The glory days of Bodie were brief, from 1879-1882.

Bodie went the way of all boom towns. By 1882 only six mines were operating.

New strikes were few and the gold that remained was quickly becoming unprofitable to mine.

 

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Miners lost their jobs and moved on to other mining towns.

Construction stopped, homes and properties were put up for sale.

When families were leaving Bodie, there were no moving companies in the area, they simply packed what they could on one wagon or truck and left the rest behind.

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A photo of the General Store

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By 1880, there were nearly 2000 structures existing in the town of Bodie.

Interestly, not one of them was a church. Finally, Rev. F. M. Warrington successfully purchased a lot, and in September 1882, the Methodist church was complete.

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Pictured above: Shell gas station

By the 1890's, the population had decrease to 700-1000 people. However, Bodie managed to keep alive for quite some time after the boom years had come to an end. Over the years, various mining companies worked the few remaining profitable mines until the late 1950's.

The town of Bodie was designated as a National Historic Site and a State Historic Park in 1962. What's left of the old mining town is being preserved in a state of "arrested decay". Today this once thriving mining camp is visited by tourists, howling winds and an occasional ghost.

 

Sources: Images of America - Bodie 1859-1962 by Terri Lynn Geissinger, The Guide To Bodiew and Eastern Sierra Historic Sites by George Williams, III