The Miners Move On
Photo Credits: Robert Alexander/Archive Photos/Getty Images
The decline of Bodie’s intrigue first began to show toward the end of 1880. That year, places such as Butte, Montana; Tombstone, Arizona; and Utah started to show signs of promise. Those who came to Bodie to get rich quick left just as fast to these other places that were rumored to be the next big thing.
As the miners began to clear out of Bodie, the town started to evolve into a place where people could settle down and raise a family. Churches were built in 1882, and although the population was much smaller, the mines were showing no sign of slowing down. In 1881, the mine’s ore production was estimated to be around $3.1 million.
