Bodie, California is named after William (aka Waterman) S. Bodey, the first man to discover gold in the hills surrounding Mono Lake. In the late 1800s, it became a genuine gold-mining town. Then it had its heyday during the California gold rush. Once home to 10,000 people, the town supported 65 saloons, 30 gold mines, gambling halls, numerous brothels, and some legitimate businesses. Like a step back in the time of the Old West. However, at the beginning of the 1870s, the town was reported to be at the height of money grab. Where violence, killings, stage holdups, robberies, and fires resulted afterward.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Thus, in 1942, it drew its last breath when its post office finally closed. Rendering the place a ghost town. In the early 1960s, the state of California turned the old ghost town into a National Historic Site and State Historic Park.
Located approximately 75 miles southeast of Lake Tahoe, Bodie State Historic Park has been preserved in a state of “arrested decay”. Think shops stocked with supplies and tables with place settings. Over 50 buildings are still standing, and interiors are preserved to keep the town as authentic as possible. A handful of the deserted buildings are open for the public to explore.
The park also offers nighttime ghost tours in the 106-year-old abandoned mill and church. Today, tourists can wander the historic park. However, due to the pandemic, the state implemented some restrictions to be observed in the area for the safety of their visitors.
