William S. Bodey

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Waterman S. "William" Bodey came from Poughkeepsie, New York. In Poughkeepsie he owned his own business and was listed in the 1843 Poughkeepsie village directory. In the 1845 edition, he is listed as a tin manufacturer with his shop address of 345 Main Street. He is also listed in this same directory as having a home on the corner of South Hamilton and Montgomery streets.

Although it seems that Bodey was well respected within the community of Poughkeepsie, Bodey seemed to lust for a more adventurous life. In 1848, with the news of gold being discovered in California, Bodey's lust seems to have got the best of him.

Bodey said goodbye to his wife Sarah and his two children, and set sail for California and its gold on the Mathew Vasser. After rounding Cape Horn, an adventure in its self, William S. Bodey landed in San Francisco in 1849.

In 1859, Bodey discovered gold in Eastern California, north of Mono Lake. This discovery sparked a gold rush: the town of Bodie, California (named in Bodey's honour, but misspelled) sprang up around Bodey's discovery. Unfortunately, Bodey died in November 1859, after making a supply trip to Monoville and getting lost in a blizzard.