Bodie became a California State Historic Park in 1962, and is preserved in a state of arrested decay. Only a small part of the town survived, with about 110 structures still standing, including one of many once-operational gold mills. We wandered the deserted streets of town, occasionally peeking inside building – interiors remain as they were left.
“Here is a residence of Mr. J.S. Cain, who was eventually the town’s principal property owner. Cain moved to Bodie when he was 25 and built an empire. He began building his empire by putting lumber barges on Mono Lake and transporting timber for Bodie – the same timber that was needed to support the mine shafts, stoke the boilers that ran the machinery, built the buildings, heated the homes and cooked the food. Wood was a BIG business in Bodie.” — Bodie.com
“Chock full of hundreds of interesting artifacts from the years gone by, this 1879 building was owned by Harvey Boone, a direct descendent of Daniel Boone! In July 1884 this building was almost destroyed by a fire that gobbled up the buildings from Boone’s store to Kingsley’s stables – almost the entire block of Green Street.” — Bodie.com
“Here stands the Dechambeau Hotel and I.O.O.F. (Independent Order of Odd Fellows) Buildings. Once a bustling meeting hall, and at some point a “health club” of the times, where members would come to use the barbells and primitive workout machines. This building is located at the south end of Main St.” — Bodie.com
