Bodie (Mono County) was named after W. S. Body (or Bodey), who was first credited with discovering gold in Bodie in 1859. At an elevation of 8,379 feet, covered in snow throughout the winter and battered by winds in the summer, Bodie was not an ideal place to live.

Following the gold discovery, a great bonanza began in 1872, triggering a rush. Between 1876 and 1882, the community grew to over 10,000. By the time the last mine closed in 1942, Bodie had produced over $30 million in gold. After suffering a devastating fire in 1932, what remained of the town was turned into a 500-acre State Historic Park in 1962 and State Historic Landmark (341). The California Legislature designated it California’s official State Gold Rush Ghost Town in 2002.

(Added by Statutes, Chapter 365, 2002)