The Bonnie Clare mill was established in 1904 as a milling center for several nearby mines. The Bullfrog-Goldfield Railroad reached the area in October 1906 and a small town was built along with a rail station. When the Las Vegas and Tonopah Railroad reached Bonnie Claire the town had reached its peak. The mines started to decline in 1914 which signaled the end this town, but in 1925 a Chicago millionaire named Albert Mussey began construction of a vacation home 20 miles from Bonnie Claire. The project gained notoriety for Johnson's partnership with Death Valley Scotty, a prospector who captured headlines for years with tales of a rich gold mine hidden in Death Valley. From 1925 to 1928 all items involved in the construction job arrived at Bonnie Claire railroad station. This home was never finished and is now known as Scotty's Castle. Mining activity continued until the railroad folded in 1928 and Bonnie Claire was quickly abandoned. There was some minor activity during 1940 to 1954 but Bonnie Claire has been abandoned ever since.