Bodie State Historic Park, Calif 10/22/10

Here we are at another ghost town! Bodie was once a bustling and lawless gold mining town boasting a population of about 10,000 in 1879. Today, it's a ghost town maintained by the State of California in what's called "a state of arrested decay." Only about five percent of the buildings remain from its 1880's heyday -- fire took out most of the town in 1932. According to the brochure, between 1860 and 1941, the Bodie Mining District produced close to $100 million in gold and silver! Mama Mia, that's a lot of dough!

Bodie is located in the middle of nowhere, in what I would call high desert, east of the Sierra Nevada Mtns.  On the day we visited, Bodie was chilly and windy.  At almost 8400', I imagine winters would be brutal.

One of Bodie's main streets.

 

The mill appears in the background. Touring it was off limits. 

   

Jimmy and his new ride!  (not)

Only a small part of the town survived, with about 110 structures still standing, including one of its many once-operational gold mills. We walked the deserted streets, with the wind whistling around us, in this town that was once bustling with people.  We went inside a few buildings, their interiors still stocked with goods. Littered throughout the park, one can find small shards of china dishes, square nails and an occasional bottle, but removing these items is against the rules of the park.

 

Enlarge the photo, if you can, to read the text;

it's quite thought-provoking .... 

Apparently the town was second to none for wickedness, badmen, and "the worst climate out of doors." Here's a quote from the brochure: One little girl, whose family was taking her to the remote and infamous town, wrote in her diary, "Goodbye God. I'm going to Bodie." The phrase came to be known throughout the West. We walked the dusty lanes and peeked in grimy windows... and none remains of Bodie's glory days.