Porter Brothers
Like many merchants of the time, the Porter Brothers, Hiram and Lyman moved from the mining camp to mining camp, following the reports of booms and strikes.
In 1902, they opened a painting business in San Francisco. Following the rich gold strikes in Southern California, they opened mercantiles in Johannesburg, Ballarat (near Death Valley), Beatty and, of course, this one in Rhyolite.
Initially, the brothers bought a lot on Main Street in 1905 and operated out of a canvas tent, but they soon ran out of room. They then bought a second lot on Golden Street, next to many of Rhyolite's important commercial buildings.
Construction of their new building began in 1906. It used local stone and took four months at a cost of $10,000.
Before moving their operations from Main to Golden, they threw a huge three-day sale and held a public dance, complete with an orchestra, in the newly finished Golden Street building.
Porter Bros. store, 1909The Porter Brothers' Store was very popular. In 1906, it was the go-to destination for Christmas shopping which was due in part to its impressive displays that rivaled those of the department stores in major cities. The store was the largest employer of people in Rhyolite, aside from those working in the mines.
Unfortunately, even the popular the store was not immune to the the downturn that would decimate Rhyolite's businesses; closed in 1910. Hiram, however, would stay in Rhyolite for the next nine years, serving as the town's postmaster until the post office closed on September 15, 1919.
Source: BLM Interpretive sign at site.
