Rhyolite, Nevada One Place Study

Date: 1905 to 1924
Location: Rhyolite, Nye, Nevada, United States
Surnames/tags: One_Place_Studies Nevada United_States

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Contents 1 Rhyolite, Nevada One Place Study 1.1 Name 1.2 Geography 1.3 History 2 People 2.1 Prominent Citizens 2.2 Deaths/Attempted Murder 2.3 Notables 2.4 African-American Residents 2.5 Native American Residents 3 Buildings 4 Films 5 Sources

Rhyolite, Nevada One Place Study

• Wikidata: Item Q1889901, en:Wikipedia
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Name

Rhyolite is a volcanic rock.

Geography

Continent: North America

Country: United States of America

State/Province: Nevada

County: Nye

GPS Coordinates: 36.903889, -116.829167

Elevation: 1159.9 m or 3805.5 feet

History

Rhyolite was founded in 1906. Its post office was established on May 19, 1905 and discontinued on September 15, 1919.^[1]

"A new town called Rhyolite, has been laid out at the foot of Ladd Mountain in the Bullfrog District by N.M. Simons, Sol Camp and Percy Stanley. Mr. Simons who is in town this week says that Rhyolite is destined to become a big city some day."^[2]

People

Prominent Citizens

A 1969 article profiles the "last seven residents of Rhyolite":^[3]

• “Gasoline” Billy Kleer
• Rev. Herschel Heisler and Frederica (Westmoreland) Heisler (she had inherited the train depot from her brother)
• Bessie Moffat
• Louise (Johnson) Morrison
• Mary (Fass) Thompson and her husband William Evan "Tommy" Thompson They lived in the Bottle House.

Owners of the Bullfrog Mine:

• E. L. Cross

Other:

• Edward Anderson^[4]
• Bernard McCann, news and stationery vendor^[5]
• Abe and Morris Harris^[6]
• Earl R. Clemons and Guy T. Keene, owners and editors of the Rhyolite Herald^[7]
• Anna B. Moore, postmaster^[8]

Deaths/Attempted Murder

• Mona Bell (Sarah Isabelle “Sadie” (Peterman) Heskett^[9] murdered by Fred Skinner
• James Simpson, manager of the Bullfrog Mining Company, shot and seriously wounded by a prospector, Tom (or Thomas or L. G. or or T. J. or William Shipe.^[10] Fortunately Simpson survived.^[11]

Notables

• Charles M. Schwab He bought the Montgomery Shoshone Mine in 1906.

African-American Residents

• Emily LIttlejohn

Native American Residents

• Joseph Strozzi
• Mary Rose (Stewart) Strozzi)

Buildings

• School
  
  • Edith (Blanchard) Kirchen teacher
• Cook Bank Building: One of four banks in Rhyolite; owned by John S. Cook and his brother.^[12]
• Tom Kelly Bottle House: Built by Tom Kelley from beer bottles collected from Rhyolite's fifty saloons, the bottle house was completed in 1906 and auctioned off in a raffle won by the Bennett family.^[13] In 1947 it was owned by L.J. Murphy.^[14]
• Rhyolite Train Depot: Completed in June 1908, just as Rhyolite began its decline.
  • Purchased at an auction by Mrs. Foss in 1923 for $204.^[15]
  • Owned by Pat McLaughlin at one time, who had turned it into a private residence but by 1930 it was owned by a corporation.^[16]
  • Purchased by Norman C. Westmoreland in 1935 and became the Rhyolite Ghost Casino in November 1937.
  • Inherited by his sister Frederica (Westmoreland) Heisler after Norman's death in 1947.^[17]

Films

• Wanderers in the Wasteland (Paramount, 1924)
• The Air Mail (1924)
• The Arrogant
• Cherry 2000 (1987)
• The Island
• Delusion
• Ramona!
• The Reward
• Six-String Samurai (1998)
• Rough Riders' Round-up
• Bone Dry
• Ulltraviolet

Sources

1. ↑ Carlson, Helen S. Nevada Place Names: A Geographical Dictionary. Reno: University of Nevada Press, c1974.
2. ↑ Rhyolite the Latest: "Newspapers.com"
   Tonopah Bonanza (Butler, Nevada) Sat, Jan 14, 1905, page 1
   Newspapers Clip: 117912147 (accessed 18 September 2023)
3. ↑ https://www.latimes.com/visuals/photography/la-me-fw-archives-when-rhyolite-nevada-had-seven-residents-20170607-story.html
4. ↑ Edward Anderson: "Newspapers.com"
   Tonopah Bonanza (Butler, Nevada) Sat, Jan 14, 1905, page 1
   Newspapers Clip: 117912147 (accessed 18 September 2023)
5. ↑ Moved to Rhyolite: "Newspapers.com"
   The Goldfield News and Weekly Tribune (Goldfield, Nevada) Fri, May 5, 1905, page 2
   Newspapers Clip: 132009914 (accessed 18 September 2023)
6. ↑ Abe and Morris Harris: "Newspapers.com"
   The Record-Courier (Gardnerville, Nevada) Fri, May 12, 1905, page 4
   Newspapers Clip: 118079402 (accessed 18 September 2023)
7. ↑ New Rhyolite Paper: "Newspapers.com"
   Nevada State Journal (Reno, Nevada) Wed, May 17, 1905, page 3
   Newspapers Clip: 922890 (accessed 18 September 2023)
8. ↑ From Nevada Exchanges: "Newspapers.com"
   The Eureka Sentinel (Eureka, Nevada) Sat, Jun 24, 1905, page 3
   Newspapers Clip: 121404408 (accessed 18 September 2023)
9. ↑ Memorial: Find a Grave (has image)
   Find A Grave: Memorial #90918718 (accessed 25 August 2023)
   Memorial page for Sarah Isabelle “Sadie” Peterman Heskett (2 Oct 1887-3 Jan 1908), citing Crown Hill Cemetery, Seattle, King County, Washington, USA (plot: J 19 row 15 #11 unmarked); Maintained by Nevada Bob (contributor 46585999).
10. ↑ James Simpson is Mortally Wounded: "Newspapers.com"
    Tonopah Bonanza (Butler, Nevada) Sat, Jan 14, 1905, page 1
    Newspapers Clip: 117912147 (accessed 18 September 2023)
11. ↑ James Simpson Will Recover: "Newspapers.com"
    Reno Gazette-Journal (Reno, Nevada) Fri, Feb 3, 1905, page 5
    Newspapers Clip: 94677526 (accessed 18 September 2023)
12. ↑ Cook Bank Building: One of the Most Photographed Ruins in Nevada (https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=195416)
13. ↑ Tom Kelly's Bottle House (https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/tom-kellys-bottle-house)
14. ↑ Bottle House is Not For Sale: "Newspapers.com"
    Nevada State Journal (Reno, Nevada) Wed, Aug 20, 1947, page 7
    Newspapers Clip: 131934595 (accessed 17 September 2023)
15. ↑ Pioneer Purchases Rhyolite Depot for Sentiment: "Newspapers.com"
    Reno Gazette-Journal (Reno, Nevada) Thu, Feb 22, 1923, page 6
    Newspapers Clip: 132024186 (accessed 18 September 2023)
16. ↑ Historic Relics of Commercial Importance: "Newspapers.com"
    Reno Gazette-Journal (Reno, Nevada) Tue, May 13, 1930, page 10
    Newspapers Clip: 129109264 (accessed 29 July 2023)
17. ↑ Rhyolite Train Depot (https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=195442)