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Bodie; A Real Ghost Town

© Janice Oberding

As a town, Bodie was a flash in the pan. After gold was discovered in 1859 the town's population grew to nearly 10,000 residents. But the mining boom didn't last. When it came, Bodie's decline was swift and permanent. By the early 1950's the last of Bodies citizens had moved away.

A decade later the state of California took Bodie under its protective wing and made it a state park. This put an end to the vandalism that was threatening to destroy the ghost town. Today photographers, history buffs, wild west enthusiasts, and ghosthunters can still enjoy many of the old mining town's buildings and artifacts.

Bodie was named for one of the men who discovered gold nearby. Unfortunately Bill Bodey did not live long enough to enjoy the honor, or to correct the misspelling of his namesake town. From its beginning, Bodie was known as a wild town. Violence was the norm rather than the exception. Life was especially hard on the children of Bodie. After all, they were subjected to the same harsh winters and free flying bullets as the adults were. Rampaging disease and accidents doomed many of the town's youngsters to early graves.

Little Evelyn is but one example. The story goes that Evelyn, a child of four, started following a kind hearted miner to work. Every morning the little girl waited outside her small home till she heard the miner's cheerful whistle. Then off she'd go, tagging along behind him. Sometimes Evelyn would stop and watch the man go about his chores, before heading back home.

One morning, the winds began fiercely whipping down the mountains. The darkened gray sky was heavy with the threat of an impending snowstorm. Undaunted, Evelyn followed closely on the miner's heels. Realizing snow was on its way, the miner stopped and told her to go back home. Smiling to himself, he watched as she turned and ran toward town.

But Evelyn was a headstrong child. She waited till he was occupied with his task, than sneaked back to where he worked. Silently, she crept closer to the man. Unaware of her, he swung his heavy pickaxe back. At that moment the pickaxe smashed into the little girl's head, killing her instantly.

The miner and the townspeople were so heartbroken at the unfortunate child's death that they erected a guardian angel tombstone for her. Evelyn must have appreciated their kindness because she has never really left Bodie. Her smiling little ghost has been seen in the cemetery where she is buried many times over the years.