Those old time Honey Lakers were a resourceful lot. They took the meaning of “no stone over turned” to a new level. A sterling example was in 1907 when B.F. Gibson and W.A. McNaughton of the Honey Lake Valley announced a stunning discovery at Mud Flat, just to the north. What they found was a diatomaceous earth deposit—a form of silica of ancient fish bones, no doubt residue of Lake Lahontan. They thought it could be used to make soap, after all, it had a historical use for toothpaste and facial scrubs. The two men began negotiations with the NCO Railroad to build a spur line to the deposit, where in it could be shipped to Reno for processing. Alas, like so many enterprises, it started with a bang and ended with a bust.