The settlements along the Muddy continued their slow growth. Besides St. Thomas, by the spring of 1870 St. Joseph (original site), and Overton were "quite respectable" towns. Helaman Pratt presided over Overton and Daniel Start presided at old St. Joseph, and George Leavitt was presiding elder over some twenty-five families at West Point (Arrington 43).

According to the 1870 United States census, the recorded population of the valley was set at 600. There were 193 at St. Joseph, 150 at St. Thomas, 138 at West Point, and 119 in the town of Overton. It is interesting to note that in that same census Las Vegas had a population of 8 (Edwards 278). But of those living on the Muddy, only the family of Daniel Bonelli would remain a year later to make it their permanent home.

Political issues and boundary disputes were again raising their ugly heads. President Brigham Young and several other leaders of the church came to the Muddy in March of 1870 to see the conditions of the settlement for themselves. When the word reached the settlers that the Prophet planned a visit to the Muddy, the people were elated. No greater honor could have come to the small communities on the Muddy. The people expended every available resource in an effort to prepare for the visit. President Young's party was greeted amid a festive atmosphere. After a short celebration and greeting, President Young was led on a tour covering the entire length of the valley. They even went as far south as the Colorado River and planned to cross the Colorado. It was obvious to all who accompanied President Young, however, that he was not impressed. He indicated that the area had been misrepresented to him (277). Bishop Leithead tells of President Young's visit:

"During our stay on the Muddy, President Brigham Young paid us a visit, with others, and went down to the Rio Virgin twenty-five miles away and camped over night on the Colorado. Before his visit, it was given out that his company wished to cross the river and explore a little of Arizona. Word was sent to us inquiring if we could furnish a flat boat capable of carrying a wagon and team or would they have to bring a boat along. I answered we would furnish a boat. There was no timber within sixty miles and it must be obtained over roads, or rather no roads at all, with scarcely any water. We went resolutely to work. Teams were sent to Sheep Mountain for timber. When it arrived, Brother Rueben Broadbent and myself erected a sawpit in a small grove of cottonwoods that I had planted and had grown large enough to make shade. We smoothed the sides of one log and split it with a whipsaw for gunnels. We sawed all of timbers for a frame siding floor inside and put it together, caulked it, pitched it, launched it, and tied it up to be used in ferrying President Young across the Colorado River. But it was never used for that purpose. The President was so disappointed with the country he did not feel like making a further move in that direction. All that labor and expense was thrown away so far as we were concerned. When President Young visited the Muddy Valley, he did not seem elated with the country, had very little to say, and let the ones accompanying him do the talking." (Hafner 50)

Bishop Foote added that Brigham Young "was very much disappointed in the whole country. He did not consider that it was as desirable a place as it had been represented to him." In fact, Bishop Foote reported that he declared, "Nobody buy Mormons and Indians can make a living is this desolate country. If the gentiles want the country, they are welcome to it" (Edwards 277). To underwrite Brigham Young's lack of desire to further develop the Muddy, he released all the settlers at West Point in the Upper Muddy. This allowed those settlers to return to Utah.