Bodie
N 38° 12.698 W 119° 00.740
11S E 323822 N 4231210
An original ghost town from the days of the Gold Rush in the 19th century. Hidden down a dusty road in the high hills off Highway 395, just north of Mono Lake.
Waymark Code: WM62G
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 01/15/2006
Views: 90
There are still plenty of buildings standing, although much fewer than in its heyday, largely due to a major fire in 1932. Highlights include the Wheaton and Hollis Hotel (at the coordinates) with the Boone Store opposite, the morgue and the school house. Although the boom years for the town had ended by 1892, there were still residents until the 1940's, although a handful stayed on after that.
(from www.bodie.com)
Bodie stands today in a state of "arrested decay". So coined by the State of California when they took over the town in 1962 to make it a State Historic Park.
In 1859 William (a.k.a. Waterman) S. Bodey discovered gold near what is now called Bodie Bluff. A mill was established in 1861 and the town began to grow. It started with about 20 miners and grew to an estimated 10,000 people by 1880! By that time, the town of Bodie bustled with families, robbers, miners, store owners, gunfighters and prostitutes of all kinds. At one time there was reported to be 65 saloons in town. Amongst the saloons were numerous brothels and 'houses of ill repute', gambling halls and opium dens. Needless to say that there was entertainment for every taste.
After a long day working the claims, the miners would head for the bars and the red light district to spend their earnings. The mixture of money, gold and alcohol would often prove fatal. It is said that there was a man killed every day in Bodie. Presumably, the undertaker never had a slow day.
There are records that say that Wm. Body took a ship from New York, around the horn to end up in San Francisco. The name of the town was changed at some point in time, before the majority of the people made their way to Bodie. There are different stories as to why - one says it was to keep the correct pronunciation of town's namesake. Another says that the sign painter didn't have the room for the tail of the lower-case "y". Today, even though Bodie is lost down a dusty 13 mile long road, off of state highway 395, it is amazing just how many people are aware of this once glorious town.
There's a story about a little girl whose family moved from San Francisco to Bodie. Depending on who tells you, or where you read it, she wrote either: "Good, by God, I'm going to Bodie" or "Goodbye God, I'm going to Bodie".
Reason for Abandonment: Economic
Date Abandoned: 01/01/1940
Related Web Page: Not listed
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