The initial discoveries that resulted in the towns Bullfrog and Rhyolite occurred on August 4, 1904. The entire tent town of Amargosa City, which was located near the original Bullfrog mine, moved to the Bullfrog townsite in March 1905. In early 1905, Rhyolite began to form and soon there was fierce competition between the two towns. May of 1905 was the peak of Bullfrog’s short existence. Main street lots were selling for as much as $1,500. A two-story hotel was constructed in early 1905 along with a county jail. Other businesses included a three-story hotel, a lodging house, a general store, a bank, and an icehouse among others. A number of fatal gunfights did not help Bullfrog to keep its residents. Many left to live in Rhyolite and by 1907 Bullfrog was nearly empty. By May, the last business in Bullfrog had left for Rhylolite. Bullfrog’s last status symbol, its now vacant hotel, burned to the ground on June 25, 1906. The post office struggled to stay open during the next several years but closed its doors for good on May 15, 1909. Bullfrog joined the growing ranks of Nye County ghost towns. Today Bullfrog is almost totally flattened. The only visible remains are those of the old icehouse. If you stop at Bullfrog, be sure you visit the Bullfrog-Rhyolite cemetery located just south of the Bullfrog townsite.

Submitted by: Shawn Hall from his book Preserving The Glory Days: Ghost Towns And Mining Camps Of Nye County, Nevada Click here to purchase his book!

Bullfrog Stock
Courtesy Steve Bruce

Bullfrog Jail. January 1, 1999.
Courtesy David A. Wright