Beatty Museum & Historical Society in Beatty, Nevada

Bullfrog Mining District

Shorty Harris and Ed Cross discovered gold just outside of Death Valley, California on August 4, 1904. The excitement of the discovery led to the development of several small mining towns in the area. Beatty billed itself as the most prosperous camp in the Bullfrog Mining District. Sitting on top of the Amargosa Underground River and with several natural springs it became a prime location to build a town and supply center. Bob Montgomery, founder of the Montgomery Shoshone Mine purchased several springs and most of the property of the Beatty Ranch to build his town.

Beatty quickly became a capitol of the Bullfrog Mining District. The Saturday Evening Post gave recognition to Beatty as "the newest and greatest mining country in Nevada." Montillius Beatty, owner of the Beatty Ranch became the first postmaster of Beatty. Married to a Piute woman, he was one of the only white men in the area prior to the finding of gold. The town was named in honor of Mr. Beatty.

Beatty eventually secured three railroads into town and became the supply mecca of the Bullfrog Mining District. At the Bullfrog's height, over 100 mines were in operation in the district. After living for years in the shadow of its larger neighbor, Rhyolite, Nevada, Beatty came into its own by the 1930s and is now the only surviving town of the original Bullfrog Mining District.

Beatty is a gateway to Death Valley and the first community of size north of Las Vegas.