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

Marguerite Sprague (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0874175119 | ISBN-13: 978-0874175110 | Publication Date: April 2003

This lively history of California's official Gold Rush ghost town includes interviews with former Bodie residents and numerous historic photographs.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"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

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

From the Inside Flap

The silent streets and uninhabited buildings that greet today's visitors to Bodie, California's quintessential ghost town, belie the town's colorful past and the full and varied lives of its former residents. In "Bodie's Gold", author Marguerite Sprague uses a wide range of historic documents and recent interviews with surviving Bodieites to bring this former boomtown back to life.

The Bodie Mining District was established in 1860 after the discovery of several small gold deposits in the area. The big boom did not begin until 1878, however, when new discoveries and the arrival of highly capitalized mining companies made possible the exploitation of Bodie's significant mineral wealth. For a time, the town's population grew by ten people a day, the mines extracted several million dollars worth of gold, and Bodie flourished. What grew there was in many ways a collection of contradictions--an isolated town in the midst of the Eastern Sierra high desert, dusty in summer and frigid in winter, but for a time endowed with such urban amenities as first-class restaurants, lavish hotels, and the latest in ladies' fashions. Bodie was both a rough mining camp, which had for a time the highest murder rate in the U.S., and a town where ordinary families lived secure and contented lives and a highly respectable social network supported cultural programs and charitable works.

Sprague's account covers all the details of Bodie life--the mines and the working conditions of the miners; the demimonde of saloons and brothels; the schools, churches, and other institutions of settled life; the lives of its residents, including the native Kuzedika Indians and the Chinese; the role of women in the economy and in local society; and the experiences of the children. The boom ended in 1880, and the town began its long, slow decline, surviving into the twentieth century as a small town supported by a few small but steady mines. Mining ended with World War II, and the last permanent residents moved away. What remained of the town was named a California state park in 1964.

Enhanced with numerous historic photographs and quotations from newspapers of that period, as well as by the reminiscences of former residents, "Bodie's Gold" is lively reading, 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.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 248 pages
• Publisher: University of Nevada Press (April 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0874175119
• ISBN-13: 978-0874175110
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 7.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,907,242 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Compelling California history, with heart!, June 7, 2003

By 

Byrd Brain "Paul '66" (Stuck in Lodi (again...)) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Bodie's Gold: Tall Tales and True History from a California Mining Town (Hardcover)

This is an excellent book, obviously a work of intense research and profound appreciation for the town and people of Bodie, California. The author touches upon myriad aspects of the town's development and decline, including anthropology, technology, and geology. The book also deals with the human side of this hard-scrabble community, and includes many personal reflections of actual Bodieites. The author also infuses the book with a unique sense of humor, which perfectly suits the subject matter. Highly recommended!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply a brillant book written on the Bodie mines, August 29, 2007

By 

D. Cote (California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bodie'S Gold: Tall Tales And True History From A California Mining Town (Paperback)

Mr Piatt spent a lot of time researching for this book and it definately shows and is very informative of the history of mining in Bodie with great photos. A must have definately.

5.0 out of 5 stars A well-written, well-researched, scholarly work that also recognizes the native Paiute., June 27, 2010

By 

angela tillotson - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bodie'S Gold: Tall Tales And True History From A California Mining Town (Paperback)

I found this to be a very informative book. Sprague's book includes 10 pages of references, footnotes, wonderful appendices, and an excellent index--not to mention several photos. Sprague was incredibly thorough in her research, and she spent more time discussing the Kutzadika Paiute and their lives than any other publication about Bodie than I've read to date. This book is a must read for anyone interested in the history of Bodie.