The boomtown of Bodie is located in a high, cold, treeless area, where wood was in great demand both for lumber and fuel. The largest stand of Jeffrey pine in the world occurs southeast of Mono Lake, about 30 miles from Bodie, and was a relatively accessible timber resource. The Bodie Railway & Lumber Co. was formed in February 1881, and a narrow gauge (3 feet) line from Bodie to the timber stand was finished by that November. The railroad carried both finished lumber and fuel wood to Bodie, and…
