Outdoor Adventure »Whoopee! Just for fun
POP Quiz: Whose house is this and where is it?
dave anderson almost 2 years ago | 10 responses    

I am guessing Calico!

Though I don’t recognize that building (I’ve only been twice) I remember hearing a story similar to the one you described about the Calico Ghost Town.

The family was Walter Knott, founder of Knott’s Berry Farm, who preserved the site when he visited during the 60’s and saw a historic site going to dust. After preserving the town at great cost he donated it to the San Bernadino County. Er, but that would mean it is a regional park, not a State Park, and so I must be wrong.

Oh well. Try again I guess.

Zoe, you may be wrong, but Calico is one of my favorite places to visit. I have been several times, once at Halloween which was incredable! Now that the weather is cooling down I think it may be time to visit again. Have you ever heard the Balad of Calico by Kenny Rodgers and the first edition?? I know I am dating myself but that is what got my interest in Calico!

Yeah, Calico is fun. Though I’ve only been there when it was blazing hot and usually near the end of the day, so most of the shows and attractions were already closed. But I love historical sites like this.

Have you ever seen the show Deadwood? When I was at Calico last I couldn’t help but imagine the wild west happening like Deadwood in that little town.

We should plan a “team building” trip to Calico!

So…is it Calico? If not, I have some searching to do.

Nope, not Calico. Hint#1: farther north. Hint#2: IN its heyday it was extremely lawless, remember this is California.
Dave

My guess the lawless ghost town of Bodie????

I guess the hint was too easy. Stacy is right. But, who is the family?

I have no idea! I guess I am going to have to do some research! I have never been there, but have always been interested in it because of “the curse”. I am assuming you have never taken anything from there except pictures??? By the way Dave I love your pictures and your pop quiz’s! And Zoe I am so in on a Team Building trip to Calico!

I agree these pop quizzes and photo adventures are great Dave!

I’ve never even hear of Bodie. I found this amazing gallery, A journey through Bodie Ghost Town with lot’s of pictures and great comments.

You can check out the official state park website for Bodie here and the wiki page here

And here is another great gallery

From the state park site:

An original ghost town from the late 1800’s. Bodie stands today in a state of “arrested decay”. So coined by the State of California when they took over the town in 1962 to make it a State Historic Park.

In 1859 William (a.k.a. Waterman) S. Bodey discovered gold near what is now called Bodie Bluff.

So I guess the town is named after the ‘founder’. But even the state park site didn’t sound definitive as to why the name is spelled differently.

The name of the town was changed at some point in time, before the majority of the people made their way to Bodie. There are different stories as to why – one says it was to keep the correct pronunciation of town’s namesake. Another says that the sign painter didn’t have the room for the tail of the lower-case “y”.

I particularly like their disclaimer on the history page:

Although this is probably true for all history, Bodie’s history wasn’t well recorded, and what was could have been written by anyone. So the sources from which many books are written could be right… or could be wrong. So who’s book or history is really correct? NO ONE’S.

There are authors who insist that because they spent years researching the history of Bodie that THEY are correct and that everyone else is wrong. In the case of Bodie, thoe authors are most likely to be trying to sell something, rather than just sharing what they remember from their research.

So, enjoy Bodie’s history and stories, and remember – unless you are personally talking to someone who LIVED there, it’s ALL just interpretation of various sources – and no one is “right”.

Thanks again for the fun Dave. And good job Kristen. I learn something new everyday.

More hints: the Patriarch of this family was a banker, owner of the Consolidated Mining Company and brought electricty to Bodie.