Why were settlements started in places like Las Vegas and Pheonix if they had no viable farmland and aren’t connected to a river that connected to the ocean (e.g., the Mississippi River) for trade?

Question

Why were settlements started in places like Las Vegas and Pheonix if they had no viable farmland and aren’t connected to a river that connected to the ocean (e.g., the Mississippi River) for trade?

In: Other

Answer 1

I’d challenge your assumption that they had no viable farmland. The early settlers of Phoenix diverted water from the nearby Salt River to irrigate their crops. The soil was rich enough and there were few rocks, plus the climate in the winter, spring and fall allows for longer growing seasons. Irrigation is a more controllable source of water as long as the source doesn’t dry up.