Bodie Race Track

Have you ever noticed the old Bodie race track when you’re driving into town? Probably not… there’s almost no sign of it left, except the compacted ground leftover from the late 1870s. Just before you get to town on Bodie Rd., there it is to your right. If you really …

John Wayne in Bodie

John Wayne, probably the most iconic western movie star in history, visited Bodie around 1970, for a TV special called “Swing Out, Sweet Land” (renamed for DVD to “John Wayne’s Tribute to America.”) It’s wonderful to know that an American icon like John Wayne, known for his love of the …

The Standard Mill

Here’s the Standard mill, which processed ore from the Standard Mine. (The mine was originally named the Bunker Hill mine when it was first registered in 1861.) Most of the inner workings are still in tact. During the summer months Park Aides conduct a history talk and guided tour (for …

Hoover House

This was the home of Theodore and Mildred Hoover. Theodore was the manager of the Standard Mill and lived in this house for about three years. Theodore was the brother of the would-be President Herbert Hoover, who occasionally visited Bodie – but that was long before he was president. At …

Burkham House

Though I don’t currently have any information on this house, I thought it was a very attractive house. Most homes in Bodie were not very fancy, but this one stands out because of it’s corner window. Looking through the windows of the Burkham house shows you what is left of …

Swazey Hotel

This building is very popular – probably because of how much it leans to one side. Since Bodie is in a “state of arrested decay,” some buildings need to be shored up to keep them from falling down. The Swazey Hotel has been leaning like this for some time now …

Conway House

This was Bob Conway’s home in Bodie. The Conway’s owned a freight wagon business. Their wagons would travel from Carson City, Nevada, to Bodie and back, probably continuously during the non-winter months. If you’ve driven on the road to Bodie, imagine what it must have been like going down that …

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