Ghost towns are fun to explore. I visited Bodie in 1994 with my friend Barbara J. We had just attended the ASI convention (in Reno) and were extending our trip to see some sites in California. Bodie is a ghost town located in the Bodie Hills east of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range in California, elevation 8379 feet.
Bodie State Historical Park, est. 1962
Barbara and I
Bodie schoolhouse
Bodie became a boom town in 1876 after gold was discovered. It was first described as a ghost town in 1915. It wasn't just the depletion of the gold mines that caused people to leave, but also devastating fires, the Great Depression, and prohibition. The post office closed in 1942. The last few residents left around 1943.
Residence
The church
Bodie, founded in 1859
Left their dishes behind
Bodie was almost closed in 2009/2010. It's been over 30 years since I visited. I wonder what shape the town is in now. The park's preservation method is "arrested decay," where buildings are repaired to prevent further collapse, but are not restored.
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