Northern California may seem to be a perfect example of modern civilization, but don’t be fooled. We’ve got our share of spooky places, too. The next time you’re heading to Lake Tahoe, just head about 75 miles southeast of the Big Blue Lake and you’ll run smack dab into Bodie Hills: an area once booming and now only full of memories and a few ghosts for good measure.
How does a mining camp become a ghost town? Here’s the town of Bodie’s story…
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Gold was discovered in 1859 here by W.S. Bodey.
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Bodey died in a blizzard while getting supplies in Mono City. A painter misspelled the name Bodey Town on a sign as Bodie.
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In 1876 a large amount of gold bearing ore was discovered by the Standard Company. The town exploded with people.
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Wealth-producing discoveries in the Bodie Mine in 1878 brought thousands of hopeful folks. In 1879, Bodie historians believe there were between 5000–7000 people and around 2,000 buildings.
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Even a wild west town like Bodie needs a morgue. This was where they brought a lot of their dead to be embalmed before burial.
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In 1877 a telegraph line was put in place that connected Bodie with Genoa, Nevada. The town also had a newspaper that came out three times a week: The Standard Pioneer Journal of Mono County. This was the third largest city in California for its time.
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Two churches and a Taoist temple were also here. The Catholic church burnt down in 1930, but this Methodist church still stands today. They needed some good sermons for all the drinking and gambling - there were 65 saloons on Main Street alone!
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Rosa May was the town prostitute. Legend has it that when an epidemic broke out she cared for the men like Florence Nightingale. She succumbed to the disease and was buried outside of town.
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Come for a visit and bring California history to life for your kids – and maybe scare them a little too while you’re at it. It builds character!
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