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The Untold Story Of Bodie, California - The Cursed Gold Rush Town · Mystery Archives Episodes

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What once seemed like a miraculous place to its early
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settlers slowly, but surely collapsed under the weight of
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its own profits and debauchery. And it's now said that the land,
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then all items within this abandoned town are now.
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Cursed, this is a strange tale that intertwines Legend with
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history. This is the untold story of
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Bodie California. But first, a message from
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supporting dubby today. The year was 1859 and Mining had
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began to decline along the western slope of the Sierra,
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Nevada. Prospectors in search of riches
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beyond their Wildest Dreams began to cross the Eastern
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Slope. One, such man was named William
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S Bode, during his expedition Bode would find gold near a
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place now known as Bodie Bluff, he would make Camp there and
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continue to take his chances in order to collect his riches his
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supplies and food with gross scarce but his stash of gold
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nuggets was growing ever larger. Powered by his insatiable love
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for a better life. Bodie continued on, however, as
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the year progressed and winter came over the area, he
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unfortunately, would Breathe his last breath, Bodie died in a
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snowstorm that very winter and would later be discovered by the
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future inhabitants of the town that would come to bear his
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name. His story in its own way, would
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manifest within the settlement, even down to its last days.
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As the search for gold continued bodis gold vein would be
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rediscovered in slowly, but surely a mine was established as
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well as a mill. The year was now 1861 and the
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town known as Bodie, was home to 20 minors for the next 17 years
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to come. It's population would grow
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steadily, but it would remain a rather insignificant mining
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camp. And that was until the mill was
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sold. Bunker Hill.
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Mine. As it came to be known on the
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west slope of bode. Bluff would change hands several
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times within the 17 years until it came into the possession of
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standard Mining Company. It was originally sold because
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the owners of Bunker Hill mine at the time believed that the
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well had run dry. So to speak since their profits
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and gold Discovery had been on a downward trajectory for many
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years, but after it was sold to standard Was if a miracle had
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taken place just months after the sale as significant vein of
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Rich gold or was discovered profits, as a result Rose
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dramatically. And by 1878 bodis population had
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soared to over 5,000 people. It's estimated that the mine
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would yield nearly 15 million dollars worth of gold over the
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next 25 years profits that would be worth an estimated 400
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million dollars in today's money, although all seemed to be
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going, great and Bodie. There were many hardships yet in
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store for the fledgling town and its citizens, the winter of 78
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was particularly Savage, it's estimated that over 200, people
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would lose their lives, either due to exposure hypothermia or
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disease. Others would be taken by Fallen
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Timber and one of several explosions to take place within
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the mines as the Powder Magazine mysteriously ignited.
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But despite the horror of the winter frost Bode continued to
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grow people, of almost, every Walk of Life, would end up there
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from minors to Gamblers prostitutes and businessmen.
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And by 1879, it had doubled in size to over 10,000 residents,
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it had added an additional 2,000 buildings and before long, it's
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supported over 30 gold mines, 65 saloons, and untold amounts of
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brothels gambling halls and opium dens.
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Opposite, the brothels gambling and opium smoking.
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The town also had several churches banks in schools, three
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breweries within the town Work Day and Night Brewing, whiskey
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and 100 gallon barrels because Bode seem to have an insatiable
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thirst for alcohol. Like a perfect storm Bodie would
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soon earned. A reputation for violence
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lawlessness and debauchery of every kind killings at times
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were daily events, robberies stick ups.
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And street fights all became frequent occurrences, as well.
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As the town seemed to turn its back on God and worship.
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Its Newfound Idol one of gold and profit.
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It seemed like the good times for those who indulge themselves
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would never end. But they would.
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Given bodis reputation. It's perhaps not surprising.
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That one. Little girl, whose family was
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moving to the mining town. Reportedly prayed, goodbye, God.
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We are going to bode. For all of its construction
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Bodie needed vast amounts of lumber.
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And the problem was that there were scarce trees in the area.
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Soon, several businessmen, formed the Bodie and Benton
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Railroad Company in 1881 for the sole purpose of sustaining that
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appetite for much-needed. Lumber, however, for the
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citizens of Bodie, this was not a good decision in order to
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maximize profits, the company hired an Chinese labor, much to
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the outrage of the locally unemployed so with a large
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influx of cheap foreign labor and soon.
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Help Drive the competing labor costs into the ground.
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Not just for the railroad but for mining as well.
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This marked the beginning of the end of the town.
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The boom was over. Just one year later in 1882,
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Bodhi started to rapidly decline.
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Prior to 1882, there were no churches within the town but
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there were two preachers. One Methodist and one Catholic
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who held services in their private homes and despite of the
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town's decline to churches would be built in 1882 one for each of
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the two faiths. However, both would not end up
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surviving. After the merging of Bodie and
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the standard mining companies in 1887, the town saw a brief
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Revival in both wealth as well as population but that too would
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be short-lived. A series of fires would soon
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extinguish Bode for good. In 1892, a fire ravaged, much of
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the business district further depleting the population and in
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1898, a massive fire broke out and destroyed the once
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prosperous Mill. And although it was a slow burn
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metaphorically speaking. As far as the decline of the
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town, the final nail in the coffin was in 1932 when a
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two-year-old boy who had gotten ahold of his father's matches
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ended up lighting a fire that would destroy 95% of all
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buildings left within the town. In the years to come prohibition
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and the Great Depression would in tune Bodhi and although
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attempts were made to strike new gold companies once record
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profits crashed. We are thus left with a tale of
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a city that flew too close to the Sun and burned showing that
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chasing profit and vanity debauchery and lust yield a
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disastrous long-term consequences.
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After WWII, only six people lived in the old settlement and
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five of these six would soon. Meet strange and untimely
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deaths. The first was a man who
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seemingly went mad out of the Clear Blue Sky.
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He woke up one day, loaded his pistol and shot.
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His wife in broad daylight in the Town Centre.
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Three men witnessed this take place and quickly took action,
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which would lead to the death of the man who had just killed his
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wife. And this is where things take a
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very weird turn. Indeed.
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According to each man, the ghost of the murdered man.
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Would visit them individually. Tormenting them and forbidding
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their rest soon. All three would die of a
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mysterious and painful disease. Details on their condition are
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scarce but thick and painful boils were said to envelop them
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within a matter of agonizing weeks, they would all perish.
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But the strange happenings didn't seem to stop with just
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those three men after this Bode, truly became a ghost town by
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1962, after years of neglect, it was designated as State
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Historical Park by the state of California.
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Legends about this place. Seemingly stuck in time one,
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such Legend is known as the Bode curse.
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Supposedly if visitors take anything from from this town,
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even a pebble, they will forever.
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Be cursed with terrible misfortune.
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One such victim claimed to have been struck with horrible luck
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and tragedy until they returned an item that they had stolen
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from a previous visit and this is an entirely speculation or
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Superstition. However, the park zone Rangers
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claim, it's a real phenomenon years ago.
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They began to keep a log of anyone who would offer to tell
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them that they were. Sing something from Bode and the
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log book also contains Pages upon pages of those.
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Same people returning those items and claiming the notorious
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curse. The curse is said to be
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perpetuated by the ghost that lived there, who guard their
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riches against thieves, as they are, still searching for new
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gold. And despite the park rangers
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vouching for the happenings many believe, it's nothing more than
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silly Superstition but I for one wouldn't want to be the guy to
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test this out. There are many places I'd be
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willing to go to investigate with Bodhi, being one of them.
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But why take the chance of destroying your life for
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something that wasn't yours to begin with.
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Another ghostly Legend, is that of the haunting of the Jays Kane
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house at the corner of green? And parched streets.
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James Stewart cane or JS Cain had arrived in Bodie.
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When he was just 25 years old soon after his arrival, he
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entered the lumber transporting business and soon became a mogul
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He would go on to own the Bodhi Bank, a leasing company and
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became the primary property owner within the town.
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The home is said to be haunted by the Restless Spirit of a
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chinese-made the made, apparently loves children who
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visited but hates adults. Adults sleeping in the old house
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of said to be awakened, frightened and breathless,
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feeling the weight of another person.
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Sitting on their chest. Others have experienced doors,
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opening, and closing by themselves and have even seen
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The Apparition of the spirit herself sitting in the chair and
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the main room. And this isn't the only place
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that's claimed to be haunted as still stands there.
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The men duccini house is called home to several friendly,
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ghosts. One, who is thought to be mrs.
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Mehta Cheney herself. She loved cooking.
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Large Italian meals for her family guests, and park rangers
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alike have reported smelling delicious Aromas emanating from
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the house. Although no one has cooked there
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for over 100 years. Others have seen the spirit of a
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woman peering out of the top window of the dock.
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Imbue house, almost as if the woman is still alive, but
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trapped in another time. Still dressed as though it's the
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early 1900s. And yet another ghost is known
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as the angel of Bodie and her home is the Bode Cemetery.
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There is an old angel statue that sits to guard her grave The
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angel was a three-year-old little girl who was said to have
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been accidentally killed when she was hit in the head by
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slipped miners pickaxe. Visitors of her, giggling
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feeling a small hand tugging on their pant legs.
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And others have seen a little girl run from Tombstone to
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tombstone. but upon rushing to finder, There's never anyone.
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There. Bodie is now in a state of
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Arrested decay. There are no permanent residents
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of the town, except the park employees, and only about 10% of
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the original buildings still stand in this ghost town.
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There are no Maps. No.
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Restaurants were re-creations here.
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You get the real ghost town experience.
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So if you find yourself in California and feel like taking
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a walk through time Bodhi just might be the place for you.
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But just remember, don't take anything.
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You just might become its newest resident, ghost Thank you guys
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