| Goodbye, God, I'm going to Bodie. That note is attributed to a little girl whose family moved from San Francisco to Bodie. In 1880, in the wake of the California Gold Rush, Body was a thriving town with 10,000 inhabitants, robbers, miners, store owners, gunfighters and prostitutes of all kinds. At its peak, it was reported to have 65 saloons, brothels and 'houses of ill repute', gambling halls and opium dens.
Ghost Town Bodie
Life was hard in Bodie and, as documented by an astonishing number of children's graves, it was especially hard on the young and innocent.
Some of the children's graves:
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Christine, 2 years old |
Evelyn, 3 years old |
Louisa May, 3 months old |
Today, the ghost town of Bodie is a State Historic Park and well worth the visit. |