Thousands of people came to the towns of Aurora, Bodie, Lundy, and the Mono Basin, starting in 1857 and lasting through one decade or more, of the 1900s. Most were seeking gold and silver, and the riches that would bring, but not every one set claims or man the mines. These were tradesman or simply workers of all trades looking to serve the needs of the miners. They were store kee[\pers, carpenters, doctors, boarding house and brothel operators. All of whom got rich faster then the miners.

Much information for these stories came from descendants of these people.

A complete book index also featuring a copy of the 1870 census taken in aurora, containing over 50 illustrations and three maps.