Founded in 1905 and located near Death Valley National Park, Rhyolite, Nevada promised gold and delivered…for a while. The town boomed with a school, hospital, newspapers, telephones, and even a stock exchange until things turned south and the mining stopped. The 1906 San Francisco Earthquake didn’t help the town and neither did the financial panic in 1907. The Montgomery-Shoshone Mine was operating at a loss in 1910 and was closed in 1911. By 1920, the town’s population dropped to near 0, and by this time, it was being used as a movie set. Today you can still find remnants of buildings like the 3 story bank and the old jail. Many say that it is a worthwhile stop if you are in the area of Beatty, Nevada. Do not forget your camera though! People say it has a great photographic setting.