The Ghosts of Bodie, California



Karen Michelle Nutt & Jack


Paranormal View of
Bodie, California
by Karen Michelle Nutt
Copyright © 2012 Karen Michelle Nutt

What’s a ghost town without a few ghosts to haunt it? Bodie is located in California north of Mono Lake, high on the eastern side of the Sierras. Bodie was named after W. S. Bodey who discovered gold in the nearby hills in 1859.



Cain House in Bodie



One of the most famous ghost stories is the haunted Cain house. Jim Cain, a shrewd businessman, brought lumber to the treeless Bodie. Everything in Bodie was made of wood. Homes were heated with wood and the mills used wood for their steam engines. So you can imagine how Jim Cain made his fortune.

Cain built his house on the corner of Green and Park Street. He hired a Chinese woman to be the family maid. It wasn’t long before rumors were spread about Cain and the maid having an affair. Mrs. Cain immediately fired the maid. The poor woman’s reputation was ruined and she couldn’t find a job. She ended up committing suicide.

It is reported that her ghost still haunts the Cain home. Over the years the house has served as the park ranger housing and it was also open to visitors. Children have reported seeing the maid in the upstairs bedroom. Some of the park rangers have reported strange experiences. A ranger was sleeping in one of the rooms upstairs and felt a pressure on his chest. He reported it felt like someone was on top of him, trying to suffocate him. Another said he managed to push the entity off after a difficult struggle. Another reported the door opening and shutting throughout the night. A daughter of a park ranger had a room upstairs where the lights kept turning back on during the night.



Mendocini House in Bodie



Another haunted house is the Mendocini house. There have been reports of children laughing outside. Another ranger reported that it sounded as if a party was going on inside the house, but once the ranger investigated he could find no one there. This house is also rumored to smell like someone is cooking Italian food. Maybe it’s for the ghostly party that’s going on night after night. 

Bodie also has a curse attached to it. According to legend, the spirits of the former residents are determined to protect their town from theft. Anyone who removes something will be cursed with bad luck. According to park rangers, every year they receive objects in the mail that were taken from Bodie. Some even have letters begging for forgiveness from these ghostly residents.

Bodie, California is open to the public and offers something for everyone: history, scenery, and the paranormal.

My story Storm Riders takes place in Bodie, California, during its Wild West era when ghosts couldn’t be heard over the gun shooting and loud music.

Storm Riders is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords.

Win a $10 Amazon Gift Certificate!

Contest question: If you could travel back in time to a western town, where would you go and why? Was there someone there you wanted to meet?  One commenter will win an Amazon Gift Certificate for $10!

Drawing will be held May 6 at 9pm Pacific Time. Your email address must be included to be eligible! Otherwise, we can't contact you and we'll have to draw another winner.