After our road trip and exploration of Alcatraz, we drove to the eastern side of CA to experience the ghost town of Bodie, turned state park. Bodie State Historic Park is a gold-mining ghost town that once had a population of nearly 10,000 people.
Bodie's story began in 1859, after the Gold Rush period in California. 4 prospectors struck gold in this small valley 75 miles from Lake Tahoe. Soon a mining outpost popped up in search of more gold. The town was hit with a blizzard which killed one of the prospectors by the name of W.S. Bodie. Thus, the towns name. Companies excited by the possibility of a rich mine, began buying claims at Bodie, developing multiple mines and two stamp mills. However, the gold rush ran dry and by 1868 Bodie was mostly abandoned. Yet, a small group of prospectors and miners held out hope for finding more gold. For seven years they dug mines, tunnels and shafts to strike more gold.
In 1875, a mine known as the Bunker Hill, caved in. Which could have meant the end of Bodie, however, the collapse revealed a huge body of gold. Bodie was back and folks started pouring into Bodie. The gold mine was so rich that a group of capitalists formed a company, the Standard Company, in Bodie and bought the entire claim. The Standard Company ended up benefiting from the purchase of the mine to the tune of $784,523 in 1877. That is roughly equal to over $17.5 million today.
Folks from all over came to Bodie, in spite of its isolated position. More wealthy companies invested in Bodie, hopeful it would become a wealthy town like New York and San Francisco. By the end of 1878, 22 mines were dug in hopes for a huge payout. The population grew quickly with those wanting a piece of the golden pie. This crazed greed brought with it violence and Bodie soon fell victim to becoming yet another violent wild west town.
Over the next couple of years the gold in Bodie began drying up. Residents were not able to keep mining in a mine without gold. Mines were being abandoned and by 1881 people began leaving Bodie. The population dwindled and over the course of the year the population dropped to some 800 residents. Some hard worker hopefuls continued digging mines, finding small amounts of gold, but not enough to sustain a town. In the 1900's new technology was brought in to Bodie in hopes of once again finding a motherload. Determined miners and the original investor, the Standard Company, kept trying but by WWII Bodie was abandoned. The remaining residents left whatever they could not carry behind. Homes were left with furnishings and the general store and bars were left stocked. Bodie was left to sit abandoned, as if time stopped. In 1962, Bodie became a National Historic Site and a State Historic Park to be preserved and protected.
Today, visitors can tour what is left of the well preserved town. The structures are off limits to walk through, but you can look in windows and walk the streets of all but a small percentage of what is left of Bodie. National Park tours are available to share the history of Bodie and even have a ghost story or two, as a few rangers live in a few of the original houses.
We arrived in Bodie in the morning, as even in the spring the temperatures were hot. Our first impression was just how isolated this town was/is. In the middle of nowhere does not express the location. We took to taking video and photos. I had a ghost box in my pocket and ear buds, as I hoped to hear and/or communicate with a spirit or two. It was quiet though. Almost as if the ghosts of Bodie were in hiding as visitors flocked to their town, looking into their windows. The only thing I managed to capture was a light anomaly in one of buildings. The cemetery on the hill was an eerie sight.
Bodie is not a very "spooky" place during the day. I have no doubt that at night, when the tourists are gone and the wind blows through the decaying structures that spirits roam. I for one would love to stay there for a few days to experience Bodie at night. Even though we did not experience much in the way of ghosts we still give it a ghost rating of three ghosts.
No comments:
Post a Comment
If you have questions or comments regarding our adventures please let us know.