Bodie Foundation

Throwback Thursday goes on vacation after today until mid-August 2026. We enjoy sharing the history of the people and places of Bodie and the Mono Basin, and we know there’s more stories out there.

We would love to hear from those of you who have photos and stories of your family’s life in the region. Please contact Chris Spiller at [email protected] if you have photos/information to share for future Throwback Thursdays for either Bodie or Mono. Help keep history alive!

Throwback Thursday
We look back at the June 23, 1932 fire which destroyed close to 75 percent of the town 94 years ago. It was not Bodie’s first major fire; a fire in 1892 had destroyed about 60 buildings. And it was not quite the end of Bodie as one more mining company would re-work old tailings piles in Bodie from 1935-1942.

Two days after the fire, the Oakland Tribune recapped the fire and Bodie’s history.
“When mining there was at the height and several thousand persons thronged the streets, Bodie had the reputation of being one of the ‘livest’ cities in the world. Fame of the ‘bold, bad man of Bodie,’ and some few instances of violence gave it to many an evil reputation not wholly deserved. There were good men and bad in those days at Bodie, adventurers all.”

Three-year-old Billy Godward was said to have started the fire while playing with matches behind the Sawdust Corner Saloon on Main Street. Gusty winds spread the flames quickly and the local fire department was called. When hydrants were turned on, very little water came out. It was found that screens at the town reservoir were either damaged or missing, which sent rocks and debris into the pipes.

Today, Bodie has a modern fire hydrant system, but the threat of fire is still real, especially with the hot weather we have had recently. Please remember that smoking in the townsite of Bodie is not permitted.

Photo of men rolling hoses out in front of the Sawdust Corner Saloon, courtesy of Nevada Historical Society.

Those of us who love looking at photos of Bodie often want know more about the people in the photos and their life in Bodie.

At this year’s Friends of Bodie Fest on August 8, we are looking for Bodie descendants who would like to come display their family photos and answer questions about their ancestors’ life in Bodie.

Photos can be from Bodie’s early years, all the way up to the 1930s and early 1940s. The photo shown here is from Chuck and Jane Miller. Members of the Miller Family will be attending August 8 and displaying family photos on the porch of the Miller House.

For more information about sharing your photos at FOB Fest, please contact [email protected] and [email protected].

Throwback Thursday
Down, but not out
This is one of the many postcards of Bodie that were created over the years. This one was sent in 1905 and looks northwest across the town. We don’t know the exact date of the photo, but it is probably the early 1900s. You can see the church still has white paint, as does the schoolhouse farther up Green Street.

By the time of the 1900 census, there was over 1,000 people still living in Bodie, quite a drop from the thousands that lived there in 1879. And mining continued in those years and the stamp mill (out of the photo) continued its work of crushing the ore and separating the gold and silver.

Someone has written on this postcard at the top, perhaps the sender, “Just a glimpse of paradise - ?” Bodie may not have been some people’s idea of paradise, but for the folks who lived there for many years, it was. William Miller, his wife Annie Miller, and their family lived in Bodie from 1896 into Bodie’s final years. William’s love of Bodie showed in a comment he once made that was repeated in his 1936 obituary. “I can’t tell you how glad I am to be home again; there’s no place like it.”

Thank you to Jason Johnston for sharing his postcard with us.

What does “arrested decay” really mean at Bodie?
It’s one of the most common questions we hear — and one of the most misunderstood.

When California created Bodie State Historic Park in 1963, the purpose was clear:
to preserve the ghost town “in its historic and natural setting” and protect its structures in a way that retains the ghost town atmosphere.

The 1979 General Plan went even further, stating that Bodie should be maintained as it appeared when the state acquired it in 1962. That’s the origin of the philosophy we now call arrested decay.

Arrested decay means preserving what remains, not restoring buildings to their original appearance. But as early as 1977, the state recognized a challenge: some buildings were already deteriorating so quickly that without restorative work — like re-roofing or rebuilding collapsed walls — they wouldn’t resemble their 1962 condition at all.

So today, arrested decay is a careful balance.
We stabilize. We protect. We intervene only when necessary.
The goal is always the same: keep Bodie standing, authentically, for future generations.

This work is slow, specialized, and essential — and your support makes it possible.
https://www.bodiefoundation.org/donate

Breaking News from Bodie!!! Our beloved Methodist Church is once again standing straight! Bodie State Historic Park

Help us do more projects like this one. https://bodiefoundation.org/donate

Throwback Thursday
Once the snow melts in Bodie, it’s time to get out the croquet mallets.

Croquet became all the rage in the Victorian period. Its popularity continued into the early 1900s and is still played today. These players in Bodie have a small lawn for their game, not as glamorous a playing area as the lush green lawns some played on in other locations, but they seem to be enjoying their game, nevertheless.

We only know the identities of two people in this photo. Perhaps some of you Bodie descendants can help us with the rest. At left is Dolly Cain, daughter of James Cain, and the lady on the other side of the one gentleman is Kate Cody, wife of Michael Cody. Judging from the clothes, it appears to be the early 1900s.

Photo courtesy of Ken Deleray.

I had the pleasure of meeting NVTami yesterday. If you don't already follow her, you definitely should. Check out one of her presentations or buy one of her books at https://nvtami.com. She has a new book in the works that features all the cool and forgotten spots around Bodie State Historic Park. She has donated two of her books for the raffle at our FOB Fest Members Dinner. Get your tickets at https://bodiefoundation.salsalabs.org/fobfestmembersonlydinner2026

2026 Presentation Schedule

Upcoming

June 10: Reno 5:30-6:30 pm
Nevada Historical Society. The museum is under construction so it’s at the Knights of Pythias Lodge, 980 Nevada Street, Reno, NV 89503.
Topic: Glow and Shadow of Sierra

June 16: Carson City 12:30 pm
Carson City Senior Center, Open to all
Topic: Shadow of the Sierra

August 22: Gardnerville
Dangberg Home Ranch Historic Park, time TBD
Topic: Glow of the Sierra

September 18-20. Downeville, California. Day and time TBD
Downeville Gold Rush Days
Topic: TBD

October 27: Reno
Comstock Gold Prospectors (members only)
Topic: Pine Grove, mills around Nevada

October 29: Carson City 5:30 book signing, 630 presentation
Nevada State Museum
Topic: Dust to Dust in the Desert: Unearthing Nevada's Historic Cemeteries

November 15: Dayton
Odeon
Topic: TBD

Past

February 28: Caliente 1:30 pm
2026 Tourism Expo, Lincoln County Authority of Tourism
Topic: Lincoln County ghost towns & historic

March 5: Minden 6:30 am
Kiawans Minden (members only)
Topic: Sagebrush War, Slater’s Mine, and Zirnville

March 10: Fallon 6 pm
Churchill Library
Topic: Shadow of the Sierra

March 15: Ridgecrest 2 pm
Maturango Museum
Glow of the Sierra

April 21 Elko
FOCUS Rural Roundup
Topic: Echoes in the Desert: Nevada’s Forgotten Ghost Towns

May 12: Gardnerville
Carson Valley Photo Club (members only)
Topic: Photogenic ghost town trips from Carson Valley

May 14: Gardnerville
Douglas County Historical Society
Topic: Glow and Shadow of Sierra

May 18: Markleeville
Alpine County Historical
Topic: In the Glow and Shadow of the Sierra