Detail of gnarled, knotted wood in Bodie Ghost Town

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East of the Sierra Nevada in California and close to the Nevada border lies the ghost town of Bodie. William S. Body found gold here in 1859 and the mining camp grew slowly from 1860 to the mid-1870s, then in 1876 the discovery of several rich gold veins started a rush to Bodie. At one point, there were 65 saloons, a red light district and a chinatown. Two years later, most of the mines were worked out and at the onset of World War II, the school and the post office were closed, and the last residents left town. Today, more than 150 well-preserved buildings remain in Bodie and it has been declared a California State Park and is maintained in a state of "arrested decay".

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Size: 3467px × 5200px
Location: Bodie, California
Photo credit: © Bob Masters / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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