Bonnie Claire began it’s life as a mining camp named Thorpe’s Well in the 1880’s. It became a town in 1904. Later the Bonnie Clare and Bullfrog Mining Company purchased the mill and also built another. The town of Bonnie Claire was established in 1906. In 1907 rail service reached the town. In the 1920’s the railroad was used to supply the construction of Scotty’s castle. The railroad pulled out in 1931 as mining diminished.
From 1935 to 1953 lead ore from the Lippencott Mine was smelted here and the smelter ruins still exist today alongside the ruins of other buildings. A couple graves are shown on USGS Historic Topo east of town. There is also a small headframe and ore cart in a collapsed shaft in town.
