Ghost Town of Rhyolite

The winds died down yesterday by noon so we drove back into town and towards Death Valley to a ghost town called Rhyolite.  This is one sad place.  The town was started in 1905 right after two prospectors found gold in them-thar-hills. By 1908 the population was estimated at 8,000 people but by 1910 most of people had left.  That's a quick boom to bust.

Rhyolite from the road to Death Valley

We have seen a number of ghost towns but what struck me the most is that what is left of the buildings. Not made of wood, but looks like caliche (mud, stones, cement) and with the weathering, really eroded down.  There was a three story building which housed merchandise, offices, post office, a bank.  Weird that this particular building was completed in 1908 - just about the time the mines/prospecting was declining.  The citizens even built a second school, completed in 1909, but by then there were no students - every one had left.  Saw pictures of the town in the hey-day and wow, looked like quite a neat place to live.

Old versus New (our truck in background)

One fascinating building was the Las Vegas Tonopah Depot, a railroad station, which after the railroad ceased, became a casino until about the mid 1930s.  Three different railroad lines came into this town, and to know it died in 5 years, amazing.

L V  and Tonopah Depot

We had to watch for rattle snakes - the warning signs were out every where. And there was the famous Bottle House, put together using glass bottles where you only see the bottoms of the bottles on the outside but the entire bottle is in the walls.  On the side of the house were bird houses, wishing well, bird feeders, fountains, etc. made out of glass fragments.  Gave me some good ideas for the beach glass collection I have from Lake Erie.

 Bottle House

Other Stuff with Glass

We don't know how Beatty survives today, there is no major grocery store, a couple of gas stations, of course a casino, three hotel chains, 3 RV parks, a brothel that is painted pink and very obvious, a couple of mom-and-pop restaurants, school, police and fire stations, a couple of churches, and lots of one story homes of which most are very sad looking.  But there are people in this town for sure.  And burros.  Caught a couple of pictures of the burros just walking down the road through town.  Everyone stops and stares, can't do much else to them.  If this town was not one of the main entry points for Death Valley National Park, I believe it would have died a long time ago.  It is hanging on, and looks to me that it will continue just because these people must have alot of true grit and tenacity.

Just walking along 

For substantial shopping you have to drive an hour and half south (about 110 miles) towards Las Vegas  or, pay double the price for the staples in one of two locations in town, sort of a 7-11 type store.  While we carry enough food for about 5 days in the RV, it's nice to get fresh veggies and fruit - none of which you will find in this town.  So, we will hopefully not get scurvy while here, leaving this Sunday for parts south.