Railroad Pass, named for an 1890's railroad that was never built, first became a destination after Professor Robert T. Hill discovered alunite there in 1908. A mining district was formed, but only small amounts of gold were found, and area mines included the Alunite, Bean Pot, Lucky Dutchman, Ouo Vadis, Spearhead, and Vincent. The short-lived mining boom ended by 1910. During the Great Depression, tent cities sprang up in the pass with names like Texas Acres and Oklahoma City. The Railroad Pass school district was organized in 1932, with a one room school just above the site that operated until it was absorbed into the Henderson School District in 1942. The patented Alunite Mine site was acquired because of its proximity to the Boulder Canyon project, and a bar and casino opened there in 1931. Originally known as Railroad Pass Club, it holds gaming license number 4 issued by the State of Nevada and is the oldest continually operating casino in the state.