In a high valley of the Sierra Nevada, close to the Nevada state line, is Bodie State Historic Park that shows us what this mining town from the 1880s looked like when the state park system took over in 1962. It’s cold and windy today, so be sure to bundle up and wear comfortable shoes as we walk around.
What’s so interesting in Bodie is that the buildings are just as they were in 1962 when California designated the town as a California state park. Only about 5% of the buildings remain from the town’s 1877-1881 heyday; most are gone because of time, fire, and the elements. The state’s goal is to keep buildings in a state of “arrested decay,” which means their roofs, windows, and foundations are repaired to how they were in 1962 rather than being restored.
The homes and stores here are just as they were when people left over the years because it was cheaper to buy new items somewhere else than pay to transport furniture and household items elsewhere. Don’t be surprised by the torn wallpaper and turned over furniture. Mining continued until 1942 so people were around, and the family of Bodie’s last major landowner hired caretakers to watch over the town and protect it from looters and vandals, which is why the town is in as good condition as it is.
Much of the information in this post is from a detailed brochure we picked up at the entrance; it was really helpful in giving context as we walked around.
driving into Bodie
Bodie is 13 miles east of US-395 that we’ve been driving north on since Lone Pine just south of Bridgeport (more about Bridgeport in the next post). The last 2.7 miles is a rough dirt road, giving us the idea of what it would have been like for the miners and townspeople trying to get to Bodie with their supplies.
some background first
The families and more community-minded residents gathered at the middle and south end of town. They had a parade on the 4th of July for the families, had a band that played, and watched children play games. The men competed in hard rock “drilling” contests, and wrestling competitions were frequent. Couples enjoyed fancy dress balls at the Miners’ Union Hall, which doubled as a social center. Children’s recitals, concerts, and other social events kept the “proper” women busy planning. A horse racing track was set up in a flat area south of town, and the town had a baseball field where the “Bodie Mutts” played ball.
Interesting that few buildings on the north end of town survived the fires in 1892 and 1932. What we’ll be seeing is more of the middle of town heading south.
Let’s start exploring
We saw the Methodist Church in the first picture of the post; here’s the inside.
In 1888 Cain became a banker and kept the Bodie bank open until 1932. In 1915 he acquired the Standard Company mining properties through court action and soon became the principal property owner in town. He always thought Bodie would have another boon. His prosperity allowed him to have the beautiful glass-window porch on his home.
Next to the union hall is the mortuary we just talked about.
The 1892 fire started on Main Street in a restaurant and burned about 60 buildings. A valve closed by mistake hampered fighting the fire. Lack of water also was a problem in the 1932 blaze because poorly maintained screens at the reservoir caused rocks and debris to clog the pipes.
Standard Mine was on the hill above the stamp mill. A mine collapse in 1875 revealed a rich ore vein and started the rush to Bodie. The mine was renamed from Bullion Mine to Standard in 1877 and yielded more than $18 million over 38 years. This mill was built in 1899 after an 1898 fire destroyed the original building.
In 1893 Superintendent Thomas Leggett brought electricity to power the mill from a hydroelectric plant about 13 miles away—one of the first long-distance transmissions of alternating current in the U.S.
Hoover and his family lived here from June 1903 to January 1906. He later because head of mining and metallurgy department at Stanford University, his alma mater. This long porch provided them a beautiful view of the valley, but the noise from the stamp mill and the mines must have almost driven them crazy since they were so close by.
Now back down the hill to the north end of town.
Vigilantes had taken accused murderer Joseph DeRoche from the jail and hanged him. Here’s the rest of the story.
Early on January 14, 1881, miner Thomas Treloar was shot and killed at the corner of Main and Lowe Streets. Witnesses said DeRoache, who was romantically involved with Treloar’s wife, shot Treloar as he left a dance at the Miners Union Hall. DeRoche was arrested but escaped a few hours later. A posse recaptured him 2 days later and brought him to the jail in Bodie. After midnight, a vigilante committee—known in mining camps as “601”—took DeRoche and hanged him. Wonder what happened to the wife?
Further north on the street, do you see the crumbling building with a brick foundation? That’s the remains of the Maestretti Liquor Warehouse, named for Antone Maestretti. He was a native of Switzerland and owned a saloon and a bakery in Bodie. He even took a turn as a constable in 1880.
Chinatown To the east of the previous picture is the town’s Chinatown. With several hundred people in their community, the Chinese created a town within the town so they could maintain their own customs and traditions, especially since they weren’t welcome members of the white society. The Chinese quarter offered residents a full range of services, such as general stores, laundries, gambling halls, saloons, boarding houses, and a Taoist temple. Opium dens were frequented by all. Their main source of income came from selling vegetables, operating laundries, making charcoal, and working on the Bodie railway.
Phew, we’re done. These are just some of the homes and businesses we saw in Bodie. If you ever get a chance to go, please do. It’s a real “must see.” Before we finish, however, I want to show you a view of Mono Lake that we saw as we were leaving. It really is close to Bodie!