Bodie, California
When mining began to decline along the western slope of the Sierra Nevada,
Gold prospectors that included a man named William S. Bodey,
went in search of their fortune in other places across the eastern slope.
It was William S. Bodey, who discovered gold near what is now known as Bodie Bluff in 1859.
William S. Bodey perished in a blizzard whilst trying to make a supply run.
Unfortunately he would never see the growth and fortune that would come from Bodie,
that was named after him.
It was not uncommon back in the olden days, to find mispelling of names,
and throughout the years there have been variations of the name Bodey,
but in time it was this spelling of Bodie that finally stuck.
The discovery of gold found in Bodie occured around the same time as the silver discovery
in places such as Aurora, Nevada and Virginia City, Nevada.
However unlike the boom in these other places, Bodie didn't seem to take off as well
and it stayed as a small mining camp with few propsectors.
By 1868 there had been only 2 companies who had built stamp mills in Bodie,
and both of which failed miserably.
However by 1876 as luck and perseverance would have it, there was a profitable find of gold, and that transformed the site to another boomtown.
More discoveries were made in a nearby mine during the year 1878,
and that brought in more people looking to make it rich, and by 1879
the population had risen to anything between 5 and 7 thousand people,
and the town grew to around 2000 buildings.
During it's boom between 1877 - 1880 it is estimated that the mine's in Bodie
produced nearly $34 million dollars.
The gold was shipped to Carson City, Nevada and after the bullion reached Carson
it would either be delivered to the mint there or sent to the mint in San Francisco.
As the mining industry grew, so did the town and it's amenities.
It featured many things that you would find in the larger towns and cities,
such as the well known Wells Fargo bank, 4 volunteer fire companies, several newspapers,
a jail, a railroad and even a brass band.
The town even had 65 saloons that all stood along the main street, which was a mile long,
and even came with it's own red light district and a chinatown.
It was not a stranger to bar room brawls, murders, shoot outs, stage coach robberies, prostitution and even opium dens most of which were a feature of many other
western towns at that time.
The town also came with it's own cemetery, mortuary, churches, gas pumps, a school
and even a place to host dances, concerts and plays and school recitals.
In 1880 it was clear that there were signs of the towns decline,
when other mining booms in Utah, Arizona and Montana began drawing single miners away, which often left family men in Bodie with their brood.
By the 1940's the last of it's residents left, but for fear of people coming in and destroying
what was left of the town a caretaker was hired to live there,
and in 1962 it was bought and turned into a state park.
It remains in a state of arrested decay.
The only things done to the town today are very few repairs
in order to keep the buildings standing, otherwise it is left just how it was abandoned.
Brief Timeline of it's rise and decline
In 1881, a narrow-gauge railroad was built called the Bodie Railway & Lumber Company, bringing lumber, cordwood, and mine timbers to the mining district
from Mono Mills south of Mono Lake.
The two churches in town were constructed in 1882,
the methodist church which still stands today,
and the Roman Catholic Church with burned down around 1930.
During the early 1890s, Bodie enjoyed a short revival
seen in technological advancements in the mines that continued to support the town.
By 1910, the population was only 698 people, which were predominantly families.
In 1912 the last Bodie Newspaper 'The Bodie Miner' printed it's very last newspaper.
In 1913, the Standard Consolidated Mine closed.
James S. Cain bought up everything from the town lots to the mining claims,
and reopened the Standard mill to former employees,
which resulted in over $100,000 profit in 1915,
However, this financial growth was not in time to stop the town's decline.
In 1917, the Bodie Railway was abandoned and its iron tracks were scrapped.
In 1942 the very last mine closed, due to a War production which forced all non essential
gold mines in the United States to stop mining, and after this mining here never resumed.
By 1920, Bodie's population was recorded by the US Federal Census at a total of 120 people.
In 1932 Bodie had it's second fire which burned all but about 10% of the town.
In 1942 the post office that operated in Bodie from 1877 closed it's doors.
Gold prospectors that included a man named William S. Bodey,
went in search of their fortune in other places across the eastern slope.
It was William S. Bodey, who discovered gold near what is now known as Bodie Bluff in 1859.
William S. Bodey perished in a blizzard whilst trying to make a supply run.
Unfortunately he would never see the growth and fortune that would come from Bodie,
that was named after him.
It was not uncommon back in the olden days, to find mispelling of names,
and throughout the years there have been variations of the name Bodey,
but in time it was this spelling of Bodie that finally stuck.
The discovery of gold found in Bodie occured around the same time as the silver discovery
in places such as Aurora, Nevada and Virginia City, Nevada.
However unlike the boom in these other places, Bodie didn't seem to take off as well
and it stayed as a small mining camp with few propsectors.
By 1868 there had been only 2 companies who had built stamp mills in Bodie,
and both of which failed miserably.
However by 1876 as luck and perseverance would have it, there was a profitable find of gold, and that transformed the site to another boomtown.
More discoveries were made in a nearby mine during the year 1878,
and that brought in more people looking to make it rich, and by 1879
the population had risen to anything between 5 and 7 thousand people,
and the town grew to around 2000 buildings.
During it's boom between 1877 - 1880 it is estimated that the mine's in Bodie
produced nearly $34 million dollars.
The gold was shipped to Carson City, Nevada and after the bullion reached Carson
it would either be delivered to the mint there or sent to the mint in San Francisco.
As the mining industry grew, so did the town and it's amenities.
It featured many things that you would find in the larger towns and cities,
such as the well known Wells Fargo bank, 4 volunteer fire companies, several newspapers,
a jail, a railroad and even a brass band.
The town even had 65 saloons that all stood along the main street, which was a mile long,
and even came with it's own red light district and a chinatown.
It was not a stranger to bar room brawls, murders, shoot outs, stage coach robberies, prostitution and even opium dens most of which were a feature of many other
western towns at that time.
The town also came with it's own cemetery, mortuary, churches, gas pumps, a school
and even a place to host dances, concerts and plays and school recitals.
In 1880 it was clear that there were signs of the towns decline,
when other mining booms in Utah, Arizona and Montana began drawing single miners away, which often left family men in Bodie with their brood.
By the 1940's the last of it's residents left, but for fear of people coming in and destroying
what was left of the town a caretaker was hired to live there,
and in 1962 it was bought and turned into a state park.
It remains in a state of arrested decay.
The only things done to the town today are very few repairs
in order to keep the buildings standing, otherwise it is left just how it was abandoned.
Brief Timeline of it's rise and decline
In 1881, a narrow-gauge railroad was built called the Bodie Railway & Lumber Company, bringing lumber, cordwood, and mine timbers to the mining district
from Mono Mills south of Mono Lake.
The two churches in town were constructed in 1882,
the methodist church which still stands today,
and the Roman Catholic Church with burned down around 1930.
During the early 1890s, Bodie enjoyed a short revival
seen in technological advancements in the mines that continued to support the town.
By 1910, the population was only 698 people, which were predominantly families.
In 1912 the last Bodie Newspaper 'The Bodie Miner' printed it's very last newspaper.
In 1913, the Standard Consolidated Mine closed.
James S. Cain bought up everything from the town lots to the mining claims,
and reopened the Standard mill to former employees,
which resulted in over $100,000 profit in 1915,
However, this financial growth was not in time to stop the town's decline.
In 1917, the Bodie Railway was abandoned and its iron tracks were scrapped.
In 1942 the very last mine closed, due to a War production which forced all non essential
gold mines in the United States to stop mining, and after this mining here never resumed.
By 1920, Bodie's population was recorded by the US Federal Census at a total of 120 people.
In 1932 Bodie had it's second fire which burned all but about 10% of the town.
In 1942 the post office that operated in Bodie from 1877 closed it's doors.
These images do no belong to me, and no copyright violation intended.
Images below are of Bodie back at it's height of the boom.
Images below are of Bodie back at it's height of the boom.
A portrait of Rosa May 1879, when she was 24 years old.
Rosa May was born Rosa Elizabeth White, and had lived in both Bodie and Virginia City.
Rosa died sometime between November 1911 and November 1912.
Custom at the time forbode prostitutes from having a Christian burial,
so Rosa was placed outside the cemetery fence, away from "respectable" folks.
No stone was installed on the spot, but in the 60s, a man from Bishop, California,
built a crudely made headstone for her and installed it near the cemetery.
Not knowing where she was really buried, he simply guessed.
He also guessed incorrectly at the year of Rosa's death, carving "1880" into his marker.
I have posted an image of the grave marker on the Bodie Cemetery page.
Rosa died sometime between November 1911 and November 1912.
Custom at the time forbode prostitutes from having a Christian burial,
so Rosa was placed outside the cemetery fence, away from "respectable" folks.
No stone was installed on the spot, but in the 60s, a man from Bishop, California,
built a crudely made headstone for her and installed it near the cemetery.
Not knowing where she was really buried, he simply guessed.
He also guessed incorrectly at the year of Rosa's death, carving "1880" into his marker.
I have posted an image of the grave marker on the Bodie Cemetery page.