# Bodie Ghost Town, California, USA



## HughieD (Dec 5, 2014)

Not been getting out on new explores due to work and family commitments and the weather so time to catch up on some archive reports.

This time it’s the ghost town of Bodie, Mono County, California. From 1877 to 1888, Bodie was a bustling town with more than 10,000 residents and produced more than $35 million in gold and silver. Today, with the gold mining days of California a distinct memory, there are 170 wooden buildings to explore. Bodie began as a mining camp of little note following the discovery of gold in 1859 by a group of prospectors. In 1876, the Standard Company discovered a profitable deposit of gold-bearing ore, which transformed Bodie from an isolated mining camp comprising a few prospectors and company employees to a Wild West boom town. As a bustling gold mining centre, it had the amenities including a Wells Fargo Bank, four volunteer fire companies, a brass band, a railroad, miners' and mechanics' unions, several daily newspapers, and a jail. It even had it’s own China town. 

The first signs of decline appeared in 1880 when the population peaked at over two and a half thousand. In 1910, the population had fallen dramatically to 698 people as the get-rich-quick, single miners moved on to more lucrative towns. The first label of Bodie as a "ghost town" was in 1915 with the population only numbering 120 people.


USAghosttown14 by HughieDW, on Flickr



USAghosttown15 by HughieDW, on Flickr



USAghosttown16 by HughieDW, on Flickr



USAghosttown17 by HughieDW, on Flickr



USAghosttown18 by HughieDW, on Flickr


USAghosttown19 by HughieDW, on Flickr



USAghosttown20 by HughieDW, on Flickr



USAghosttown21 by HughieDW, on Flickr



USAghosttown22 by HughieDW, on Flickr



USAghosttown23 by HughieDW, on Flickr



USAghosttown24 by HughieDW, on Flickr



USAghosttown25 by HughieDW, on Flickr



USAghosttown26 by HughieDW, on Flickr



USAghosttown27 by HughieDW, on Flickr


USAghosttown28 by HughieDW, on Flickr


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## King Al (Dec 6, 2014)

I've always wanted to visit this place! Great pics Hughie


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## krela (Dec 6, 2014)

I love this, thank you!


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## flyboys90 (Dec 6, 2014)

Classic set of photos and thanks for sharing.


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## HughieD (Dec 6, 2014)

Cheers guys. This was a visit back in 1995 when it was still pretty much deserted. Since then it's turned into something of a tourist attraction.


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## Chopper (Dec 6, 2014)

Nice. Bodie has been on my list for ages now. Great place. Are the buildings accessible?


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## HughieD (Dec 6, 2014)

Chopper said:


> Nice. Bodie has been on my list for ages now. Great place. Are the buildings accessible?



Back then some of them were, yes. Was difficult to take interiors though as was shooting film and didn't have a flash.


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## DJhooker (Dec 8, 2014)

reminds me of deadwood! looks an awesome place.


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## UrbanX (Dec 9, 2014)

How bizarre! It's just so 'perfect' it looks like a cartoon, or a theme park of an abandoned town! 
Very jealous of your visit, thanks for sharing your fantastic photos with us!


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## HughieD (Dec 9, 2014)

UrbanX said:


> How bizarre! It's just so 'perfect' it looks like a cartoon, or a theme park of an abandoned town!
> Very jealous of your visit, thanks for sharing your fantastic photos with us!



Cheers Mr UrbanX! Yeah....I know what you mean. There are some less chocolate box ghost towns in the US but they're harder to get to....


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## SlimJim (Dec 10, 2014)

Nicely done mate  Brings back memories of when I went there some 10+ years ago with family.



HughieD said:


> Cheers Mr UrbanX! Yeah....I know what you mean. There are some less chocolate box ghost towns in the US but they're harder to get to....



The dirt roads down those ends tend to be very long...hire cars do not like! My favourite ghost town out there is Rhyolite, in neighbouring Nevada. It was full of tarantulas when I went there + had a few uncapped mine shafts!


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## SlimJim (Dec 10, 2014)

Those are some beautiful analogue pics too btw! Really admiring them.


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## Whiteknight841 (Dec 12, 2014)

Wow, this place is straight out of a spaghetti western!

Thank you for the photos : )


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## rockfordstone (Dec 12, 2014)

this is amazing. american gold rush ghost towns are fascinating


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