Bodie – “There's gold in them thar hills”

Name me a person who wouldn’t like to head into the hills and find a bucket load of gold? Well that is what happened in 1859 to W.S. Bodie and his partner Black Taylor in what would become Mono County, California.

It was a stuttering start with the first mill built in 1861 but by 1876 as more seams of gold and silver ore were found, the town’s size rapidly expanded boasting some 2000 buildings with a population nearing ten thousand by 1879. The peak year recorded was 1881 when $3,160,067.51 cents worth of gold and silver was extracted.

The Standard Mill - dating from 1899 after the original burnt down

The town’s ten stamp mills sent their gold bullion to the Carson City or San Francisco mint as the boom times continued which needed some sixty-five salons to keep the “get rich quick” miners entertained. Other facilities were said to include eighteen hotels, three breweries, and a thriving red-light district. However, by 1884 the combined production had halved and many of the lawless miners drifted away to other mining prospects such as Tombstone.

One of the sixty-five salons which are said to of graced the town

This building served as the Swazey Hotel, a clothing store and a casino over the years

Dechambeau Hotel and I.O.O.F. Building

The Bodie Firehouse

The building of a hydroelectric plant in 1892 allowed powered mills to extract the last of the gold and silver from the low-grade waste.

The Hydro-electric substation (1892) - power lines stretched back 13 miles to the Hydro-electric Dam

The population census for 1910 recorded just 698 people whose houses can still be seen today.

Production finally stopped in 1941 with a staggering $33,954,919.20 having been earned in the previous 81 years. Just three people remained by 1943.

Luckily for us, the site was made a National Historic Landmark of what is truly a genuine “Wild West” ghost town. There may only be 110 structures still standing but this really does give you an insight into those bygone days. Just looking through the windows really does take you back with the layer of dust on the table and chairs. This is a fascinating place for sure and highly recommended. (https://www.bodie.com/)