Harry Trehearne, a Cornish miner from England, immigrated to America and was naturalized in Las Vegas in 1913. Settling down in Nipton, he opened a general store and pursued the development of the community, which included restoring the Hotel Nipton and digging the first water well. He was also active in many local mine explorations and developments. Harry met Ella Mae and they married, establishing a family home in Nipton. They filed homestead papers with the Federal Government and on April 10, 1940, President Franklin D. Roosevelt completed the process, signing the homestead thus transferring the title of the land from the United States to Trehearne.

In 1940 while Harry Trehearne was returning to England for a visit, he was aboard the Athenia when it was torpedoed off the English coast. Trehearne survived and returned to Nipton.

On his return, Trehearne continued to develop the community of Nipton. He built a new General Store (now the Nipton Trading Post), the Town Hall and the Nippeno House. Other projects at the emerging town site also continued.