The story goes that a girl whose family moved from San Francisco to Bodie wrote either "Good, by God, I'm going to Bodie" or "Goodbye God, I'm going to Bodie"; the town had that kind of reputation. Bodie was born in grammatical confusion. It was named after Waterman S. Body, also known as William S.Bodey, and the town's spelling change was said to be due to an illiterate sign painter. At its peak in 1879 its reputation was second to none for wickedness, outlaws, and "the worst climate out of doors". Every other building on the mile-long main street was a saloon of which there were 65. But the boom times lasted for only 4 years and by 1882 Bodie was in decline. The last residents finally left in the 1950's, and since then it's been preserved in a state of "arrested decay". The town was abandoned so abruptly that thousands of belongings were left behind. You peer through a window and it's as if you've stepped into the Wild West past...
A great website for those interested in learning more about Bodie is http://www.bodie.com .
A great website for those interested in learning more about Bodie is http://www.bodie.com .
Only 10% of the original town remains--there were major fires in 1892 and 1932--but what's left makes this the quintessential Wild West "ghost town". This view looking west shows, from left, the house of James S. Cain, principal property owner of Bodie; the towered Methodist Church; and various residences. The 2 buildings in the right foreground are the firehouse and the Sam Leon Bar and Barber Shop. The main road out of Bodie, 10 miles of pavement then 3 miles of dirt, snakes off in the distance.
It's hard to believe that people were still living here in the 1950's as everything from the outside looks straight out of the 19th century...I used the "Vivid" color setting on the FZ30 for most of these exterior pics.
Boone's Store and Warehouse provides a vivid look into the past. As you can't go inside most of the buildings, I simply took these interior shots by placing the FZ30's lens against the glass pane. I'm surprised this turned out so clear as the window was mighty dirty.
Fill 'er up! This 1927 Dodge is parked at the gas station in front of the Boone Store and Warehouse. Shooting through its windows provided an interesting framing device...
Taken once again by pressing the Leica lens against the glass, here's the interior of the Dodge truck with the view of the town looking west. The building across the street is the Wheaton and Hollis Hotel and the Bodie Store, and the door reflection is from the Boone Store. Bodie really encourages experimentation with the camera...
And here's a non-reflective view from the same angle.
Peering through the windows, you get a sense that the residents of Bodie have just stepped out and will return at any moment. There are many scenes like this; I call it "Waiting For Its Owner". I used the in-camera Sepia color effect to enhance the nostalgic mood of the setting.
And for those who prefer the normal coloring, here it is...
I spied this old abandoned car in the sagebrush and placed it squarely in the foreground of the distant houses. An eloquent symbol for the town abandoned by its residents...
And the same scene without the Sepia coloring.
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