Then & Now: Rhyolite, Nevada

Position mouse cursor over image to see historic photo circa 1909. Move mouse cursor off image to see my 1985 photo.

Where once the streets were filled with the clatter of horses' hooves and the barking of dogs, now is heard only the lonesome wind. The ghost town of Rhyolite, located 5 miles west of Beatty, Nevada, was built in a frenzy of stock speculation that the gold mines could not support. This structure, the John S. Cook bank building, illustrates how quickly the boom passed. Only two years after it was completed in 1908, the building's interior furnishings were sold off, at one-sixth the original cost. Rhyolite at its peak was home to several thousand people; by 1920 fourteen remained, and by 1924, none.

At the time of my visit (November 1985), Rhyolite was open to the public and easily accessible via a paved road. Several ruins in a dramatic state of decay were accessible to visitors, but at least one building was occupied and posted against trespassing.