Timeline of major violent events and notorious moments in Bodie, California’s wild history — a town so lawless it earned a reputation as one of the roughest mining camps in the West:
1876 – Bodie’s Boom Begins
The Standard Mine strikes gold. Prospectors flood in, and Bodie transforms from a quiet camp into a booming town — and with it comes gambling, saloons, opium dens, and gunslingers.
1879 – Peak Population, Peak Violence
Bodie hits its peak with around 7,000–10,000 residents. That year alone, it’s said there were 30+ murders, many tied to gambling disputes and drunken shootouts. The phrase “Bad Man from Bodie” enters widespread use.
1879 – Tom Treanor Kills a Man in a Saloon
After a heated argument during a card game, Treanor guns down another miner in a crowded bar. He was arrested but later released after a murky trial. The town shrugs it off — just another night in Bodie.
1880 – Gunfight on Main Street
A broad daylight gunfight erupts between rival gamblers. Two men are killed, and several bystanders are wounded. This kind of event is common enough that locals don’t even bother locking their doors — they’re used to chaos.
1881 – James Stuart Lynched by a Mob
Caught robbing a stagecoach, Stuart is jailed in Bodie. That night, a group of vigilantes breaks in and hangs him from a telegraph pole. His body dangled for hours — a message to other would-be criminals.
1882 – Red Irwin Walks Free After Killing a Man
“Red” Irwin shoots another gambler in the back during a dispute. Witnesses testify, but the case is dismissed on a technicality. Irwin boasts about it in saloons afterward, reinforcing Bodie’s anything-goes culture.
1883 – Deputy Sheriff Shot in Line of Duty
Deputy John Kelly is killed while trying to break up a bar fight. His murder is never solved. By this point, even lawmen hesitate to enforce order in Bodie.
1884 – Town Begins to Decline
Mines starts to dry up. Many “bad men” drift elsewhere. But Bodie’s violent legend is cemented, passed down through newspapers, dime novels, and the stories of old-timers.
1915 – Bodie Officially a Ghost Town
The post office closes. Fires, neglect, and time erase most of the town — but its violent, freewheeling legacy lives on.