Bodie Foundation

Are you rushing to get your photos uploaded for the Bodie Foundation's 2022 calendar and have a question or concern about your entry? Our webmaster is happy to help. Scroll down to the bottom of this page, www.bodiecalendarcontest.com/ for the "Contact Us" form. Don't forget, the last day to enter is Sunday, Feb. 14, 2021!

Throwback Thursday In late fall 1879, Bodie saw a number of cases of pneumonia. Warren Loose, author of Bodie Bonanza, commented that while there were some who did not survive, the number of deaths was grossly exaggerated by out of town newspapers. A reporter from the Virginia Enterprise from Virginia City, Montana, claimed people in Bodie were dying like sheep, without medical attention; and are not given a decent burial. The reporter concluded that he expected bodies ...would be rolled up in blankets and dumped in some old mine shaft soon. A stern rebuttal to this came from Undertaker Henry Ward. Permit me, through your paper, to correct some misrepresentations which I read in the Enterprise of Sunday, November 13th, headed ‘A Shocking Conditions of Things in Bodie.’ In the first place, there never have been 12 dead bodies buried in Bodie at one time since I have been here in the last two years. The most at any time was seven. The last month, October, there were 29 deaths. I buried them all myself, except one. That one was sent below (out of town) for interment. In the present month, November, up to the 17th, there have been 20 deaths all told, of which I will you give you the names and dates for publication if you desire. The Daily Standard newspaper in Bodie published Ward’s figures and took its own jab at outside newspapers. A dog was run over in the Main Street by a wagon the other day and killed. We mention this fact for fear that some of the outside papers might get hold of it and say that the dogs of Bodie were dying of the Pneumonia, and that the papers are keeping it a secret. Ward arrived in Bodie in Spring 1878. By May 1880, he had constructed a new two-story building south of the Miners’ Union Hall. His furniture and undertaking business were on the ground floor and the Odd Fellows Lodge No. 279 (IOOF) rented the upper floor. Ward’s building still stands today. It is seen here in this photo by Burton Frasher, taken in the late 1920s. Thank you to our friends at the Eastern California Museum for use of this photo. To view and purchase photos such as this one, please visit the Eastern California Museum Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/ecmuseum/

~The Bodie Report~ Bodie's gold is alive and well in the 'golden hour' on a very cold February morning! Photo Credit: Eric Draper

We've extended the deadline for the 2022 calendar contest. Get your photos ready to enter! Enter here: www.bodiefoundation.org/bodie-calendar-contest

#TBT Throwing it back to 2019 - Bodie, California! In 2018 and 2019 We worked on the Railroad Office and the Hoist House. And guess what.... We're heading back! We gotta wait a little while (Fall 2021) but we're excited to live in the past for now. #preservation #backtothefuture

Highway 270 re-opened today.

Road update: At this time, the Bodie Road (Hwy 270) is closed for the winter. The park is accessible by other roads and is open from 9 AM to 4 PM daily. Cottonw...ood Canyon Road is open and, at this time, is free of any significant snow until the last mile into the park (pictured here). The compacted snow on this stretch can be very slippery, especially when going downhill. The Bodie-Masonic Road is currently passable for higher clearance 4WD vehicles, but is at least 15 miles (when accessed via Aurora Canyon Rd more if accessed via the Masonic Rd) of unpaved road, with patches of snow & ice. It is not recommended unless visiting Bodie SHP is secondary to your 4WD experience. Lucky Boy Pass Road from Hawthorne to the continuation of the Bodie Road in Nevada is currently open and passable, but is considered a 4WD road at all times of year.

Hurry! You only have a few more days to get your Bodie photos entered! Enter here: www.bodiefoundation.org/bodie-calendar-contest

Throwback Thursday As Bodie’s population decreased after 1881, the number of businesses did as well. The 1880 census showed a number of barbers and hairdressers who were busy keeping Bodie residents looking their best. Thomas J. Brown, born in Virginia, was among those listed as a hairdresser. The census reports him as married, but for some reason, his wife, Margaret, also born in Virginia, does not appear. Thomas and Margaret are two of 16 Bodie residents identified as blac...k. The Browns came to California in 1853, arriving in Bodie in 1878. While others left, Thomas and Margaret stayed in Bodie. A city directory in 1886 lists T. J. Brown, hairdresser and baths, Main. Ten years later, Mono County’s Great Register of Voters has Brown on the rolls along with a detailed description: Thomas Jefferson Brown, Barber, 75 years, 5’9 tall, dark complexion, dark eyes, dark hair, scar on lip. It also states he lives in Bodie West. Thomas would pass away January 11, 1898, and Margaret remained in their home in Bodie. The 1900 census indicates that she is the only black resident of the town at that time. She was nearly 80 years old, working as a housekeeper. The Bridgeport Chronicle Union reported her departure from Bodie: After the death of her husband she remained in Bodie until old age forced her to ask for assistance. She was brought to the County Farm August 21, 1907, where she remained until her death. The newspaper report added that Margaret was buried in Bodie on October 18, 1908, joining her husband who was also buried there. The County Farm, also known as the Poor Farm, was previously the county hospital. It was located near the intersection of Green Creek Road and Highway 395, south of Bridgeport. A historical plaque was placed there in 1990. #ThrowbackThursday #BlackHistoryMonth

Throwback Thursday Here’s another glimpse of Bodie in 1879, thanks to visiting photographer Romanzo E. Wood. Several Bodie residents stand in front of the newly-constructed Mono County Bank building on Main Street. The photo reveals an interesting cross-section of residents: children, working men and a few men dressed more formally, perhaps bank officials.... According to Frank S. Wedertz, author of Bodie 1859-1900, the Mono County Bank was just south of the Bodie Bank, whose vault can still be seen today, a remnant of the 1932 fire. In early 1886, the Bodie Bank would become the sole bank in town when the Mono County Bank closed due to,heavy losses suffered as a result of depreciation of property and security values, according to Wedertz. The bank paid all claims in full. Wood, who credited his photos, R.E. Wood, was a Massachusetts native who came to California on the Oregon-California trail in 1859. He traveled widely over the state, photographing not only Bodie and nearby Lake Tahoe, but also cities and towns up and down the California coast. His collection, held by California State University at Chico, includes over 400 wet-plate glass negatives and albumen photographic prints . Photo by R.E. Wood, courtesy of California State University, Chico, Meriam Library Special Collections. #ThrowbackThursday

Throwback Thursday Bodie finally received a good amount of snow earlier this week, and perhaps more is on the way. On New Year’s Day in 1880, enough snow had fallen in Bodie to permit travel by sleigh. The merry sound of sleigh bells carried the intoxicating joy of the holidays and the bright new year in chiming harmony back and forth across town, as friends and neighbors kept the old tradition of open house and the happy exchange of New Year’s greetings, noted author Warre...n Loose, in his book, Bodie Bonanza. Since 1880 was a Leap Year, the local newspaper commented, young ladies will have the privilege of making New Year calls. In the photo below, taken some time after 1912, it's clear a lot of digging out would be needed before the auto stages resumed regular routes. A sleigh would have been the best way to get down Main Street that day. Have a joyous New Year’s Day. Photo courtesy of California State Parks #ThrowbackThursday

Road conditions.

Get your photos of Bodie ready as the 2022 Bodie Calendar Contest is now open for entries! Go to bodiefoundation.org/bodie-calendar-contest, then click on the calendar contest button to go to the entry website. You will find complete rules and requirements there New this year, cash awards for winning entries. The contest is sponsored by the Bodie Foundation to gather entries for the Bodie Foundation’s yearly calendar. The calendar is published in May of each year and is available for sale in Bodie State Historic Park, the Bodie Foundation Mercantile at 323 Main St., Bridgeport, Calif., or online through our online store. Proceeds from calendar sales help support the Foundation’s mission to support Bodie, Mono Lake and Grover Hot Springs state parks in Eastern California.

Throwback Thursday We’re still waiting for a big storm in Bodie, and there's a chance for a change in the weather pattern soon. In the meantime, enjoy this story about the exploits of an unnamed man who took the ride of his life after the town’s first big snowfall in December 1879. In his book, Bodie Bonanza, Warren Loose related the story of a well-known young man about town who was a clerk and a sports enthusiast to the core, and eager for the first snowfall. When it a...rrived a few days before Christmas, his enthusiasm knew no bounds. The local newspaper related the details of what happened next. The young man strapped on his snowshoes (skis) atop the hill above Bodie and started down. Things went along smoothly for a 100 yards or so, the snow being soft and the descent gradual; but pretty soon, the hill got steeper and the snow comparatively harder. Then the snowshoes acted as if they were bewitched. Starting at breakneck speed, the rider managed to hold his balance for a couple of hundred yards, ‘til the snowshoes collided with the stable. There he made a flying leap of some 25 foot radius, alighting on the roof and crashing through to scare a pensive cow nearly to death. He was soon rescued and carried to his lodgings. No injuries were mentioned but he probably had some bruises, at least. As the rescuers carried him, he commented, "too smart, too cunning, and write on my tombstone, ‘He died in a successful attempt to put a skylight in a cowshed.’ Photo by Chris Spiller. Not a current photo, but wish it were. #ThrowbackThursday

~The Bodie Report~ It was a very cold early morning today in Bodie with a low of 1 predicted for tonight. To all the hardy souls wintering there, thank you and stay warm!... Photo credit: Eric Draper

~The Bodie Report~ This year didn't seem to produce quite as many spectacular sunsets as I remember from past years. This gorgeous sunset is from September 2019.... Red at night, miner's delight! Photo: Betty McCunniff

Good morning! Please enjoy these sunrise scenes from Bodie and have a terrific Tuesday.

Just a reminder our 2021 calendars are still 50% off! Use code BF50 at checkout: https://www.bodiefoundation.org/store

Throwback Thursday Today we get a peek at the first Bodie Schoolhouse, photographed in 1879. The building we know today as the schoolhouse was originally the Bon Ton Lodging House and was moved to its present site, just downhill from the location of the original schoolhouse. What happened to the first schoolhouse? It is said a fire destroyed the building at some point, perhaps in 1880. One tale alleges that that a young boy who did not want to go to school started the blaze. ...It is curious that there seems to be little newspaper documentation of the fire as out of the area newspapers were avid in relating tales, some true, some exaggerated, of bad men and bad boys from Bodie. Two young hoodlums of Bodie prowl round the back yards of houses and pick up axes, wood hammers, or anything, which they sell for a song, The Pioche Record of Nevada reported in September 1880. Bodie’s students first attended school at the home of Miss Belle Donnelly in early 1878. She started with 10 students and soon found the rapid increases of students necessitated a change in location. The school moved to Cary’s Building on South Main Street, according to Frank E. Wedertz, author of Bodie 1859-1900. That fall, a special school tax was levied to provide funds for construction of a schoolhouse on Green Street. It was finished in January of 1879, complete with cupola, reported Wedertz. Thanks to Romanzo E. Wood who visited Bodie in 1879 to photograph the growing mining town, we can enjoy a view of the school, the students, and teacher as they pose in front of the building. Wood, who credited his photos, R.E. Wood, was a Massachusetts native who came to California on the Oregon-California trail in 1859. He traveled widely over the state, photographing not only Bodie and nearby Lake Tahoe, but also cities and towns up and down the California coast. His collection, held by California State University at Chico, includes over 400 wet-plate glass negatives and albumen photographic prints. We’ll be sharing more of his photos in the months to come. Photo courtesy of California State University, Chico, Meriam Library Special Collections #ThrowbackThursday

Thank you to everyone who donated to the Bodie Foundation during our #GivingTuesday campaign yesterday. We are so grateful for your help in this difficult year. Donations can still be accepted at the following link: https://bodiefoundation.salsalabs.org/GivingTues/index.html