Bodie

Bodie was named for Waterman S. Body (also known as William S. Bodey) who discovered gold here in 1859-60. The change in spelling of the town's name has often been attributed to an illiterate sign painter, but it was a deliberate change by the citizenry to insure proper pronunciation.

The town of Bodie rose to prominence with the decline of mining along the western slope of the Sierra Nevada. Prospectors crossing the eastern slope in 1859 to search for gold, discovered what was to be the Comstock Lode at Virginia City, and started a wild rush to the surrounding high desert country.

By 1879 Bodie boasted a population of about 10,000 and was second to none for wickedness, badmen, and "the worst climate out of doors." One little girl, whose family was taking her to the remote and infamous town, wrote in her diary, "Goodbye God, I'm going to Bodie."

Killing occurred here with monotonous regularity, sometimes becoming almost a daily event. Robberies, stage holdups, and street fights provided variety, and the town's 65 saloons offered many opportunities for relaxation after a hard day of work in the mines.

Nearly everyone in America (including Hollywood) has heard about the infamous "Badman from Bodie." Some historians say that he was a real person by the name of Tom Adams, while others say that his name was Washoe Pete. More than likely, he was a composite of all the men in town. Bad men, like bad whiskey and bad climate, were endemic to the area.

Whatever the case, the streets are considerably more quiet now. The town was officially abandoned in the 1940s. Bodie was designated a state historical park in 1962, and it is now maintained in a state of "arrested decay." What you see today is only about 5% of the original town. There are 170 buildings in various states of disintegration, which have been stabilized, but not restored.