In 1876 a deposit of profitable gold ore was found in Bodie turning it into a boomtown. By 1879 the population had increased from a few miners to a town of 5000-7000 people and 2000 buildings. The town produced approximately $34MM in gold over its lifetime. The decline came as fast as the boom and by the end of 1880, the town was in decline with the early miners leaving Bodie for other promising finds. By 1912, the last Bodie newspaper was printed, In 1917 the Bodie railroad was scrapped. The last mine closed in 1942 with the onset of WWII and was never reopened following the war. In 1961 the town was designated a National Historic Landmark and in 1962 the state turned it into a State Historic Park with 170 buildings remaining. The park is kept in a state of "arrested decay". Today, about 110 buildings remain. Bodie California, USA
