The hotel predated the settlement of Lightning Ridge, which was first known as Wallangulla. The name Lightning Ridge came from an incident where a shepherd, his dog, and roughly 200 sheep were found dead on a ridge (close to the site of the inn), thought to have been struck by lightning. This tragic incident gave the area its name, subsequently taken up to replace Wallangulla.
The inn, which was located on the flat country at the western side of Nebea Hill, did not last long, operating from 1880 to around 1890. It was probably dismantled prior to opal ever being seriously mined at Lightning Ridge.
The first licensee was John Hammond, followed by Joseph Hammond and then Henry Woodham. It was either of the last two who dismantled the inn and moved it to Angledool where the building stood behind the newer Exchange Hotel as part of the overall assemblage of buildings, and was used as a kitchen/laundry.