Bodie State Historic Park
By Sherril Steele-Carlin
If you love history, you'll love Bodie, it's that simple.
It's not exactly the easiest place to get to, that's for sure. It's about 2 1/2 hours south of Reno on Highway 395. The turn-off to the town is about 13 miles from the actual park, and the road is only open when there's no snow, so don't plan on a winter visit.
The History
Bodie, California was a thriving mining town at the end of the 19th century. When the mining boom ended, Bodie, like so many other mining towns, died. But what makes Bodie different is what's still there. The town is kept in "arrested decay." That means that the Parks keep the buildings the way they are. They don't add to them, or restore them, but they do keep them in the state they were in when the park started, so they won't deteriorate any more.
Since Bodie, Ca is at a high altitude, (over 8,000 feet), many of the buildings were preserved over the years. The cold winters and dry air seems to protect and preserve them some how, which is why so much of the town is still standing. You can take a self-guided walking tour that explains a lot about the area and the town. In the summertime, there are also guided tours led by rangers and docents, and special photography and history tours.
From the brochure they used to hand out at Bodie:
"And now my comrades all are gone;
Naught remains to toast.
They have left me here in my misery,
Like some poor wandering ghost."
Bodie was at it's best in 1880. Today, only about 5 percent of the original buildings remain. That's hard to believe as you walk around the town today, and then begin to realize all that you are missing.
Waterman S. Body discovered gold in the area in 1859, and the town bears his name, albeit misspelled. The town boasted 10,000 souls by 1879, and most of them were rowdy folk. One little girl, whose parents were making the move to Bodie, wrote in her journal: "Goodbye God, I'm going to Bodie." Bodie became known by that phrase around the west, and was pretty proud of it, too.
Now, when you make the long drive to Bodie, as you cross the divide and see the town spread out before you, try to imagine how the town looked when it was young. As you admire the Methodist Church, and the Cain house, with it's glassed in porch, think of the streets teaming with horses and mules and wagons, and dust churning up from the wheels. Think of the Chinese relegated to their corner of Bodie, and the "red light" district that thrived at the edge of town.
Where to Stay
The closest town to Bodie is the small town of Bridgeport, CA. You'll find a few hotels, a couple of restaurants, and a gas station there. There are no facilities in Bodie, so don't plan on spending more than the day in the historic town.
I love history, and I love to visit Bodie, to imagine what once was, and see what it now. That so much is left is amazing to me. That so much has been lost is equally amazing. So, the next time you're driving that lonely stretch of Highway 395 along the Northern Sierra, and you have the urge to turn off at the sign marked "Bodie," follow that urge. You'll take a trip back in time, and perhaps come away with a finer understanding of life before the turn of the 20th century.