmo, August 2010
Victor
Location of Victor in Utah
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 30 Mar 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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