Death Valley Ghost Towns and Mining Camps in Nevada

Nevada Death Valley Ghost Towns - Page 2

Bonnie Claire- Also known by several other names including Clare, Clair, Thorp's Wells, Thorp, Montana Station, Summerville and Gold Mountain, mining began in the area in the 1880's and a small stamp mill was built at a site then known as Thorp's Wells. Serving several mines located near Gold Mountain some six miles to the northwest. It operated into the early 1900's when the Bonnie Clare Bullfrog Mining Company purchased it. A small camp formed and a stage line from Bullfrog to Goldfield ran through the camp, which was then called Thorp. Another small camp called Summerville also developed about a mile northwest, but it was short lived. In 1904, the company built a larger mill called the Bonnie Clare, which treated ore from all over the district. A post office called Thorp was established in June, 1905.

Bonnie Claire in 1908, California Panorama Co.

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The camp grew slowly until September, 1906 when the Bullfrog-Goldfield Railroad reached the settlement. The new station was called Montana Station, but, when a townsite was platted the following month, it was called Bonnie Clare. However, the post office wouldn't be renamed from thorp to Bonnie Claire until 1909, due to issues with the government.

A number of properties began to produce on Gold Mountain and the Bonnie Clare Bullfrog Mining company built a 20-stamp mill at about which time the community peaked with a population of about 100 people. However, the Panic of 1907 scared investors, which caused a suspension in mining operations and dashed the dreams to town promoters. The town limped along with a few residents, but continued only because the railroad passed through the small community.

In 1925, the town was boosted by the building of Scotty's Castle, a fantasy house in the green oasis of Grapevine Canyon some 20 miles to the southwest. For the next three years, nearly all the items required in the difficult construction of the elaborate castle arrived at the Bonnie Claire station over the Tonopah & Tidewater Railroad. From there, the supplies were hauled by mule-drawn wagons and four-wheel drive trucks to the site.

The elaborate mansion was never finished and in 1928, when the railroad pulled out of Bonnie Claire, the town quickly died. Its post office closed and the railroad tracks removed in 1931. Later, the area was revived by the Lippincott Smelter which processed lead ore from the Lippincott Mine from 1935-1953.

Significant ruins remain at the site including the ruins of the Lippincott Smelter, Montana Station Mill, and a couple of buildings. It is located about 20 miles northeast of Scotty's Castle on CA-72/NV267.

Bonnie Claire today, courtesy Roman M., Panoramio

Bowlerville - A mining camp in the early 20th Century, it was located a few miles south of the Johnnie Mine. It was named to commemorate Fred Bowler, who owned the mine.

Browne's Camp - Located in Nye County, Nevada, this was a short lived mining camp that existed around 1907. Though some shallow ore deposits were found, they were not productive enough to continue and the camp was abandoned. By the 1920's it had disappeared from maps. There are no remains.

Bullfrog - Also called Bonanza and Amargosa City, Bullfrog was established after famous prospector Shorty Harris discovered gold nearby in 1904, and the Original Bullfrog Mine was opened. The entire tent town of Original (also called Amargosa,) which was located near the original Bullfrog mine, moved to the Bullfrog townsite in March, 1905. Within no time the town boasted about 1,000 people, a two-story hotel, a jail, post office, another three-story hotel, a lodging house, a general store, a bank, and an icehouse, as well as a number of other businesses and homes. However, at the same time, the nearby town of Rhyolite was also being established, which quickly caused a fierce competition between the two communities. Making matters worse for the fledgling mining camp were a number of fatal gunfights.

Old jail at Bullfrog, Nevada, Kathy Weiser, 2005.

As Rhyolite continued to grow, Bullfrog declined and by 1907 it was nearly empty. Many of its buildings had been moved to Rhyolite. The post office lasted until May, 1909. Both Rhyolite and what was left of Bullfrog were were doomed by the financial panic of 1907. The town's last large building, a hotel, burned to the ground in June, 1906. Today, all that's left of the old townsite are the remains of an ice house and a jail. Nearby is the Bullfrog-Rhyolite cemetery, just south of the Bullfrog townsite. It is located at the north end of the Amargosa Desert about four miles west of Beatty. Less than a mile north of Bullfrog are the Bullfrog Hills and the ghost town of Rhyolite.

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