BODIE STATE HISTORIC PARK - GHOST TOWN

Join me and William for a casual tour of this gold mining ghost town as we roam about what remains of Bodie, California.
BODIE STATE HISTORIC PARK
Bodie, California, is a town frozen in time, and preserved by California State Parks in a state of “arrested decay.” Bodie became a State Historic Park in 1962, and maintains the buildings just as they were found when the State took over the town - but they do not restore the buildings, instead choosing to simply preserve the buildings in their aged and weathered 1880s appearance.
In 1859 William (a.k.a. Waterman) S. Bodey discovered gold near what is now called Bodie Bluff. A mill was established in 1861 and the town began to grow. It started with about 20 miners and grew to an estimated 10,000 people by 1880! By then, the town of Bodie bustled with families, robbers, miners, store owners, gunfighters, prostitutes, and people from every country in the world. At one time there was reported to be 65 saloons in town. Among the saloons were numerous brothels and ‘houses of ill repute’, gambling halls and opium dens - an entertainment outlet for everyone.
On a daily basis miners would emerge from the mills and head for the bars and the red light district to spend their earnings. The mixture of money, gold and alcohol would sometimes prove fatal. Newspapers reported that townspeople would ask in the mornings “Have we a man for breakfast?” Meaning ‘Did anyone get killed last night?’
Some records show that a “Wm. Body” took a ship from New York, around the horn, to end up in San Francisco. It isn’t clear if that’s the same man who was prospecting near present day Bodie. In any case, the spelling of the name was changed at some point before the majority of the people made their way to Bodie, and it stuck.
Today, even though Bodie is down a dusty, bumpy, slow, 13 mile long road off State Highway 395, it’s amazing how many people are aware of this once glorious town.
There’s a story about a little girl whose family was moving from San Francisco to Bodie who, depending on who tells it, wrote in her diary either: “Good, by God, I’m going to Bodie” or “Goodbye God, I’m going to Bodie.”
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We would like to invite you to watch our adventures as we explore hiking trails around California, and the occasional historical sites. This is a lighthearted channel, and we are by no means documentarians, historians or professional presenters. We are recording our life experiences, and thought this might be a good format to share with other like-minded people. If you enjoyed our videos, please hit the like button, or even consider subscribing to our channel, but most of all, thank you for stopping by.

[@skadforlife3817]

Wow what a stunning and interesting place, so much history, I'm so glad the local government has been able to preserve for future generations. Great video, kind regards from a Scottish highlander ✊🏻❤️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@SWExplore]

Thank you, Ska'd For Life! Yes, Bodie is quite the place where everything reeks of a Wild Wild West where gold was the priority and getting rich quick. This was our second time visiting Bodie; the first time all buildings were closed due to Covid. Thanks for watching all the way from the Scottish Highlands. ❤️

[@jokeroneninesevenzero]

Great video. Bodie is a awesome place. I've been there once, I plan on going back.

[@SWExplore]

Thanks, Joker. It is an amazing place! Thanks for much for watching and supporting our channel.

[@dang.s]

Love your videos. Love the tour also. Lovely voice. 😄

[@SWExplore]

Thank you, Son Dang, for watching, enjoying and supporting our channel. More to come...

[@timtaylor7680]

The noise from the stamp mills could be heard miles away and another thing depressing about living in a inhospitable area. No wonder they had so many bars and sporting houses. It’s cold and lonely and must have been a hard life. Thank you for the information and insight to another spot I want to visit.

[@SWExplore]

Agreed, it must have been quite a hard life for all concerned. Thank you, Tim, for watching and enjoying this video.

[@salishseaquest7952]

I first visited Bodie in the early 1960s. I can remember looking into the windows of some of the homes and seeing dinner plates, glasses, utensils, and condiments left on the tables as though the occupants just got up and left it all behind. There were other homes where the furniture and clothing was all still there. On one house or store, there was a note tacked up that read "Gone to Aurora" (another mining town close by where gold had been discovered). The carriages used to be intact and visible through the stable windows -- I can remember a black one with all the reins and traces. I'm guessing much of that probably disappeared over the years. It was fun to walk the streets with you once again. Thanks.

[@SWExplore]

Amazing Salish! Thanks for taking us back to the 60s and how much better the condition of Bodie was then. We really appreciate you taking the time to watch our video. Thank you!

[@garyleibitzke4166]

It's stinking hot in summer and cold as hell in winter. Being at almost 8400' it's not surprising how cold it gets.

[@SWExplore]

Absolutely, I'm sure it gets colder than either of us has ever experienced. Thank you for watching and supporting our channel!

[@KhlaBaiTong]

So amazing 😊🙂🥰

[@SWExplore]

Thank you, Khia Bai Tong, for watching and supporting our channel. Best wishes to you all the way over in Italy from Los Angeles!

[@stevewoods293]

Cool country

[@SWExplore]

Thanks for watching, Steve. Much appreciated. Bodie State historic park is one of our most popular videos.

[@gailspaw5521]

Love

[@010bobby]

Looks like the movie set ofClint Eastwood western movie Pale Rider...

[@SWExplore]

Agreed! Thanks so much for watching Robert.

[@milesandhikes]

Very cool!! Glad you made it. It’s definitely in my to-go list. Nice video 😍 how was the road from the 395 up to Bodie?

[@SWExplore]

It was a tremendous day at Bodie! The road from the 395 was paved at the start but unpaved for the last 13 miles. Thanks for watching, Alejandra, and for supporting our channel...more to come from our summer vacation. 😍

[@milesandhikes]

@@SWExplore thanks for responding 😘 love your channel guys! Can’t wait to see more. The 395 is full of wonders

[@garymorris5974]

I was poor as dirt back then.

[@SWExplore]

Gary, I wasn't sure about giving you a thumb's up (or not) because being as poor as dirt is not a fun place to be. I certainly hope that things are A LOT BETTER for you today. Thanks for watching and supporting our channel.