A couple prospectors by the names of Shorty Harris and E. L. Cross searched the harsh southwest land in search of their fortunes. Forty years after Nevada was admitted as a State, October 31, 1864, the land of the southwest was rich with minerals and sparsely populated. In 1904, the two prospectors discovered a small hill containing quartz with gold streaks throughout.
When Shorty Harris and E. L. Cross found this legendary gold field, unfortunately not many people resided in that area to help celebrate. In fact, the only person in the nearby area was an elderly man living five miles away with his family by the name of Beatty, the same man after whom today’s Beatty, Nevada is named.
Seemed like overnight, thousands of people from hundreds and even thousands of miles away had heard of the gold strike and had migrated to Rhyolite area. Rhyolite is named after the silica-rich volcanic rock in the area. Now the gold rush was in full strides. Nearby several mining camps were set up including Bullfrog, Jumpertown and Amargosa.