One of California's well preserved old west ghost towns is located just east of Bridgeport, near the Nevada border. Bodie State Historic Park attempts preservation of the historic buildings through a process known as arrested decay. The town is built at a high elevation of almost 9,000 feet and the cold winters and dry air aid preservation.
Fire destroyed many of the dwellings in the late 1800s and again in 1932. Pictured here is the Cain house that has survived the last 125 years, along with its remarkable glassed in porch. As the mining boom ended in the early 1900s, the residents moved on, leaving behind fine examples of American history.