Weird Tales 5: The Strange Case of Rhyolite Nevada

In a remote corner of central Nevada on the edge of Death Valley stand the haunting remains of a town that was was built to last. Founded in 1904 on a prospector's discovery of gold and the investments of eastern industrialists it soon became a magnet for those seeking quick riches and unscrupulous promoters. It was supposed to be different from other boomtowns as its population swelled to nearly 10,000 but in less than two years it had dwindled to only 600, and soon was abandoned. Yet its ruins are not those of rickety wood shacks but reinforced concrete and the remnants of three story buildings. It was hoped to be the "Chicago" of the West and its very name, "Rhyolite" was taken from a cheerful rosy colored rock found in abundance at the site. The rock itself reflected the hopeful optimism of the people who lived there. But in 1908 everything changed. That year began with the violent murder of a young girl, Mona Bell, whose life was cut short at age 20. It shook the town to its core...