“The Bodie Curse”
Tales of Bad Luck that Befell Those Who Have Stolen Its Artifacts
There are many rumors of ghost sightings in Bodie from a Chinese woman who was once a maid of the J.S. Cain House at the corner of Green and Park, to a woman who haunts the second story of the Dechambeau House. The most famous is “The Angel of Bodie,” a two-year old girl who died in 1897 thought to have been killed after accidentally being struck in the head with a mining pick. Whether the ghosts are considered friendly or dangerous, there is one thing they all have in common. They are all said to watch over the town protecting its artifacts from would be thieves.
The grave of Evelyn Myers (1894-1897), daughter of Albert and Fannie Meyers, known as “The Angel of Bodie“
For you see ghost-hunter lore and rumor have it that anyone who dares steal anything from Bodie Ghost Town will forever be cursed and suffer terrible trials and tribulations. Even something seemingly innocuous like a rock or rusty nail can haunt those who dare to take it until the pilfered item is safely returned.
So, is the curse real? Well, the countless, almost weekly “curse letters” park rangers receive are hard to dispute. Most are scribbled in anonymous handwriting returning objects like bottles, glass shards, pottery and stones. The common theme? They are all begging for forgiveness, full of tales of woes and horrible misfortunes since the objects were taken.
Here are some of those excerpts:
"Please find enclosed one weatherbeaten old shoe. The shoe was removed from Bodie during the month of August 1978... My trail of misfortune is so long and depressing it can't be listed here."
Letter to Bodie, undated
"Dear Bodie... I'm sorry that I took this piece of metal from the town. I thought it was all a joke but it wasn't at all. Things are happening that are very hard to explain."
From a letter to Bodie, 2003
"I send the purloined goods, along with my deepest apologies to whatever spirit I have offended... I feel better already. Confession really is good for the soul."
From a letter to Bodie, 1996
"Fair warning for anyone that thinks this is just folklore -- my life has never seen such turmoil. Please take my warning and do not remove even a speck of dust."
From a letter to Bodie, 2002
"So sorry for picking these up. I love antiques and being a Christian I felt so guilty for taking these on Monday. Not to mention Tuesday we got a flat tire and my husband hit his head on a rock."
From a letter to Bodie, 1998
"You can have these godforsaken rocks back. I've never had so much rotten luck in my life. Please forgive me for ever testing the curse of Bodie."
From a letter to Bodie, 2004
“Life since then has been a steady downward slide. It’s possible that all the unpleasant events of the past nine months are a coincidence, but just in case the Bodie curse is real I am returning the nail.”
From a letter to Bodie, 1992
The worst part of all this thievery is the returned items simply get filed away as stolen property in a storage facility, never returned to their rightful place as nobody knows for sure where they even go. I can only imagine what you can find there. Rumor has it the items even include an antique grand piano if you can believe it!
[Excerpts of letters cited here were taken from a 2018 article by Carly Severn, KQED.]
Read More…
Books about Bodie:
Bodie: The Gold-mining Ghost Town (Abandoned Places) - A book for kids ages 8-12 years old
Bodie: Images From a California Ghost Town Suspended in Time
