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

by Marguerite Sprague

Overview

The Bodie Mining District was established in 1860 after the discovery of gold deposits in the area. Bodie’s largest boom ended ust 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. In Bodie’s Gold, author Marguerite Sprague uncovers the original sources of information whenever possible, from the first mining claims to interviews with former Bodieites. Enhanced with numerous historic photographs and extracts from newspapers of that period, as well as by the reminiscences of former residents, the book offers a fascinating account of life in a Gold Rush boomtown.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780874178685
Publisher:	University of Nevada Press
Publication date:	08/03/2005
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	264
File size:	15 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Marguerite Sprague graduated from the University of California at Santa Cruz, and is the executive director of the North Lake Tahoe Historical Society. She was associate development director at Save the Bay, and executive director of Sierra State Parks Foundation.

Table of Contents

Title Page Copyright Page Table of Contents List of Illustrations Preface 1. Welcome to Bodie 2. The Gold in Them Thar' Hills 3. The Lousy Miners 4. The Golden Time 5. Bodie's Social Ladder 6. The Bodie Fever Breaks: 1881 7. Up Home 8. Bodie State Historic Park Appendix 1. Once Upon an Ancient Time... Appendix 2. De Re Metallica Redux Appendix 3. The First Bodieites: The Kuzedika Appendix 4. When Bodie Meets a Bodie Notes References Index

Editorial Reviews

"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

"A good, informal social history of Bodie." — True West

"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

From the Publisher