Bodie’s Gold: Tall Tales and True History from a California Mining Town

Front Cover

v ta ll ta le s & tr u e h is to r y fr o m a ca lifo r n ia m in in g to w n nevada , . Bodie’s Gold , . ta ll ta le s & tr u e h is to r y fr o m a ca lifo r n ia m in in g to w n m a r g u e r i t e s p r a g u e “Bodie’s Gold is lively reading and a vivid account of the life that once throbbed behind the now-closed doors and empty streets of California’s official Gold Rush ghost town.” —Placerville Mountain Democrat “Bodie’s Gold is a valuable and informative source, from Marguerite Sprague’s preface to her extensive back matter. The book is a must read for anyone who is planning a trip to Bodie or just wants to step back into California’s gold rush era.” —New Mexico Historical Review “Sprague weaves together the divergent geological, mining, and social aspects of Bodie’s story into a well-researched, nicely written, and very readable account of a mining camp that became an indelible part of California’s colorful gold-mining history.” —Rock and Gem The Bodie Mining District was established in 1860 after the discovery of gold deposits in the area. Bodie’s largest boom ended just over twenty years later, but the town survived into the twentieth century supported by a few small but steady mines. Mining ended with World War II. What remained of the town became a state park in 1964. Bodie’s Gold offers a lively and accurate history of this legendary Gold Rush boomtown. Bodie was both a rough mining camp that for a time had the highest murder rate in the U.S. and supported a substantial demimonde of saloons and brothels, and a town where ordinary families lived secure and respectable lives. The book is enhanced with numerous historic photographs and extracts from newspapers of that period, as well as by the reminiscences of former residents. is executive director of the North Lake Tahoe Historical Society. Cover illustration: The Lousy Miners. Courtesy of the Cain Collection, Bodie State Historic Park Based on a design by Kristina Kachele , bodie’s gold ...