Panamint Springs was originally built in 1937 by William Reid, foreman for a talc mine near Darwin, and his wife Agnes Cody Reid, a cousin of William "Buffalo Bill" Cody. The couple opened a restaurant and motel to serve travelers along the toll road that ran from Stovepipe Wells to Darwin. After Bill's death in 1945, Agnes continued to operate the resort until it was sold in 1959. From 1959 to the present, the property has had three owners and numerous operators, and it was closed almost as much as it was open from 1959 to 1992. Beginning in 1992, the 40 acre resort was developed to include a restaurant, bar, a 15 unit motel, a gas station, and convenience store, with a campground and RV park located directly across the street.