Bodie is the king of the ghost towns and also the most authentic mining town remaining in California. You wont find any hot dogs or souvenirs here (well, maybe Bodie labelled bottled water). But what you will find is a fascinating look at old mining equipment and buildings.
…2000 buildings and 65 saloons.
William Bodie discovered gold here in 1859 and a mill constructed in 1861. By 1880 10,000 people lived in Bodie. It had 2000 buildings and 65 saloons. By 1914 the Standard Mill closed. A fire destroyed much of the town in 1932. Some mining continued until 1942 when WWII efforts made gold mining illegal. The town was looted and vandalized until it became a state park in 1962 when there were still 170 buildings. Today the state keeps Bodie’s 110 structures in a ‘state of arrested decay’. Bodie is closed in the winter due to snowfall.
The Standard Mill would run 24 hours a day, you could have heard the roar for miles. The giant stamps still stand in place along with the amalgamation tables. An electric motor was added years later and still exist in place today. Powered by one of the first long distance high power lines in the world.
Tours of the stamp mill are offered regularly and private tours of the mines must be arranged in advance. A long drive for most but well worth it.
UPDATE: In June 2014 we headed over the Sierra’s once again for another look at Bodie on our way to the Log Cabin Mine. Glad we stopped in.
Have you been to Bodie? Comment below!
