Bodie State Historic Park
Bodie is a genuine California gold-mining ghost town left in a state of arrested decay. The town was founded by Waterman S. Bodey (William Bodey) when he discovered gold in the hills north of Mono Lake in 1859. It became a boom town in 1877, and by 1879 it boasted a population of about 10,000. It was considered to be second to none in terms of lawlessness, badmen and the "worst climate out of doors." At one point in time there were 65 saloons, numerous brothels, gambling halls, and opium dens. The Reverend F.M. Warrington, in 1881, called called it "a sea of sin, lashed by the tempest of lust and passion."
The boom was over four years later. A fire in 1932 nearly wiped the town out and Bodie faded into a ghost town in the 1940's. It became a state park in 1962 and is maintained in a state of arrested decay. Less than 10% of the town's buildings remain standing but it is still the largest ghost town in the western United States.
There's a story about a little girl whose family was moving to Bodie; she wrote in her diary "Goodbye God, I'm going to Bodie."
The light was so gorgeous and the colors so vibrant on this summer morning in July that, although I had every intention of doing this gallery in black and white, I couldn't resist the color versions as well.
Read MoreThe boom was over four years later. A fire in 1932 nearly wiped the town out and Bodie faded into a ghost town in the 1940's. It became a state park in 1962 and is maintained in a state of arrested decay. Less than 10% of the town's buildings remain standing but it is still the largest ghost town in the western United States.
There's a story about a little girl whose family was moving to Bodie; she wrote in her diary "Goodbye God, I'm going to Bodie."
The light was so gorgeous and the colors so vibrant on this summer morning in July that, although I had every intention of doing this gallery in black and white, I couldn't resist the color versions as well.
