Bodie ghost town on the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada mountain range in Mono County, California, United States, about 75 miles (120 km) southeast of Lake Tahoe, at an elevation of 8369 feet (2550 m). Gold was discovered in 1859 by prospector Wakeman S. Bodey, who the town was named after. Bodey died in November making a supply trip and becoming stranded in a blizzard.
In 1876, the Standard Company discovered a profitable deposit of gold transformed Bodie from an isolated mining camp of few prospectors to a boomtown. Bodie was famous for its lawlessness. At its peak in 1880, it had 60 saloons. Murders, brawls, and stagecoach holdups were constant occurrences. Legend has it that a little girl, upon finding out that her family was moving there,prayed one night, "Goodbye God, I am going to Bodie."
Gold bullion from the town's nine stamp mills was shipped to Carson City, Nevada accompanied by armed guards. Once the bullion reached Carson City, it was sent by rail to the San Francisco mint. 
In 1893 the Standard Company built its own hydroelectric plant, located approximately 13 miles away on Green Creek, above Bridgeport, California. The plant developed a maximum of 130 horsepower and 6,600 volts alternating current to power the company's 20-stamp mill. This pioneering installation was one of the first times an electric motor was operated over long-distance power lines. 
Bodie's Chinatown, had several hundred Chinese residents at one point. The Chinese workers earned their incomes mainly from selling vegetables, operating laundries, and cutting, hauling, and selling firewood. Winter temperatures in Bodie would often fall well below zero, and winds reaching nearly 100 miles per hour would sweep across the high open valley. Large amounts of firewood were needed to keep residents warm through the long winters. Many ill-prepared towns folk perished during the extremely harsh winter of 1878-1879. 
Today Bodie is an authentic, intact ghost town. Bodie is currently a State Historic Park. Visitors walk the deserted streets of a town that once had a population between 7,000 and 8,000 people. Interiors remain as they were left and in some cases stocked with goods. The remains of Bodie are being preserved in a state of arrested decay...credited to legendsofamerica.com, ghosttowngallery.com, explorehistoricalif.com, futurballa.com, davestravelcorner.com, jstottphotography.com, photo.net
Big F'ing deal. Maya and Inca ruins sure, but a shotty built all wood town in the desert..... SO WHAT! It isnt the first and wont be the last, not even worth looking at.... unless your republican and a hick. Jus sayin
F you get a life you hippie
You are right, nitwit - only a Republican would appreciate and enjoy Americana. You disgraceful democrats only like foreign crap, never American. Pity is, you blowhards never get up the courage to leave America - you just sit here and carp about this great country. You all suck!
Imagine that...another internet comment section where total strangers immediately feel the need to argue and insult each other. America the beautiful.
yeah don't they just make you love human nature?
Why not set up overnight or weekly camping grounds. Why let the place decay? Why doesn't the park system
get off their ass and open this place up to campers and travelers that want to rough it. Empty property equals empty minds thats why California is in the red and schwartznegger wants to screw people that work out of their salary.
To the last anonymous post, they DO have overnight camping at Bodie. So quit your whining. To the first anonymous post, Bodie is a glimpse into how Americans lived in those days... you should appreciate how far we've come. And if you don't appreciate our past, then like goldmineman said, move out of our country cause we're better off without you. Bodie is beautiful, thanks for sharing your pictures!!
Republicans don't appreciate crap you support big business that send all our manufacturing jobs overseas 8 yrs of your crap see where it has got us, and you want more of it, become an independent thinker prices are going up and jobs are going away,we are importing educated people from abroad because we become lazy and ignorant and just plain hateful to one another.Well i guess maybe the new arrivals who tend to know more about America than the ones born here will improve it. Anyway about Bodie so its a ghost town from what i get it was lawless full of drunks murderers,and holdup men.
kinda like Watts,i think republicans who say they appriciate
America would not want to live in a place like this let alone appreciate it.
Non republican non democrat independent is the only way to go i vote my best interest economy jobs health care don't give a crap about about religion abortion or any other side shows.