The creek, and by extension the town, were so named because early travelers in the area claimed that the indigenous people there were as "thick as bumblebees".

[5] With the demise of the stagecoach and the mining in the surrounding area, the site eventually faded away.

An attempt by Jeff Martin to make the town a tourist attraction during the mid-1930s resulted in the construction of the current buildings.

In 1960, Charles A. Penn, retired publisher of Railroad Model Craftsman magazine, purchased the site and tried once again to establish a tourist attraction and museum.

Penn died before his plans came to fruition and the property reverted to private ownership.