Panoramic Perspective of the Area Adjacent to Boulder Dam As It Will Appear When Lake is Filled

“Served Exclusively by the Union Pacific Railroad”

This gorgeous aerial perspective of the area around Lake Mead was produced by the Union Pacific Railway as promotional material for its Boulder Dam Route, then the only railway from which the new dam (completed in 1936) and corresponding city could be accessed. The line is shown running through the region alongside the Arrowhead Trail, an early auto route that would eventually become Interstate 15. It passes through a fledgling Las Vegas before extending to Salt Lake City, far in the background.

The area’s marvelous geographic diversity is skillfully illustrated and colored so as to dramatize the landscape. Rocky deserts, lush forests, and steep canyons are all shown with an exaggerated artistic flair. Regional attractions include Bryce, Zion, and Cedar Break Parks, the Grand Canyon, Charleston Mountains, and Lake Mead. The last, still filling at the time of publication, identifies the former site of St. Thomas, flooded when the dam was constructed.

The view was drawn by the talented Gerald Eddy in 1938. This example was published in Chicago by the Poole Brothers in 1940, according to a printer’s code found on the verso. Here can also be seen several panels related to the history and opportunity in the region, as well as a small map of the Union Pacific system from Chicago to San Francisco.