In 1864, signs of silver and lead were discovered approximately 8 miles south of Rachel NV. About 1870, the Groom Mining District was organized. The Groom Mine operated until the mid 1870s, thanks to English capital investment of about $80,000, but high grade ore was never found. The nearest supply center of Indian Springs was sixty miles distant, adding significantly to the costs of shipping ore.

Reopened between 1915 and 1919, the Groom Mine did ship ore but still proved unprofitable. No real town ever developed and there was never a post office at the site.

Today it's name lives on in the mountain range and dry lake that bear the mine's name, which are located within the Nellis Air Force Range.