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Edward Eysen's Mammoth View of Bodie, California.

Remarkable view of Bodie, California, published by Edward Eysen in 1880.

This spectacular wall map is arguably one of the most sought-after pieces from Bodie.

The main body is a plan view map of various claims and mill sites at a scale of 1" = 300'. Printed near the lower right corner is Notice/Claims only which have been properly located on/the ground and surveyed are represented on this map.

A table published separately from this map gives/the dates of Location and Record for each claim.

Numbers marked near Shafts, Peaks, etc., indicate the altitudes of the respective localities in feet.

This indicates that the author of the map used only those claims surveyed by a US Mineral Surveyor. Near the upper center of the main body is noted: "We certify we have examined this map/and have found the respective claims we represent/to be correctly shown," followed by the signature of 12 mine superintendents covering a total of nearly 30 mines.

Below the main body is a birdseye view, "General View of Bodie Mining District/Showing the Western Slope of the Main Range Extending from North to South." This guide to the town uses reference numbers to identify a number of mills and mines in tables located to the left (No. 1-14) and right (No. 15-28) of the view.

The border surrounding the central map and underlying birdseye view shows 28 mining-related illustrations, starting at center top and moving clockwise:

• Noonday Mill & Mine and Silver Hill
• University and Maryland Mines
• Queen Bee Mine, Champion Hoisting Works
• Booker Mine, J & K Mine
• South Noonday Mine
• The Bodie Foundry, Mine
• Goodshaw Hoisting Works
• King Bee Tunnel
• Dudley Hoisting Works
• Defiance Hoisting Works
• Con. Pacific Mine
• Syndicate Hill
• Tioga Mine
• Jupiter Hoisting Works
• Belvidere Mine
• Gipsy Queen
• The Bodie Tunnel
• South Bulwer Hoisting Works
• Mono County Bank
• Original Summit
• South Standard Mine
• Black Hawk Mine
• McClinton Mine
• The Oro Mine
• The Bodie and Mono Mines.

Printed near the center bottom border is "H. Walker & Co., Framers, Map, Charts Board Mounted."

Bodie, California

The height of the Bodie boom took place around 1880, the year this piece was produced. According to some estimates, the population reached 10,000 at the town's peak, which "supported between forty and fifty mines and ten mills, aggregating 162 stamps…" (Gudde, 1975, pp. 42)

The official returns from the mines of this county show an excess of production over any other county...This large yield of nearly $3,000,000 is reported by nine mines. In Bodie district are the chief mines of the county and some of the largest in the state. There are returns from the Standard Consolidated, Bodie Consolidated, Bulwer Consolidated, Noonday, and North Noonday. The Standard Consolidated is this year the banner mine of California, standing at the head of its many famous mines.

Burchard, 1880, pp.38.

Edward Eysen

In the May 4, 1878 California Advertiser, at page 13, there is a section entitled The Sun Print, in which Edward Eysen "a California resident, and shows to the world his Sun Print [for printing] Books, Maps, Charts, Architectural Designs, Play Bills, printing . . ."

Edward Eysen later appears as a Private and Topographical Assistant, having enlisted on December 15, 1880 in San Francisco. His name later appears in a June 30, 1882 report by Lt. Carl F. Palfrey of the US Army Corps of Engineers, from Whipple Barracks, Prescott, Arizona Territory, noting his voluntary discharge from service.

Rarity

We locate only the Library of Congress copy, although the map appears in the California State Library list of maps from 1899. The Bancroft seems to hold a photocopy of a portion of the map.