The Cook Bank Building became the most iconic building in Rhyolite and one of the most photographed ruins in Nevada. John Cook and his brother started the John S. Cook & Company Bank in Goldfield, Nevada, in January 1905, and later that year opened a branch in Rhyolite. The bank first operated from a rented building on Main Street, but after the purchase of a lot on Golden Street, construction of the new building began in the spring of 1907. One of four banks in Rhyolite, it was by far the finest, built of poured concrete, rising three stories with a basement that housed the Post Office. Its interior featured marble staircases, mahogany accents, electric lights, and indoor plumbing. Despite this opulence, the bank remained open less than two years. In the summer and fall of 1907, a financial crisis often referred to as the Knickerboxer Crisis caused banks across the country to go bankrupt. By 1910, the bank had closed, and John Cook had sold off all the building's fixtures. After the bank's closure, the building appeared in many movies, including The Air Mail, The Arrogant, Cherry 2000, The Island, Delusion, Ramona!, The Reward, Wanderer of the Wasteland, Six-String Samurai, Rough Riders' Round-up, Bone Dry, Ultraviolet, and more.