Why were settlements started in places like Vegas and Pheonix if they weren’t connected to a river that connected to the ocean like the Mississippi River for trade and had no viable farmland?

Question

Why were settlements started in places like Vegas and Pheonix if they weren’t connected to a river that connected to the ocean like the Mississippi River for trade and had no viable farmland?

In: 4650

Answer 1

Better question… why did Los Angeles become as big as it is without any fresh water? Los Angeles is so arid that their need for water caused large lakes in the Mojave Desert to disappear due to the LA Aqueduct.