A Town Full Of Ghosts

One of the highlights of our spring break trip was day two when we went to Bodie, California. We left Winnemucca around 7:30 and went to Reno before heading to Lake Tahoe for a few hours. Even with the cold weather there were still a lot of people visiting the lake. No one was on the lake because of the strong winds and cool temps, so we had to deal with everyone on the land. You can see the waves crashing into the shore on the north end of the lake. I stuck my hand in the water and that water was mighty cold! My hand was numb for a few minutes actually. We did find a nice place to stop and take a few pictures though. A man-made cove offered a nice view of the lake and snow covered mountains. You can see a seagull sitting on the big rock in the middle too. There are parts of the lake where you can see down over sixty feet! Oh, another trivial fact that we didn't know before visiting the lake is the Lake was not always officially named Lake Tahoe. In 1853 the lake was named after the Governor of California, John Bigler. In 1862, during the Civil War, it was discovered that Bigler was a Southern sympathizer and the Department of the Interior offered the name Tahoe. The lake was known by both names until 1945 when it was officially named Lake Tahoe.

We left Lake Tahoe and went east over the pass into a valley that was over 1,000 feet below the surface of Lake Tahoe - the lake actually sits higher in the mountains than the towns on the other side of the mountains! That was an odd feeling, leaving the lake and gaining less than 1,000 feet to get to the top of the pass, and then dropping close to 3,000 feet into the valley where Minden & Gardnerville, Nevada sit.We went 80 miles south to Bodie, California then. Bodie isn't on most maps, but Bridgeport is. Bodie is basically east of Bridgeport. Gold was found in 1859 in the valley and people began moving in around 1976. By 1880 there were better than 10,000 people in the town and the mines had produced one of the biggest loads in history at $34 million. People were still in Bodie in 1932 when a large fire burned most of the downtown business district. It wasn't until 1961 when the town was considered a National Historical Landmark. In 1962 Bodie became a California State Historical Park and has rangers stationed to watch for theft and fires. Here's the pictures I took of Bodie:Looking down Green Street at the Methodist Church and the Miller house (right of church).
__________________________________________________________________The Methodist Church
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Peeking inside the Methodist Church. I like the pipe organ
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We went inside the Miller house. You can see the modern information posted on the wall. Laura's checking out the kitchen and bathroom.
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You can still see the wallpaper on the wall. I quickly recognized a picture hanging on the wall in the Miller house. This is one I have seen at grandma's house many times.
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Here's the J.S. Cain residence, now the park office.
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Here's the evidence of the town existing into the mid-twentieth century. A 1927 Dodge Graham sits next to some old gas pumps next to the Boone Store & Warehouse.
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Across the street sits the Wheaton & Hollis Hotel
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The wooden building on the left is the fire hall and the metal buildings on the hill are part of the stamp mill.
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Looking back the other direction on Green Street. The school is sitting on the right side of the street.
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Peeking in the window of the school house.
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Here's the Post Office & Saloon (brick building) and the I.O.O.F. Hall. (Independent Order of Odd Fellows) The I.O.O.F is still visible on the top of the wooden building.
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Peeking in the window of the saloon. Bodie had close to 70 saloons in its hay day.
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The morgue was kept busy in town. It was more common to have a fight or shooting daily then it was to have a non-violent day. This is one of the two morgues still standing.
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One of the many graves in the cemetery on the hill.
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Here's what is left of the Bodie Bank, the vault.
I poked the camera through the bars of the vault and got a picture of the safe. Manufactured by Halls's Safe & Lock Co - Cincinnati & San Francisco. Hall's Patents July 23 & Oct. 29th 1867.
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We took a photo in front of the Swazey Hotel. It appears to have a small lean to it! ha ha.

We left Bodie a little before 5:00 and drove north, back to Minden. That was the only way over the Sierra-Nevada mountains. We made our way to Stockton and then took the interstate through Modesto and onto Tracy, California. We pulled in about 11:30 that night, checked into the motel and went straight to sleep. Day two was 634 miles - 1,345 miles for the two days - and we were ready to take a few days off to relax. If we only knew what we were in for the next day... Until again

-=Nolan=-