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The large and constant flow of sweet, warm water from this spring makes possible the desert oasis of Meadow Valley. First noted by Manley's ill-fated Death Valley Party in 1849, the site was cultivated in 1858 by Brigham Young's White Mountain Mission men, who sought a desert refuge should U.S. persecution of Mormons occur in Utah. The site was abandoned that same year when this issue was resolved. Dependent on these spring waters, Mormons built the first permanent settlement in southern Nevada at Panaca in 1864. For 80 years this water was used for all domestic purposes. The Meadow Valley Mining District, including the Pioche area, was organized in 1864 with its center at Panaca Spring.
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