Bullfrog Mining District, Nevada
Nestled in the arid landscape of southern Nevada, the Bullfrog Mining District stands as a testament to the ephemeral nature of boomtowns and the enduring allure of gold. This region, once a hive of frenzied activity and boundless optimism, now whispers tales of fortunes won and lost, dreams realized and shattered. The district’s story is inextricably linked to the economic fluctuations of Nevada, a state whose destiny has long been intertwined with the extraction of precious metals.
At the dawn of the 20th century, Nevada found itself grappling with a protracted economic downturn. The legendary Comstock Lode, which had fueled the state’s growth and financed a significant portion of the Union war effort during the Civil War, had largely played out by 1880. Subsequent mining booms proved less substantial, leading to a decline in population and economic stagnation. The state’s very future hung in the balance, with some suggesting a return to territorial status.
However, the tide began to turn in 1900 with the discovery of silver in Tonopah. This discovery ignited a spark of hope, which was further fanned by the subsequent discovery of rich gold deposits in Goldfield just two years later. A renewed wave of prospectors descended upon Nevada, their hearts ablaze with dreams of striking it rich. While no discoveries rivaled the magnitude of Tonopah and Goldfield, numerous smaller camps emerged, each aspiring to emulate the success of Virginia City. Rhyolite, the most prominent settlement within the Bullfrog Mining District, was one such camp.
The genesis of the Bullfrog Mining District can be traced back to August 9, 1904, when gold was first discovered in the area. The initial finds yielded high-grade surface ore, reportedly assaying at an impressive $700 per ton. Such a discovery was enough to trigger a full-blown boom. Shorty Harris, one of the discoverers, vividly described the ensuing frenzy in Goldfield upon his return with samples:
"I’ve seen many gold rushes in my time that were hummers, but nothing like that stampede. Men were leaving town in a steady stream with buckboards, buggies, wagons, and burros. It looked like the whole population of Goldfield was trying to move at once. Timekeepers and clerks, waiters and cooks – they all got the fever and milled around wild-eyed, trying to find a way to the new strike. A lot of fellows loaded their stuff on two-wheeled carts – grub, tools, and cooking utensils, and away they went across the desert, two or three pulling the cart and everything in it rattling. Men even hiked the seventy-five miles pushing wheelbarrows."
Harris continued, "When Ed and I got back to our claim a week later, more than a thousand men were camped around it, and more were coming every day. A few had tents, but most of them were in open camps. That was the start of Bullfrog, and from then, things moved so fast that it made us old-timers dizzy."
While Harris’s account may have been embellished over time, the pace of events was undeniably rapid. Towns sprang up almost overnight, vying for prominence. Amargosa (later renamed Original) was established on September 30, 1904, and within three weeks, 35 lots had been sold. Beatty, located to the southeast, was founded on October 20th. Bullfrog and Rhyolite emerged in November, established by rival townsite companies, all within a few miles of each other.
Amargosa (Original) reported selling 1,000 lots within its first two months, some fetching prices as high as $200 each. By November, the town boasted three stores, four saloons, two feed lots, restaurants, boarding houses, lodging houses, a post office, and 35-40 other tent structures. Prices reflected the booming atmosphere and the high cost of freighting goods 70 miles from Goldfield. Lumber, a precious commodity, sold for $100 per 1,000 board feet, while hay for prospectors’ burros and teamsters’ mules commanded $100 a ton.
The boom continued through the spring of 1905. Thirty teams a day departed Goldfield for the Bullfrog Mining District in January, and one observer counted 52 outfits arriving in the district in a single day in March. Chaos reigned, particularly for prospectors who returned from brief absences to find that the entire town of Amargosa (Original) had relocated a few miles south to Bullfrog. Mining claims changed hands at a frantic pace, with land near publicized claims fetching prices ranging from $500 to $2,000, even before a single pickaxe had struck the earth. By May, Rhyolite boasted 20 saloons, a telltale sign of prosperity.
By late spring, the frenzy began to subside, allowing for a semblance of order. Rhyolite and Bullfrog, situated just ¾ of a mile apart, had established themselves as the leading towns in the district, with Beatty trailing behind and Gold Center struggling to survive. Four daily stagecoach lines connected the district to the outside world. Post offices operated in Beatty, Bullfrog, and Rhyolite, and lots in Rhyolite that had sold for $100 in February were now commanding $4,400. Gambling games ran around the clock. "It reminds one of the old times," remarked one prospector. Each town had its own bank and a weekly newspaper: The Bullfrog Miner, the Beatty Bullfrog Miner, and the Rhyolite Herald.
The boom continued unabated through June. The district’s population was estimated at 3,000, and telephone lines had been established in Bullfrog and Rhyolite, followed by a telegraph office. Over 300 messages were transmitted on the first day of operation, primarily to Goldfield brokers and stock dealers. By August 1905, both Bullfrog and Rhyolite had their own piped-in water systems. Rhyolite gained another bank, and the two towns boasted a combined population of 2,500, with an additional 700 in Beatty and 40 in the tent city of Gold Center. The Rhyolite Herald listed 85 incorporated companies operating within the district.
The year 1906 saw a gradual transition from the initial rush phase to a more structured development phase. A reported 165 mining companies were active in the district, each hoping to uncover another mother lode. Rhyolite steadily gained dominance over Bullfrog, emerging as the metropolis of the southern desert. Bullfrog’s stores, saloons, and newspaper relocated to Rhyolite. Soon, three railroads announced plans to construct lines into the district.
However, the first sign of impending disaster arrived in the form of the earthquake and fire in San Francisco, California. Development slowed as miners, owners, and promoters awaited the impact of the West Coast’s financial center’s destruction on their fortunes. The Bullfrog Mining District was reliant on the West Coast for its economic livelihood.
The boom spirit, however, proved resilient. With the promise of financial assistance from mining promoter Charles Schwab, activity resumed. By the end of 1906, Rhyolite seemed destined to fulfill its self-proclaimed title of Queen of the Desert as the Las Vegas & Tonopah Railroad completed its tracks into town. Lower rail freight rates allowed the camp to increase its monthly payroll of $100,000 and continue its growth.
The year 1907 was another prosperous one. Fifty freight cars per day arrived via the Las Vegas & Tonopah Railroad in February. The town’s population had grown to 3,300, and prime lots were selling for as much as $10,000. A school census revealed 250 children of school age, leading to the construction of a wooden schoolhouse. A concrete and steel jail was also built. The Rhyolite Stock Exchange was incorporated and opened on March 25 to streamline the feverish stock trading that had strained the telegraph lines to Goldfield and San Francisco. In June, the Bullfrog-Goldfield Railroad arrived, establishing rail connections with the north. In September, electric power was introduced to Rhyolite by the Nevada-California Power Company. Homes, stores, and offices were wired, and the power was connected to the machinery of the large Montgomery-Shoshone mill, which soon commenced operations. Another newspaper, the Rhyolite Daily Bulletin, joined the district’s three weekly papers. Production figures for the district exceeded $100,000 for the first time in September, and the arrival of the Tonopah & Tidewater Railroad the following month promised further prosperity.
Even the Panic of 1907, which some considered a depression, had little impact on the spirits of the Bullfroggers. Newspapers noted, with a hint of surprise, that the panic seemed to affect the Bullfrog Mining District less than other mining camps in Nevada and California. Local banks were compelled to issue scripts for a few months due to the cash shortage. Local merchants readily accepted the script, even advertising for it, attributing the panic to the machinations of greedy eastern financiers. Despite the panic, property values continued to rise, and year-end tax rolls reflected the town’s prosperity, with assessments on nearly two million dollars worth of real and personal property.
The year 1908 began auspiciously, with the Montgomery-Shoshone mill processing 200 tons of ore per day and plans for additional mills to open soon, further increasing the district’s production and prosperity. The grand three-story, $60,000 John S. Cook Bank Building was completed in Rhyolite in January to accommodate the influx of money. By February, all banks had resumed cash transactions, reporting that they had needed only half the amount of script printed for use during the Panic. Production soared as new mills and mines commenced operations, reaching an estimated $170,850 in April. By September, the Bullfrog Mining District ranked as the third-largest producer in Nevada, trailing only Goldfield and Tonopah. The Las Vegas & Tonopah Railroad completed its magnificent passenger station in June, which quickly became a showcase for the southern Nevada region.
Construction continued, culminating in the completion of the three-story concrete and stone Overbury building in December at a cost of $50,000. At its zenith, Rhyolite was a bustling center of activity. Newspapers enthusiastically claimed a population of 12,000, although a more realistic estimate would be 8,000. The town boasted an opera house, a new $20,000 concrete and steel two-story school building, hotels, ladies’ clubs, and a swimming pool. Large concrete and stone buildings lined the main streets, flanked by hundreds of wooden stores, offices, and residences, although some latecomers still resided in tents on the outskirts of town. The Western Federation of Miners’ local union, with its large membership, union hall, and hospital, threatened to surpass the local union in Tonopah.
Rhyolite even had a manufacturing base, comprising two foundries and machine shops. The Porter Brothers, leading merchants, had transformed their original tent store into an imposing building complete with freight elevators and stock valued at $100,000.
Dance halls and brothels, ever-present indicators of prosperity in a mining camp, occasionally encroached upon prohibited districts, drawing the attention of the town council. By the end of the year, the Rhyolite Herald estimated total production for 1908 to be close to $1,000,000.
The Rhyolite and Bullfrog boom had a similar impact on the surrounding Death Valley area as Goldfield and Tonopah had on the entire state. Fueled by the boom and dreams of wealth, prospectors poured out of Rhyolite into the hills and deserts of southeastern Nevada and southwestern California. Backed by affluent Rhyolite merchants and promoters, these men explored the countryside more thoroughly than ever before. The results, for a time, seemed too good to be true, with strikes and mining camps blossoming throughout the wilderness. On the east side of Death Valley, the entire South Bullfrog District grew up around the Keane Wonder Mine, while farther south, the boom camps of Lee, Echo, Schwab, Greenwater, Gold Valley, and Ibex emerged in California. West of Death Valley, prospectors from Rhyolite discovered and established the mines and camps of Emigrant Springs, Skidoo, Harrisburg, and Ubehebe, California. All these camps regarded Rhyolite as the metropolis of the desert, and Rhyolite merchants, teamsters, and outfitters profited immensely from their location at the region’s distribution center.
However, as is often the case, the gold rush contained more fever than gold. Some of the smaller camps died almost as soon as they were born, leaving little more than a ripple in time. Others, like Greenwater, California, exhausted their energy on booming, leaving nothing behind when the dust settled. Most lasted a year, two, or even three. But, with the exception of Skidoo and the Keane Wonder Mine in California, all the smaller camps faded before Rhyolite, foreshadowing the larger town’s eventual fate.
On the surface, Rhyolite appeared as vibrant as ever in early 1909, and the town’s citizens even initiated a movement to split the county in two, making Rhyolite the county seat of the southern portion. However, such ambitions were unrealistic, as cracks were already appearing in the facade. Although the boom spirit had carried the Bullfrog Mining District through the San Francisco disaster and the Panic of 1907 seemingly unscathed, underlying problems were beginning to emerge. Financial difficulties, a fatal blow to any mining camp, eroded investor confidence. Two of the three Rhyolite banks had closed by the end of 1909, and questionable dealings involving two of the district’s most promising mines further undermined investor trust. The Montgomery-Shoshone mill continued to process low-grade ore throughout 1909, but low-grade ore held little allure. To the north, a brief new boom at Pioneer seemed to temporarily halt the decline, but a devastating fire swept through the camp before it was fully established, preventing its recovery.
Businesses began to decline and close. The Rhyolite Daily Bulletin was the first newspaper to cease publication, printing its last issue in May 1909, followed by the Bullfrog Miner in September. However, the December tax rolls revealed the true extent of the situation. When the time came to pay county taxes, owners of 156 properties, representing 28% of the total tax base, chose to abandon their properties rather than invest further in a failing venture. As the Mining World noted, "Mining operations in the Bullfrog Mining District were rather dull last year."
Rhyolite struggled through 1910, desperately seeking a prospector who could strike a discovery that would revive the days of prosperity. Their hopes were dashed, however, and when tax time arrived again, 168 taxable properties, equaling 44% of the tax base, were left to the county treasurer as their owners had departed. The First National Bank closed its doors that year, becoming the last bank to leave Rhyolite.
The trend accelerated in 1911, when the Montgomery-Shoshone, the only mine with significant production in the district, finally shut down in May. The 1911 tax rolls again showed owners of 118 properties (43%) leaving town rather than pay taxes, and the Mining World sounded the death knell: "The Bullfrog Mining District is almost deserted, save by a few lessees, who at intervals make a small production… After demonstrating that ore averaging $6 a ton could be profitably milled, the Montgomery-Shoshone has closed down, having exhausted its pay ore."
The Bullfrog Mining District was exhausted as well. Companies with remaining funds clung to properties, hoping for a resurgence. Several dozen individuals remained in Rhyolite, eking out a living by leasing mines and extracting occasional small shipments of ore. The glory days, however, were gone forever. The Rhyolite Herald finally closed in June 1912, and the town slowly died.
Periodic attempts were made to reorganize and rework the mines on a small scale, preventing Rhyolite from becoming a complete ghost town for several years, but none were successful. In 1914, the Las Vegas & Tonopah Railroad discontinued service to the town, despite the protests of the remaining citizens. In 1916, the Nevada-California Power Company cut off electricity to Rhyolite and began salvaging its poles and wire. The Inyo Register described the once-thriving town in December 1916:
"Rhyolite, once a camp claiming several thousand population, is practically a deserted village… the movable buildings have been moved away from time to time, and the process is still going on. At present, it is contributing to the upbuilding of the camp of Carrara…" By 1920, although a few companies and individuals still held onto their Rhyolite properties, hoping against hope for a revival, the camp was completely deserted.
Subsequently, much of Rhyolite was slowly dismantled to serve the needs of new boom camps. Although small-scale efforts were made to revive the camp from time to time, the good days were gone. Today, the crumbling remnants of its once-imposing structures and its picturesque location make it one of the most popular ghost towns in the American West. Ironically, Beatty, which played little sister to Rhyolite throughout the boom years, was spared from decline by the construction of Nevada Highway 95 and continues to survive on the trade of tourists, military personnel, and truckers traveling between Las Vegas and Reno.
The Bullfrog Mining District made a difference. The district produced $1,687,792 worth of ore in the four short years between 1907 and 1910, contributing, along with other small camps and the bonanzas of Goldfield and Tonopah, to Nevada’s recovery from its two-decade slump.
Numerous mines and mining camps contributed to the Bullfrog Mining District. Significant remnants can be found at some locations, while others have reverted to their natural desert state.
The Bullfrog Mining District encompasses the area of Beatty west of US Highway 95 and the region surrounding the old towns of Rhyolite and Pioneer. It borders the Fluorine District to the west. The district includes the Bullfrog Hills and properties in the adjacent part of the Grapevine Mountains.