 Established in 1863, Bumble Bee served as a stagecoach stop and an outpost for the U.S. Cavalry, with a post office established in 1879.The creek, and by extension the town, were so named because early travelers in the area claimed that the Indians there were as "thick as bumblebees.”

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.