RHYOLITE was a mining town built to last. Unlike most mining towns, its buildings were constructed of concrete and stone. The town enjoyed an incredible prosperity for few years following a 1904 gold discovery in the nearby Bullfrog Hills. At its height nearly 6000 people lived in this very modern and bustling community. The inevitable crash ended it all and by 1915, there were only 20 people left. Today all that remains are a few imposing concrete ruins and the old railroad depot. The town build to last, didn't!

DARWIN is an old mining town on the outskirts of Death Valley. As rich deposits of silver were discovered nearby in 1875, Darwin became a boom town and reached a population of 3500 by 1877. However, due to a combination of violence, small pox, and a national economic slowdown, Darwin was hard hit and by 1878, miners started to leave Darwin and head toward Bodie (see my Bodie gallery at www.pbase.com/irislm/easternsierras2007/bodie)). However, unlike Rhyolite and Bodie, Darwin refused to die. Today, it lives on and boasts a population of 50!