Posted by David A. Wright on April 24, 1999 at 12:22:40:
In Reply to: Bodie and surrounding towns posted by casey on April 23, 1999 at 00:32:18:
REPLY:
You'll greatly enjoy your trip to Bodie. It's a wonderful, magical town to visit. I used to live nearby and have been to the place over 50 times now, each time I visit it's as though it is for the 1st time.
Nearby are several townsites. They are Aurora, NV; Masonic, CA; Fletcher, NV; Dogtown, CA; Monoville, CA; Mono Mills, CA, Bennettville, CA.
Before turning into Bodie off of US395, drive a quarter mile or so south on US395. There will be a historical marker on the west side of the road. This is the marker for Dogtown. The ruins of the town can be seen a short distance west off of the road. If the creek is low you can drive to it. If not, it's only a couple of tenths of a mile to walk. This town preceeded Bodie by a few years. This collection of stone hovels created a rush which caused formation of Mono County, in which Aurora was selected to be the seat of government. Aurora served in this capacity for a couple of years until a state line survey was completed to the point and it was found that Aurora was inside Nevada.
After seeing Bodie, you can drive about 13 miles northeast to Aurora. Here you will find little. It is a stark contrast to Bodie, giving evidence of what unprotected ghost towns look like. Aurora suffered during the 1940's when used brick was in high demand in southern California as suburbs became cities. Aurora was built largely of brick. There are a few scraps left of Aurora and the cemetery is largely intact. Also, entering Aurora you will pass through Mangum, a milling center during the 1st decade of this century (my, soon to be last century!)
At Bodie, you can also drive north to the tri-sectioned town of Masonic. Check out this website for photos of that site.
At Monoville, there are stone hovels, although there is an occupied home at the site. Seek permission to explore.
At Mono Mills, a short detour off US395 will give you a few brief minutes of exploration at this lumbering center that was the southern terminus of the Bodie Lumber & Railway Company railroad. At Bodie, you can take a tour to the depot and company offices of this company. Check out the photos, including some historical, of this site on ghosttowns.com.
Fletcher, NV was a stage stop for stages bound for Aurora and Bodie. The route of US395 wasn't in much use by transportation systems in the 1800's, and was sparcely populated. It is found a short distance of Aurora and is a populated and working ranch.
Bennettville, CA is found near the top of Tioga Pass and requires a short walk. Check out the photos on this site.
Stop in at Bridgeport, Mammoth Lakes, or Bishop (depending on your access route) for maps at either Forest Service or Chamber of Commerce locations.
Enjoy your trip!