Just outside Death Valley in the Bullfrog Hills of Nevada, Rhyolite began in early 1905 as a mining camp after gold was found in the surrounding hills. By 1907, Rhyolite had electric lights, water mains, telephones, newspapers, a hospital, a school, an opera house, a stock exchange, and a population of 3,500 to 5,000. But the best ore was quickly exhausted and by 1910 most people were gone. By 1920 the town was nearly deserted, and most buildings crumbled or were salvaged for use elsewhere. [2 captures hand-blended for focus & exposure]